Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Al-hawiyah Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Al-hawiyah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,160 in Al-hawiyah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,745 in Al-hawiyah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,330 in Al-hawiyah.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 13% more expensive than in Al-hawiyah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Al-hawiyah 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$7.65 SAR 28.72

56.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$35.06 SAR 132

35.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$7.51 SAR 28.19

56.46%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.87 SAR 7.03

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 SAR 7.88

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$3.55 SAR 13.34

16.06%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$23.74

$0.75 SAR 2.80

86.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.24 SAR 0.90

279.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.48 SAR 5.55

13.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$1.14 SAR 4.29

88.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$2.03 SAR 7.61

-12.81%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$2.46 SAR 9.24

14.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$7.50 SAR 28.18

22.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$9.10 SAR 34.18

1.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$12.05 SAR 45.27

4.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$2.43 SAR 9.14

21.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$1.90 SAR 7.15

-16.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$1.50 SAR 5.63

48.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$1.76 SAR 6.61

34.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$1.18 SAR 4.42

68.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$1.33 SAR 4.98

48.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$1.10 SAR 4.12

12.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.49 SAR 1.83

146.94%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.08 SAR 11.58

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 SAR 6.01

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 SAR 7.02

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$7.28 SAR 27.35

-36.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$1.06 SAR 3.98

-43.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$34.68 SAR 130

-14.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$2.53 SAR 9.51

107.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$1.87 SAR 7.02

95.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$13.31 SAR 49.97

-56.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$0.68 SAR 2.57

126.47%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$51.5K SAR 193.2K

-55.69%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$24.1K SAR 90.5K

7.13%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$90.7 MX$1,538

$96.1 SAR 361

-5.66%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$25.19 MX$427

$35.07 SAR 132

-28.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$75.0 SAR 282

-57.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$73.8 SAR 277

-6.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$36.53 SAR 137

-19.60%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$14.42 SAR 54.2

-66.30%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$226 MX$3,828

$307 SAR 1,154

-26.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$7,609 SAR 28.6K

-44.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$56.9 SAR 214

-16.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$62.7 SAR 236

-30.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$95.3 SAR 358

-15.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$76.5 SAR 287

19.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$579 SAR 2,174

87.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$330 SAR 1,241

23.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$789 SAR 2,963

149.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$596 SAR 2,237

115.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$2,128 SAR 7,994

90.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$1,547 SAR 5,811

333.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.47

109.32%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Al-hawiyah: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $579 in Al-hawiyah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $35.00 in Al-hawiyah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $203 per month, with Al-hawiyah cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Playa del Carmen vs Al-hawiyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Al-hawiyah differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($1,305 vs $1,160 including rent). Al-hawiyah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,958 in Playa del Carmen and $1,739 in Al-hawiyah to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $579 in Al-hawiyah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Al-hawiyah – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,160 in Al-hawiyah – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,160 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Al-hawiyah but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Al-hawiyah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Al-hawiyah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.