Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Al Khobar Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Al Khobar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,341 in Al Khobar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,136 in Al Khobar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,931 in Al Khobar.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 4% less than in Al Khobar, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 4% below, Al Khobar is 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$6.80 SAR 25.51

75.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$52.4 SAR 196

-18.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$7.81 SAR 29.27

35.60%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 SAR 7.63

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 SAR 10.23

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$4.23 SAR 15.84

-14.42%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.02 SAR 3.84

44.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.49 SAR 1.83

91.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.77 SAR 6.63

-19.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.34 SAR 5.02

40.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$2.40 SAR 9.01

-32.08%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.82 SAR 10.57

-6.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$6.88 SAR 25.80

19.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$9.05 SAR 33.93

-8.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$12.37 SAR 46.39

-10.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$2.43 SAR 9.11

9.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.73 SAR 6.47

-13.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$2.21 SAR 8.29

-9.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.62 SAR 6.08

28.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.43 SAR 5.36

25.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.72 SAR 6.46

26.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.71 SAR 6.40

-36.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.59 SAR 2.23

76.27%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.72 SAR 10.21

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 SAR 5.50

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 SAR 7.02

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$6.59 SAR 24.71

-39.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.91 SAR 3.40

-42.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$59.5 SAR 223

-54.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$2.21 SAR 8.29

42.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$1.31 SAR 4.90

83.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$6.69 SAR 25.08

-53.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$0.63 SAR 2.38

101.59%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$21.0K SAR 78.7K

47.08%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$23.1K SAR 86.5K

1.08%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$123 SAR 461

-33.26%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$34.30 SAR 129

-34.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$80.9 SAR 303

-63.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$109 SAR 409

-52.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$36.07 SAR 135

-48.24%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$17.15 SAR 64.3

-71.02%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$306 SAR 1,147

-35.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$7,552 SAR 28.3K

-30.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$62.9 SAR 236

-42.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$68.8 SAR 258

-41.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$99.1 SAR 372

-19.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$79.1 SAR 297

12.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$437 SAR 1,639

120.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$394 SAR 1,479

17.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$1,054 SAR 3,952

51.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$788 SAR 2,955

53.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$2,411 SAR 9,040

63.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,432 SAR 5,370

350.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$1,942 SAR 7,283

-62.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

3.84

197.40%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Al Khobar: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $437 in Al Khobar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Khobar pays 170% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $52.0 in Al Khobar. Groceries flip the comparison at $251 vs $216, with Al Khobar cheaper for home cooking.

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 Khobar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Al Khobar. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Al Khobar earns 170% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $437 in Al Khobar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 121% less than in Al Khobar. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $306 in Al Khobar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,341 in Al Khobar, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Al Khobar. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,287 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Al Khobar are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Al Khobar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.