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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,346 in Al Khobar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,152 in Al Khobar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,958 in Al Khobar.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 6% less than in Al Khobar, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 5% below, Al Khobar is 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$6.67 SAR 25.03

77.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$52.7 SAR 198

-18.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$8.04 SAR 30.18

32.46%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 SAR 7.67

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 SAR 10.09

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$4.34 SAR 16.30

-20.51%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.94 SAR 3.53

59.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.51 SAR 1.92

86.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.70 SAR 6.38

-18.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.40 SAR 5.25

32.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$2.30 SAR 8.64

-30.00%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.92 SAR 10.96

-11.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$6.70 SAR 25.15

23.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$9.28 SAR 34.81

-9.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$12.58 SAR 47.21

-15.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.49 SAR 9.33

5.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.74 SAR 6.54

-14.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$2.23 SAR 8.38

-13.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.63 SAR 6.10

28.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.42 SAR 5.33

30.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.72 SAR 6.45

31.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.71 SAR 6.41

-38.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.63 SAR 2.35

73.02%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.61 SAR 9.79

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 SAR 5.50

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 SAR 7.35

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$6.81 SAR 25.55

-39.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.97 SAR 3.63

-44.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$61.2 SAR 230

-56.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$2.19 SAR 8.21

42.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.30 SAR 4.87

93.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$6.56 SAR 24.62

-51.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.61 SAR 2.29

108.20%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$21.5K SAR 80.8K

40.98%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$23.4K SAR 87.8K

0.66%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$125 SAR 468

-33.46%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$34.88 SAR 131

-34.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$81.1 SAR 304

-63.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$109 SAR 410

-53.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$36.43 SAR 137

-49.68%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$17.66 SAR 66.3

-72.08%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$304 SAR 1,140

-35.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$7,640 SAR 28.7K

-30.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$64.5 SAR 242

-42.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$69.2 SAR 260

-42.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$99.5 SAR 373

-19.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$78.1 SAR 293

14.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$439 SAR 1,648

117.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$405 SAR 1,521

17.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$1,020 SAR 3,829

61.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$811 SAR 3,043

51.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$2,399 SAR 9,003

63.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,466 SAR 5,502

340.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$1,861 SAR 6,983

-64.16%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Al Khobar: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $439 in Al Khobar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Khobar pays 179% 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 $53.0 in Al Khobar. Groceries flip the comparison at $250 vs $218, 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 6% 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 179% 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $439 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 127% less than in Al Khobar. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $304 in Al Khobar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,346 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 $1,271 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 6% less than in Al Khobar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.