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: $1,330 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,404 in Al Khobar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,336 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,207 in Al Khobar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,341 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,010 in Al Khobar.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 5% less than in Al Khobar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 3% below, Al Khobar is 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.02 MX$221

$6.86 SAR 25.77

89.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.25 MX$784

$59.9 SAR 225

-22.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.59 MX$213

$7.89 SAR 29.62

59.57%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.75 SAR 10.32

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 SAR 9.83

Cappuccino

$4.00 MX$67.9

$4.34 SAR 16.28

-7.83%

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

$1.42 MX$24.08

$0.97 SAR 3.63

46.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 MX$13.73

$0.41 SAR 1.53

97.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 MX$51.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 MX$116

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.04

$1.62 SAR 6.09

5.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$37.62

$1.32 SAR 4.95

68.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.13

$2.48 SAR 9.30

-30.65%

Eggs

$2.71 MX$45.99

$2.33 SAR 8.77

16.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.37 MX$159

$7.25 SAR 27.20

29.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 MX$150

$10.07 SAR 37.82

-12.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 MX$217

$11.56 SAR 43.40

10.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 MX$53.0

$2.78 SAR 10.45

12.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.24

$1.72 SAR 6.45

-9.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.51

$2.00 SAR 7.50

7.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 MX$39.89

$1.84 SAR 6.90

27.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$34.23

$1.40 SAR 5.25

44.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.67

$1.65 SAR 6.19

20.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.09

$1.67 SAR 6.28

-25.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$20.21

$0.58 SAR 2.16

105.17%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.68 SAR 10.07

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 SAR 6.22

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 SAR 6.90

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 MX$78.8

$6.59 SAR 24.76

-29.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 MX$177

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$26.82

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 MX$49.48

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.53

$0.78 SAR 2.95

-28.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.76 MX$504

$66.8 SAR 251

-55.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.32 MX$90.2

$3.43 SAR 12.86

55.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.72 MX$63.0

$2.72 SAR 10.22

36.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.9

$6.60 SAR 24.76

-12.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.27

$0.63 SAR 2.37

146.03%

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

$22.4K MX$379.1K

$67.6K SAR 254.0K

-66.93%

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

$25.6K MX$433.3K

$22.4K SAR 84.0K

14.25%

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

$89.3 MX$1,513

$97.5 SAR 366

-8.39%

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

$23.30 MX$395

$33.42 SAR 125

-30.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.72 MX$538

$71.0 SAR 267

-55.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,165

$81.8 SAR 307

-15.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.40 MX$498

$36.06 SAR 135

-18.47%

Cinema Ticket

$5.06 MX$85.7

$15.26 SAR 57.3

-66.84%

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

$222 MX$3,765

$613 SAR 2,301

-63.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,293 MX$72.7K

$8,518 SAR 32.0K

-49.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.21 MX$783

$64.6 SAR 242

-28.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.43 MX$753

$84.7 SAR 318

-47.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 MX$1,618

$97.2 SAR 365

-1.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.5 MX$1,568

$92.2 SAR 346

0.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$645 SAR 2,423

65.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 MX$6,663

$498 SAR 1,870

-21.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,988 MX$33.7K

$1,171 SAR 4,398

69.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 MX$22.1K

$867 SAR 3,256

50.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,037 MX$68.4K

$2,415 SAR 9,069

67.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,627 MX$112.3K

$1,474 SAR 5,534

349.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$747 MX$12.7K

$1,817 SAR 6,824

-58.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

5.88

97.28%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 18, 2026

Last update for Al Khobar: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $645 in Al Khobar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Khobar pays 143% 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: $46.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $60.0 in Al Khobar. Groceries flip the comparison at $277 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, salaries run 143% lower in Al Khobar. 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: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $645 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 124% less than in Al Khobar. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $222 in Playa del Carmen versus $613 in Al Khobar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,330 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,404 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 $1,330 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.