Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Al Majma'ah

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $1,300 in Al Majma’ah, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Al Majma'ah, Saudi Arabia
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,202
/mo nomad
Al Majma'ah
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
$1,300
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Al Majma'ah

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Al Majma'ah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,300 in Al Majma’ah, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,202
  • Al Majma'ah $1,300

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,000 in Al Majma’ah, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Al Majma'ah $2,000

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,700 in Al Majma’ah, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,962
  • Al Majma'ah $2,700

Playa del Carmen is about 7% cheaper than Al Majma’ah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Playa del Carmen and Al Majma’ah are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Al Majma’ah 4% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Al Majma'ah
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.67 MX$199
$7.96 SAR 29.87
34.05%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.80 MX$815
$66.6 SAR 250
-34.22%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.79 MX$219
$8.09 SAR 30.37
45.74%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$2.14 SAR 8.03
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.97 SAR 11.16
-
Cappuccino
$3.79 MX$70.5
$4.45 SAR 16.71
-14.83%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.30 MX$24.14
$0.84 SAR 3.16
54.76%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 MX$15.51
$0.33 SAR 1.24
151.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 MX$58.6
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$91.8
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Al Majma'ah
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.22
$1.82 SAR 6.84
-22.53%
White Bread (500g)
$2.20 MX$40.86
$1.33 SAR 5.00
65.41%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.47 MX$27.40
$2.46 SAR 9.24
-40.24%
Eggs
$2.50 MX$46.46
$2.99 SAR 11.22
-16.39%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.29 MX$136
$10.35 SAR 38.84
-29.57%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.95 MX$148
$9.52 SAR 35.73
-16.49%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.86 MX$239
$15.25 SAR 57.2
-15.67%
Apples (1kg)
$2.90 MX$53.9
$2.92 SAR 10.94
-0.68%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 MX$25.74
$1.97 SAR 7.39
-29.95%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.49 MX$46.35
$2.49 SAR 9.36
-
Tomato (1kg)
$2.03 MX$37.77
$1.72 SAR 6.46
18.02%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$37.68
$1.17 SAR 4.39
72.65%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 MX$35.42
$1.28 SAR 4.81
48.44%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.14 MX$21.30
$1.68 SAR 6.31
-32.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 MX$23.05
$0.57 SAR 2.14
117.54%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$2.93 SAR 11.00
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.75 SAR 6.55
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.39 SAR 8.95
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.27 MX$79.5
$7.55 SAR 28.34
-43.44%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.81 MX$183
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 MX$29.51
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 MX$51.1
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Al Majma'ah
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.51 MX$9.58
$1.00 SAR 3.77
-49.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.39 MX$510
$38.68 SAR 145
-29.19%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.76 MX$88.6
$3.28 SAR 12.33
45.12%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.25 MX$60.5
$1.83 SAR 6.87
77.60%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.39 MX$100
$13.39 SAR 50.3
-59.75%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.53 MX$28.44
$0.65 SAR 2.44
135.38%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K MX$394.8K
$26.4K SAR 99.1K
-19.69%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.3K MX$432.9K
$22.4K SAR 84.1K
3.85%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Al Majma'ah
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.5 MX$1,554
$107 SAR 400
-21.69%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.19 MX$431
$29.12 SAR 109
-20.36%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.61 MX$514
$69.8 SAR 262
-60.44%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Al Majma'ah
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.4 MX$1,050
$71.6 SAR 269
-21.22%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.19 MX$525
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.00 MX$93.1
$13.98 SAR 52.5
-64.23%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Al Majma'ah
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,854
$552 SAR 2,072
-62.48%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,231 MX$97.3K
$16.5K SAR 62.1K
-68.39%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Al Majma'ah
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.45 MX$809
$58.3 SAR 219
-25.41%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.54 MX$792
$53.2 SAR 200
-19.98%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.8 MX$1,354
$101 SAR 378
-27.72%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.4 MX$1,645
$105 SAR 393
-15.58%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Al Majma'ah
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$995 MX$18.5K
$552 SAR 2,071
80.32%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$382 MX$7,116
$408 SAR 1,533
-6.37%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,674 MX$31.2K
$883 SAR 3,313
89.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,081 MX$20.1K
$614 SAR 2,304
76.07%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,909 MX$72.7K
$2,020 SAR 7,583
93.48%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,138 MX$114.2K
$1,119 SAR 4,202
448.28%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Al Majma'ah
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$832 MX$15.5K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
5.54
106.68%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Al Majma'ah: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$382
Al Majma'ah
$408 6.8% $26
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$257
Al Majma'ah
$242 5.9% $15
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$200
Al Majma'ah
$146 27.1% $54
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$134
Al Majma'ah
$206 53.1% $71
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$111
Al Majma'ah
$143 28.2% $31
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$66
Al Majma'ah
$100 49.9% $33
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Al Majma'ah
$55 9.3% $4.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $552 in Al Majma’ah. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $67 in Al Majma’ah. Groceries tell a different story – $257 in Playa del Carmen vs $242 in Al Majma’ah – so Al Majma’ah wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇸🇦 Al Majma'ah
🕒 Local time
21:45 9:45 PM
05:45 5:45 AM
8 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
💱 Currency
Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س
Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.95 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.23 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Al Majma'ah 12,730 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Al Majma'ah

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Majma'ah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Playa del Carmen or Al Majma’ah?
Al Majma’ah costs about 8% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Playa del Carmen and in Al Majma’ah?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,949 in Al Majma’ah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Playa del Carmen or Al Majma’ah?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Al Majma’ah, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $552 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.
How do childcare costs compare in Playa del Carmen and in Al Majma’ah?
Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $552 in Al Majma’ah. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Playa del Carmen or in Al Majma’ah?
Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in Al Majma’ah – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Playa del Carmen or in Al Majma’ah?
$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,202 in Playa del Carmen and $1,300 in Al Majma’ah, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Playa del Carmen or Al Majma’ah?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,202 in Playa del Carmen to $1,300 in Al Majma’ah. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?