Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ha'il Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ha'il

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,041 in Ha'il.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,491 in Ha'il.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,940 in Ha'il.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 21% more expensive than in Ha'il, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Ha'il 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$6.57 SAR 24.68

78.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$25.76 SAR 96.8

62.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$7.13 SAR 26.76

47.41%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.09 SAR 4.09

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 SAR 7.88

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$3.27 SAR 12.26

9.79%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$1.01 SAR 3.78

49.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.32 SAR 1.20

187.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.75 SAR 6.56

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.81 SAR 3.03

132.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.91 SAR 7.18

-18.32%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$1.95 SAR 7.31

33.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$6.63 SAR 24.89

25.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$8.92 SAR 33.48

-6.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$8.48 SAR 31.86

28.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$1.55 SAR 5.83

74.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.52 SAR 5.69

-0.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.26 SAR 4.72

48.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$2.02 SAR 7.60

8.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.34 SAR 5.04

38.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.56 SAR 5.85

42.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.06 SAR 3.97

0.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.49 SAR 1.85

122.45%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.43 SAR 9.11

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 SAR 6.32

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 SAR 7.82

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$7.02 SAR 26.34

-40.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$1.08 SAR 4.07

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$39.94 SAR 150

-34.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$2.70 SAR 10.16

14.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$1.82 SAR 6.83

31.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$13.09 SAR 49.14

-76.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$0.59 SAR 2.23

122.03%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$27.2K SAR 102.0K

9.71%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$22.7K SAR 85.3K

2.66%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$54.0 SAR 203

50.55%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$21.59 SAR 81.1

4.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$46.03 SAR 173

-34.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$66.3 SAR 249

-20.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$36.21 SAR 136

-49.21%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$14.70 SAR 55.2

-66.53%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$352 SAR 1,320

-42.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$7,085 SAR 26.6K

-26.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$59.2 SAR 222

-39.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$60.4 SAR 227

-33.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$77.9 SAR 292

2.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$80.6 SAR 303

7.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$498 SAR 1,871

96.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$330 SAR 1,241

42.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$440 SAR 1,651

275.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$361 SAR 1,355

233.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$2,366 SAR 8,885

67.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$1,332 SAR 5,001

396.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$1,064 SAR 3,994

-36.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.42

158.37%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Ha'il: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $498 in Ha'il. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ha'il pays 57% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $26.00 in Ha'il for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $180 per month, with Ha'il 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 Ha'il: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ha'il wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ha'il the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 57% lower in Ha'il. 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $498 in Ha'il. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $352 in Ha'il. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,041 in Ha'il versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ha'il but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Ha'il the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ha'il delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,041 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ha'il hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Ha'il 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 Ha'il gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.