Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Hafar Al Batin Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Hafar Al Batin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,157 in Hafar Al Batin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,751 in Hafar Al Batin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,345 in Hafar Al Batin.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 9% more expensive than in Hafar Al Batin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Hafar Al Batin 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$6.47 SAR 24.31

79.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$37.25 SAR 140

26.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$7.77 SAR 29.16

52.90%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.88 SAR 7.08

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 SAR 7.97

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$3.47 SAR 13.04

14.70%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$0.87 SAR 3.27

64.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$0.26 SAR 0.98

215.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$1.95 SAR 7.31

-13.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$1.17 SAR 4.39

88.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$2.25 SAR 8.47

-24.00%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$2.43 SAR 9.13

12.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$7.50 SAR 28.16

27.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$8.00 SAR 30.05

12.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$12.92 SAR 48.51

-0.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$2.15 SAR 8.08

34.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$1.78 SAR 6.68

-15.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$1.55 SAR 5.81

38.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$1.63 SAR 6.12

38.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$1.19 SAR 4.48

66.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$1.30 SAR 4.88

53.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$1.15 SAR 4.30

6.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$0.58 SAR 2.19

106.90%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.82 SAR 10.60

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 SAR 6.58

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 SAR 7.88

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$6.84 SAR 25.67

-33.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

$1.09 SAR 4.10

-44.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

$35.34 SAR 133

-18.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$2.95 SAR 11.08

82.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$1.85 SAR 6.94

101.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$13.45 SAR 50.5

-57.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$0.63 SAR 2.35

144.44%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$46.1K SAR 173.0K

-51.06%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$21.3K SAR 80.1K

22.14%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$99.2 SAR 373

-7.92%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$32.23 SAR 121

-21.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$65.7 SAR 247

-52.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

$82.7 SAR 311

-18.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

$36.81 SAR 138

-20.92%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$13.51 SAR 50.7

-64.03%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$340 SAR 1,276

-34.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$6,607 SAR 24.8K

-35.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$50.2 SAR 189

-6.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$57.8 SAR 217

-23.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$98.3 SAR 369

-18.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$87.6 SAR 329

5.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$581 SAR 2,184

82.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

$345 SAR 1,297

12.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

$866 SAR 3,252

148.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$560 SAR 2,102

127.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

$2,354 SAR 8,841

69.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

$1,396 SAR 5,243

365.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

$1,373 SAR 5,155

-44.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.47

109.32%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Hafar Al Batin: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $581 in Hafar Al Batin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hafar Al Batin pays 81% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $37.00 in Hafar Al Batin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $205 per month, with Hafar Al Batin 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 Hafar Al Batin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hafar Al Batin wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hafar Al Batin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 81% lower in Hafar Al Batin. 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $581 in Hafar Al Batin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $340 in Hafar Al Batin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,157 in Hafar Al Batin versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hafar Al Batin but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Hafar Al Batin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Hafar Al Batin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,157 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Hafar Al Batin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Hafar Al Batin 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 Hafar Al Batin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.