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: $1,261 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,180 in Hafar Al Batin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,130 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,758 in Hafar Al Batin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,999 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,336 in Hafar Al Batin.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 7% more expensive than Hafar Al Batin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Hafar Al Batin 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.67 MX$202

$5.46 SAR 20.46

113.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.88 MX$726

$26.93 SAR 101

55.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 MX$180

$6.35 SAR 23.81

63.78%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.56 SAR 5.85

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 SAR 6.38

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$3.39 SAR 12.73

6.49%

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

$1.47 MX$25.45

$0.70 SAR 2.62

110.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.80

$0.24 SAR 0.90

279.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MX$77.4

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.83

$1.95 SAR 7.30

-29.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.93

$0.94 SAR 3.54

95.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.82

$2.32 SAR 8.69

-30.60%

Eggs

$2.57 MX$44.52

$2.51 SAR 9.40

2.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$6.99 SAR 26.21

21.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$7.60 SAR 28.51

11.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 MX$190

$12.88 SAR 48.31

-14.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.25

$2.26 SAR 8.48

20.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.92

$1.57 SAR 5.90

-4.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.93

$1.69 SAR 6.35

15.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.70

$1.55 SAR 5.82

36.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.30

$1.24 SAR 4.64

50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.67

$1.32 SAR 4.95

64.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.59

$1.23 SAR 4.62

-13.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.18

$0.55 SAR 2.06

90.91%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.87 SAR 10.77

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 SAR 6.34

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 SAR 7.62

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.6

$6.90 SAR 25.86

-39.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.87

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 MX$43.12

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$1.10 SAR 4.12

-50.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.27 MX$455

$40.03 SAR 150

-34.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 MX$53.8

$2.64 SAR 9.91

17.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.66

$1.92 SAR 7.18

28.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.1

$13.40 SAR 50.3

-75.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.83

$0.66 SAR 2.48

90.91%

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

$30.2K MX$522.8K

$26.2K SAR 98.4K

14.98%

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

$23.4K MX$406.3K

$22.0K SAR 82.4K

6.66%

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

$84.0 MX$1,456

$103 SAR 388

-18.74%

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

$22.21 MX$385

$34.25 SAR 128

-35.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 MX$514

$72.2 SAR 271

-58.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 MX$912

$89.3 SAR 335

-41.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$318

$36.10 SAR 135

-49.20%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MX$85.7

$15.51 SAR 58.2

-68.09%

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

$198 MX$3,438

$357 SAR 1,341

-44.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,322 MX$92.2K

$7,051 SAR 26.4K

-24.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.95 MX$623

$60.1 SAR 225

-40.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 MX$694

$60.5 SAR 227

-33.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,365

$77.7 SAR 291

1.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,499

$82.7 SAR 310

4.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 MX$16.9K

$441 SAR 1,654

121.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 MX$8,158

$387 SAR 1,453

21.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.6K

$866 SAR 3,248

84.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 MX$21.1K

$614 SAR 2,301

97.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,032 MX$69.9K

$2,315 SAR 8,682

74.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,579 MX$114.0K

$1,349 SAR 5,059

387.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

$1,375 SAR 5,156

-48.06%

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: April 19, 2026

Last update for Hafar Al Batin: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $977 in Playa del Carmen and $441 in Hafar Al Batin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hafar Al Batin pays 93% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42 in Playa del Carmen vs $27 in Hafar Al Batin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $199 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 7% 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, Hafar Al Batin earns 93% 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: $977 in Playa del Carmen versus $441 in Hafar Al Batin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $357 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 26% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,180 in Hafar Al Batin versus $1,261 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 $1,180 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 7% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.