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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,214 in Hafar Al Batin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,788 in Hafar Al Batin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,362 in Hafar Al Batin.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 5% more expensive than Hafar Al Batin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Hafar Al Batin 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$5.27 SAR 19.76

125.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$26.33 SAR 98.8

62.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$6.37 SAR 23.91

67.19%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.55 SAR 5.83

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 SAR 6.41

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$3.40 SAR 12.74

1.47%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.69 SAR 2.59

117.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.22 SAR 0.82

331.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.96 SAR 7.35

-29.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.96 SAR 3.60

92.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$2.34 SAR 8.79

-31.20%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.44 SAR 9.17

6.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$7.02 SAR 26.34

17.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$7.28 SAR 27.31

14.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$12.88 SAR 48.31

-17.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.19 SAR 8.22

20.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.56 SAR 5.87

-4.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.69 SAR 6.32

13.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.61 SAR 6.06

29.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.24 SAR 4.64

50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.28 SAR 4.82

76.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.19 SAR 4.46

-10.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.59 SAR 2.22

84.75%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.76 SAR 10.34

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 SAR 6.36

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 SAR 7.55

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$7.14 SAR 26.79

-41.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$1.10 SAR 4.11

-50.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$40.08 SAR 150

-32.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$2.60 SAR 9.75

20.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.85 SAR 6.94

35.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$13.08 SAR 49.10

-75.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.65 SAR 2.45

95.38%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$26.7K SAR 100.1K

13.86%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$22.7K SAR 85.3K

3.63%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$103 SAR 388

-19.66%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$33.83 SAR 127

-32.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$72.6 SAR 272

-59.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$88.0 SAR 330

-42.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$35.54 SAR 133

-48.42%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$15.68 SAR 58.9

-68.56%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$347 SAR 1,302

-43.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$7,024 SAR 26.4K

-24.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$58.9 SAR 221

-37.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$60.4 SAR 227

-33.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$78.5 SAR 294

1.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$82.3 SAR 309

8.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$434 SAR 1,628

120.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$380 SAR 1,425

25.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$866 SAR 3,248

90.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$617 SAR 2,317

98.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$2,030 SAR 7,617

93.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,509 SAR 5,661

328.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$1,379 SAR 5,174

-51.63%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Hafar Al Batin: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $434 in Hafar Al Batin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hafar Al Batin pays 107% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $26.00 in Hafar Al Batin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $198 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 5% 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 107% 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $434 in Hafar Al Batin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $347 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 $1,214 in Hafar Al Batin versus $1,271 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 $1,214 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 5% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.