Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Jubail Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Jubail

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,049 in Jubail.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,189 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,657 in Jubail.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,084 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,264 in Jubail.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 23% more expensive than Jubail, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Jubail 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$202

$6.59 SAR 24.74

78.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$719

$39.56 SAR 148

5.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$179

$9.35 SAR 35.10

11.34%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.82 SAR 6.83

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 SAR 10.90

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.1

$3.23 SAR 12.14

11.76%

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

$1.46 MX$25.06

$0.78 SAR 2.92

87.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.70

$0.26 SAR 0.97

273.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$79.5

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.59

$1.79 SAR 6.71

-20.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.70

$1.01 SAR 3.78

88.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.95

$1.61 SAR 6.03

-2.48%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.34

$2.50 SAR 9.38

5.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$145

$8.20 SAR 30.76

2.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$148

$6.89 SAR 25.85

24.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$189

$10.98 SAR 41.20

0.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.51

$2.37 SAR 8.89

13.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$25.92

$1.64 SAR 6.16

-7.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.93

$1.58 SAR 5.92

20.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.37

$1.35 SAR 5.08

60.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.25

$1.18 SAR 4.44

58.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.43

$1.34 SAR 5.03

66.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$1.41 SAR 5.29

-23.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.47

$0.60 SAR 2.25

78.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.88 SAR 10.80

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 SAR 7.56

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 SAR 8.95

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$71.6

$7.26 SAR 27.24

-42.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$177

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.95

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.59

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.53

$0.91 SAR 3.43

-39.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$452

$26.04 SAR 97.7

0.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$4.09 SAR 15.36

-21.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.37

$1.86 SAR 6.97

32.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$17.44 SAR 65.4

-81.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.72

$0.59 SAR 2.23

123.73%

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

$30.2K MX$518.8K

$19.9K SAR 74.6K

51.65%

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

$23.4K MX$402.5K

$24.1K SAR 90.5K

-3.03%

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

$81.4 MX$1,400

$98.4 SAR 369

-17.34%

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

$22.41 MX$386

$31.88 SAR 120

-29.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$516

$65.1 SAR 244

-53.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$887

$88.0 SAR 330

-41.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$316

$35.61 SAR 134

-48.36%

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$88.9

$14.00 SAR 52.5

-63.14%

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

$202 MX$3,471

$205 SAR 769

-1.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$91.4K

$8,430 SAR 31.6K

-37.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$613

$38.03 SAR 143

-6.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$695

$62.8 SAR 236

-35.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,353

$81.7 SAR 307

-3.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,495

$78.4 SAR 294

10.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.3K

$406 SAR 1,525

133.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,227

$278 SAR 1,044

71.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$27.9K

$639 SAR 2,400

153.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.0K

$493 SAR 1,850

148.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.0K

$2,528 SAR 9,486

58.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$111.4K

$1,314 SAR 4,931

392.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.6K

$1,593 SAR 5,979

-57.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.33

114.26%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Last update for Jubail: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $950 in Playa del Carmen and $406 in Jubail. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jubail pays 137% 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 $40.00 in Jubail for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $254 vs $190 per month, with Jubail 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 Jubail: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jubail wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Jubail the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Jubail earns 137% 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: $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $406 in Jubail. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,294 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,049 in Jubail – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Jubail runs roughly 1% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,049 in Jubail versus $1,294 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Jubail but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Jubail the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Jubail delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,049 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Jubail hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Jubail 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 Jubail gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.