Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Jubail

For one person, living is cheaper in Jubail: $1,100 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Jubail
Learn more

Jubail Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Jubail

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,100

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Jubail

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Jubail actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,100 in Jubail.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Jubail $1,100

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,720 in Jubail.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Jubail $1,720

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,339 in Jubail.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Jubail $2,339

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 9% more expensive than in Jubail, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Jubail 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$6.82 SAR 25.61

60.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$814

$39.32 SAR 148

10.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$9.07 SAR 34.04

29.88%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.92 SAR 7.22

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 SAR 8.60

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.5

$3.99 SAR 14.98

-4.51%

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

$1.28 MX$24.07

$1.00 SAR 3.74

28.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.70

$0.28 SAR 1.06

178.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.40

$1.50 SAR 5.62

-6.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.62

$1.45 SAR 5.46

53.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.61

$1.62 SAR 6.09

-12.35%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.36

$2.06 SAR 7.74

22.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

$9.82 SAR 36.86

-26.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

$6.44 SAR 24.17

19.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

$12.15 SAR 45.58

4.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$2.24 SAR 8.39

24.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.68

$1.76 SAR 6.60

-22.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.89

$1.56 SAR 5.87

63.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.86

$1.69 SAR 6.35

25.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.39

$1.29 SAR 4.85

50.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.41

$1.40 SAR 5.25

35.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.53

$1.75 SAR 6.56

-34.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.13

$0.54 SAR 2.04

118.52%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.00 SAR 11.27

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 SAR 8.21

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 SAR 7.63

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.6

$6.64 SAR 24.91

-35.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.73

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.39

$1.31 SAR 4.91

-58.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

$23.90 SAR 89.7

11.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.3

$3.25 SAR 12.21

52.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.5

$2.74 SAR 10.27

21.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$13.54 SAR 50.8

-60.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.11

$0.61 SAR 2.27

136.07%

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

$20.7K MX$388.0K

$26.8K SAR 100.5K

-22.85%

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

$23.5K MX$440.5K

$21.7K SAR 81.4K

8.23%

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

$84.8 MX$1,592

$80.1 SAR 301

5.83%

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

$23.41 MX$439

$27.36 SAR 103

-14.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$538

$66.1 SAR 248

-56.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,071

$104 SAR 391

-45.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

$39.93 SAR 150

-27.60%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.5

$13.58 SAR 51.0

-62.15%

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

$207 MX$3,878

$178 SAR 668

16.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.7K

$7,690 SAR 28.9K

-48.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$814

$42.14 SAR 158

2.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$778

$59.3 SAR 222

-30.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,393

$80.1 SAR 300

-7.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,676

$86.6 SAR 325

3.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$424 SAR 1,591

131.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,150

$295 SAR 1,105

29.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$667 SAR 2,503

156.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$520 SAR 1,951

106.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.0K

$2,743 SAR 10.3K

43.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.6K

$1,396 SAR 5,240

340.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$1,605 SAR 6,023

-54.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.62

103.74%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Jubail: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Jubail

$295 26.8% 22.7% $86

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Jubail

$199 18.1% 21.9% $56

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Jubail

$135 12.3% 33.4% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Jubail

$174 15.8% 26.8% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Jubail

$121 11% 8% $8.9

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Jubail

$131 11.9% 95% $64

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Jubail

$46 4.2% 8.7% $4.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $980 in Playa del Carmen and $424 in Jubail. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jubail pays about 2.2 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $39 in Jubail for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $199 per month, with Jubail cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇸🇦 Jubail

🕒 Local time

00:43 12:43 AM

08:43 8:43 AM

8 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

337,778

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.239 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.19 SAR (1 SAR = 0.239 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Jubail 12,960 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Jubail

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 9% 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, salaries run 54% lower in Playa del Carmen. 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: $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $424 in Jubail. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,100 in Jubail – Jubail is about 9% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Jubail runs roughly 10% less than in Playa del Carmen. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Jubail is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Jubail 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.