Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Khamis Mushayt Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Khamis Mushayt

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,120 in Khamis Mushayt.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,663 in Khamis Mushayt.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,206 in Khamis Mushayt.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 13% more expensive than in Khamis Mushayt, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Khamis Mushayt 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$4.74 SAR 17.80

144.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$32.27 SAR 121

45.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$6.76 SAR 25.41

75.74%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.61 SAR 6.05

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 SAR 7.09

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$2.87 SAR 10.80

38.68%

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

$1.43 MX$24.57

$0.66 SAR 2.47

116.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$0.23 SAR 0.87

256.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.85

$1.57 SAR 5.88

7.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.83

$0.42 SAR 1.58

423.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.41

$3.17 SAR 11.89

-46.06%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.20

$2.41 SAR 9.04

13.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$6.29 SAR 23.64

52.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$5.59 SAR 20.98

61.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$14.25 SAR 53.5

-10.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.74

$2.15 SAR 8.09

34.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.78

$1.74 SAR 6.55

-13.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.98

$1.57 SAR 5.90

36.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.91

$1.68 SAR 6.33

34.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.10

$1.16 SAR 4.35

70.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.26

$1.33 SAR 4.99

49.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.25

$1.23 SAR 4.61

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.60

$0.58 SAR 2.20

106.90%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.49 SAR 9.34

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 SAR 5.79

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 SAR 8.09

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.3

$6.52 SAR 24.47

-30.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.60

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$1.03 SAR 3.85

-41.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

$31.41 SAR 118

-8.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$2.88 SAR 10.83

87.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$1.57 SAR 5.88

137.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.3

$13.70 SAR 51.5

-57.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.45

$0.65 SAR 2.44

136.92%

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

$22.5K MX$388.3K

$42.1K SAR 158.2K

-46.45%

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

$26.1K MX$448.7K

$20.2K SAR 75.9K

28.92%

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

$91.4 MX$1,573

$101 SAR 381

-9.88%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$32.89 SAR 124

-23.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$63.7 SAR 239

-50.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,157

$85.8 SAR 322

-21.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

$40.26 SAR 151

-27.69%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.7

$13.47 SAR 50.6

-63.92%

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

$224 MX$3,851

$324 SAR 1,218

-31.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$6,702 SAR 25.2K

-36.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$54.6 SAR 205

-13.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$52.9 SAR 199

-16.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,379

$97.9 SAR 368

-18.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$86.7 SAR 326

6.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$518 SAR 1,947

104.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,719

$301 SAR 1,131

29.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

$798 SAR 2,998

169.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$588 SAR 2,208

116.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

$2,478 SAR 9,306

61.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

$1,443 SAR 5,420

350.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$1,573 SAR 5,908

-51.80%

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 Khamis Mushayt: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $518 in Khamis Mushayt. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Khamis Mushayt 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $32.00 in Khamis Mushayt for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $186 per month, with Khamis Mushayt 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 Khamis Mushayt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Khamis Mushayt wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Khamis Mushayt the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 107% lower in Khamis Mushayt. 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 $518 in Khamis Mushayt. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Khamis Mushayt runs roughly 9% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $324 in Khamis Mushayt. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,120 in Khamis Mushayt versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Khamis Mushayt but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Khamis Mushayt the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Khamis Mushayt delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,120 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Khamis Mushayt hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Khamis Mushayt 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 Khamis Mushayt gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.