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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $966 in Khamis Mushayt.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,565 in Khamis Mushayt.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,163 in Khamis Mushayt.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 30% more expensive than in Khamis Mushayt, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Khamis Mushayt 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$6.57 SAR 24.68

82.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$41.89 SAR 157

-0.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$6.71 SAR 25.19

60.21%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 SAR 6.57

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 SAR 6.81

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$5.23 SAR 19.64

-33.08%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.76 SAR 2.86

90.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.28 SAR 1.06

214.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.71 SAR 6.42

-16.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.36 SAR 1.35

411.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.84 SAR 6.91

-14.67%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$4.44 SAR 16.66

-43.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$6.79 SAR 25.48

21.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$7.66 SAR 28.75

10.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$15.42 SAR 57.9

-30.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$2.20 SAR 8.25

18.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.49 SAR 5.58

-3.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.08 SAR 4.06

81.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$2.02 SAR 7.57

3.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.71 SAR 6.43

8.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$1.44 SAR 5.39

50.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.19 SAR 4.47

-13.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.70 SAR 2.61

52.86%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.41 SAR 9.05

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 SAR 6.44

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 SAR 7.57

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$8.10 SAR 30.41

-49.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$1.04 SAR 3.91

-50.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$40.69 SAR 153

-36.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$2.67 SAR 10.03

20.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$2.02 SAR 7.58

19.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$13.12 SAR 49.26

-75.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$0.63 SAR 2.38

109.52%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$26.7K SAR 100.3K

11.18%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$22.6K SAR 84.9K

4.70%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$106 SAR 398

-22.65%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$33.53 SAR 126

-31.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$71.3 SAR 268

-57.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$87.9 SAR 330

-40.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$35.17 SAR 132

-47.31%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$15.36 SAR 57.7

-67.58%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$348 SAR 1,308

-43.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$6,953 SAR 26.1K

-23.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$60.0 SAR 225

-40.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$61.1 SAR 230

-34.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$79.7 SAR 299

-1.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$83.3 SAR 313

6.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$157 SAR 591

501.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$105 SAR 396

349.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$402 SAR 1,509

309.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$281 SAR 1,053

331.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$2,607 SAR 9,789

55.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$1,448 SAR 5,438

346.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$1,603 SAR 6,019

-59.21%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Khamis Mushayt: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $157 in Khamis Mushayt. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Khamis Mushayt pays 145% 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 $42.00 in Khamis Mushayt. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $206, with Khamis Mushayt cheaper for home cooking.

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 30% 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 145% 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $157 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 56% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $348 in Khamis Mushayt. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $966 in Khamis Mushayt versus $1,256 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 $966 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 30% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.