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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $952 in Khamis Mushayt.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,562 in Khamis Mushayt.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,172 in Khamis Mushayt.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 36% more expensive than Khamis Mushayt, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Khamis Mushayt 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$6.83 SAR 25.65

71.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$42.60 SAR 160

-2.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$6.94 SAR 26.06

53.31%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 SAR 6.60

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 SAR 6.70

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$5.35 SAR 20.09

-34.21%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.75 SAR 2.82

101.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.26 SAR 0.97

273.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.75 SAR 6.56

-21.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$0.35 SAR 1.32

440.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.92 SAR 7.21

-14.58%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$4.37 SAR 16.39

-42.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$6.63 SAR 24.87

25.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$7.67 SAR 28.78

8.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$15.41 SAR 57.8

-30.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$2.24 SAR 8.40

16.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.43 SAR 5.38

2.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$1.05 SAR 3.93

80.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.97 SAR 7.40

5.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$1.70 SAR 6.40

4.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$1.38 SAR 5.20

58.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$1.25 SAR 4.67

-16.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.65 SAR 2.43

66.15%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.11 SAR 11.68

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 SAR 6.35

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 SAR 7.87

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$7.83 SAR 29.37

-47.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$1.10 SAR 4.13

-53.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$40.19 SAR 151

-34.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$2.65 SAR 9.93

23.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$2.02 SAR 7.59

23.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$13.45 SAR 50.5

-75.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$0.63 SAR 2.37

107.94%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$26.5K SAR 99.5K

14.19%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$22.4K SAR 84.1K

4.51%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$106 SAR 399

-21.99%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$34.38 SAR 129

-35.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$71.5 SAR 268

-58.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$89.5 SAR 336

-42.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$35.37 SAR 133

-48.20%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$15.61 SAR 58.6

-67.52%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$346 SAR 1,300

-42.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$7,039 SAR 26.4K

-25.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$58.8 SAR 221

-37.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$60.7 SAR 228

-34.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$77.8 SAR 292

0.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$82.3 SAR 309

5.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$159 SAR 597

511.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$108 SAR 404

334.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$406 SAR 1,523

304.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$282 SAR 1,059

332.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$2,505 SAR 9,402

57.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$1,144 SAR 4,294

467.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$1,619 SAR 6,078

-59.00%

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 2, 2026

Last update for Khamis Mushayt: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $159 in Khamis Mushayt. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Khamis Mushayt pays 144% 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 $43.00 in Khamis Mushayt. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $205, 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 36% 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, Khamis Mushayt earns 144% 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $159 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 52% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $346 in Khamis Mushayt. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $952 in Khamis Mushayt versus $1,297 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 $952 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 36% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.