Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Mecca

For one person, living is cheaper in Mecca: $1,076 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Mecca
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Mecca Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Mecca

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,076

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Mecca actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,076 in Mecca.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Mecca $1,076

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,613 in Mecca.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Mecca $1,613

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,151 in Mecca.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Mecca $2,151

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 12% more expensive than in Mecca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Mecca 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$4.64 SAR 17.41

135.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$815

$26.18 SAR 98.3

65.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$7.00 SAR 26.27

68.29%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.51 SAR 5.68

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 SAR 5.86

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.6

$2.53 SAR 9.50

50.59%

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

$1.28 MX$24.10

$0.71 SAR 2.67

80.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.71

$0.25 SAR 0.94

212.00%

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$26.43

$1.69 SAR 6.34

-16.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.66

$0.96 SAR 3.62

131.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.64

$2.10 SAR 7.89

-32.38%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.41

$2.50 SAR 9.39

0.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$137

$5.91 SAR 22.16

22.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$145

$8.18 SAR 30.71

-5.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$239

$13.00 SAR 48.78

-2.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$2.09 SAR 7.83

33.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.71

$1.62 SAR 6.07

-15.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.94

$1.60 SAR 5.99

59.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.90

$1.54 SAR 5.76

37.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.43

$1.17 SAR 4.39

65.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.44

$1.32 SAR 4.94

43.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.55

$1.09 SAR 4.08

5.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.16

$0.54 SAR 2.03

118.52%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.24 SAR 15.91

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 SAR 6.62

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 SAR 6.18

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.7

$6.70 SAR 25.16

-35.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.76

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.40

$1.09 SAR 4.07

-49.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

$45.74 SAR 172

-41.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.4

$2.43 SAR 9.11

104.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.6

$1.77 SAR 6.65

88.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$13.28 SAR 49.85

-59.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.14

$0.61 SAR 2.27

136.07%

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

$20.7K MX$388.4K

$26.5K SAR 99.5K

-22.05%

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

$23.5K MX$441.0K

$21.4K SAR 80.2K

9.78%

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

$84.8 MX$1,594

$67.8 SAR 254

25.13%

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

$23.41 MX$440

$34.99 SAR 131

-33.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$539

$61.9 SAR 232

-53.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,072

$80.8 SAR 303

-29.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

$41.97 SAR 158

-31.12%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.6

$12.00 SAR 45.05

-57.17%

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

$207 MX$3,882

$757 SAR 2,841

-72.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.8K

$16.8K SAR 63.0K

-76.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$815

$13.39 SAR 50.3

223.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$779

$56.6 SAR 212

-26.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,394

$39.94 SAR 150

85.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,677

$52.6 SAR 197

69.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$603 SAR 2,265

62.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,157

$386 SAR 1,449

-1.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$903 SAR 3,389

89.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$620 SAR 2,327

73.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.1K

$5,392 SAR 20.2K

-26.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.7K

$1,411 SAR 5,294

336.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$1,071 SAR 4,021

-31.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.25

118.10%

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 Mecca: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Mecca

$386 35.9% 1.4% $5.2

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Mecca

$194 18% 23.9% $61

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Mecca

$92 8.6% 54.4% $110

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Mecca

$165 15.3% 20.3% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Mecca

$73 6.8% 34.5% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Mecca

$105 9.7% 55.6% $37

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Mecca

$61 5.7% 21.6% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $980 in Playa del Carmen and $603 in Mecca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mecca pays 46% 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 $26 in Mecca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $194 per month, with Mecca cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇸🇦 Mecca

🕒 Local time

00:44 12:44 AM

08:44 8:44 AM

8 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

1,675,368

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 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 = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 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

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Mecca 12,590 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Mecca

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 Mecca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mecca is about 11% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 31% 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 $603 in Mecca. 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 $1,076 in Mecca – Mecca is about 11% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 42% less than in Mecca. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Mecca gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.