Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Riyadh

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,738 in Riyadh, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
83

Cost of Living Index in Riyadh
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Riyadh Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Riyadh

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,738

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,738 in Riyadh, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Riyadh $1,738

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,587 in Riyadh, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Riyadh $2,587

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,437 in Riyadh, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Riyadh $3,437

Playa del Carmen is about 31% cheaper than Riyadh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Playa del Carmen sits 12% below the global median, while Riyadh is 28% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$203

$8.09 SAR 30.37

34.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$65.3 SAR 245

-33.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$219

$8.18 SAR 30.68

44.01%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 SAR 8.12

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 SAR 11.16

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$4.30 SAR 16.13

-11.40%

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

$1.28 MX$23.89

$0.85 SAR 3.18

50.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.58

$0.30 SAR 1.12

160.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.9

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.20

$1.83 SAR 6.85

-22.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.30

$1.31 SAR 4.93

69.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.40

$2.37 SAR 8.88

-40.08%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.00

$3.04 SAR 11.41

-17.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$10.77 SAR 40.40

-32.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$9.38 SAR 35.17

-17.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$236

$14.98 SAR 56.2

-15.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

$2.85 SAR 10.70

-2.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.49

$1.90 SAR 7.13

-27.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.52

$2.47 SAR 9.25

3.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.55

$1.71 SAR 6.43

23.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.11

$1.18 SAR 4.43

64.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.13

$1.28 SAR 4.82

47.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.36

$1.78 SAR 6.69

-35.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.96

$0.58 SAR 2.16

103.45%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$8.15 SAR 30.58

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 SAR 6.83

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 SAR 9.28

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.0

$7.85 SAR 29.45

-45.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.50

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.76

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

$1.04 SAR 3.91

-47.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

$38.07 SAR 143

-30.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

$3.13 SAR 11.74

58.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

$1.91 SAR 7.16

74.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

$13.31 SAR 49.91

-59.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.90

$0.60 SAR 2.26

140.00%

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

$20.7K MX$385.0K

$26.2K SAR 98.2K

-21.09%

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

$23.5K MX$437.2K

$22.2K SAR 83.4K

5.56%

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

$84.8 MX$1,580

$108 SAR 403

-21.16%

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

$23.41 MX$436

$29.62 SAR 111

-20.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

$71.0 SAR 266

-59.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

$83.0 SAR 311

-31.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

$57.3 SAR 215

-49.52%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.7

$13.31 SAR 49.94

-61.38%

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

$207 MX$3,848

$554 SAR 2,077

-62.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

$10.1K SAR 37.8K

-61.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

$57.7 SAR 216

-24.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

$54.4 SAR 204

-23.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,382

$104 SAR 391

-28.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,663

$105 SAR 393

-14.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.2K

$1,149 SAR 4,310

-14.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,095

$833 SAR 3,127

-54.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$2,166 SAR 8,125

-21.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$1,276 SAR 4,786

-15.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

$2,779 SAR 10.4K

41.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.7K

$1,718 SAR 6,443

258.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

$2,052 SAR 7,699

-64.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.54

106.68%

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 Riyadh: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Riyadh

$833 48% 119% $453

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Riyadh

$241 13.9% 5.2% $13

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Riyadh

$145 8.4% 28.1% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Riyadh

$208 12% 52.1% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Riyadh

$144 8.3% 29.3% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Riyadh

$110 6.3% 62.9% $42

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Riyadh

$55 3.2% 8.8% $4.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,149 in Riyadh. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Riyadh are about 2.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $65 in Riyadh. Groceries tell a different story – $255 in Playa del Carmen vs $241 in Riyadh – so Riyadh wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇸🇦 Riyadh

🕒 Local time

02:31 2:31 AM

10:31 10:31 AM

8 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

5,188,286 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 SAR = 0.267 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 October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.79 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.267 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 Riyadh 12,920 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Riyadh

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 Riyadh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Riyadh is pricier by about 44%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,606 in Riyadh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $980 there versus $1,149 in Riyadh.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,738 in Riyadh. That makes Playa del Carmen about 31% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 30% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Riyadh at $1,738. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Riyadh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Riyadh makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.