Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Unaizah

For one person, living costs are similar in Playa del Carmen and in Unaizah: $1,202 and $1,221 a month, rent and utilities included.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Unaizah, Saudi Arabia
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,202
/mo nomad
Unaizah
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
$1,221
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,221 in Unaizah, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,202
  • Unaizah $1,221

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,813 in Unaizah, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Unaizah $1,813

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,405 in Unaizah, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,962
  • Unaizah $2,405

Playa del Carmen and Unaizah have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Playa del Carmen and Unaizah are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Unaizah 10% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Unaizah
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.67 MX$200
$6.68 SAR 25.07
59.73%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.80 MX$819
$40.07 SAR 150
9.31%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.79 MX$220
$7.05 SAR 26.48
67.23%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$1.91 SAR 7.19
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.83 SAR 6.88
-
Cappuccino
$3.79 MX$70.8
$4.40 SAR 16.52
-13.86%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.30 MX$24.26
$0.73 SAR 2.73
78.08%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 MX$15.59
$0.28 SAR 1.06
196.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 MX$58.9
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$92.3
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Unaizah
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.35
$1.64 SAR 6.17
-14.02%
White Bread (500g)
$2.20 MX$41.07
$0.44 SAR 1.67
400.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.47 MX$27.54
$2.27 SAR 8.51
-35.24%
Eggs
$2.50 MX$46.70
$4.76 SAR 17.87
-47.48%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.29 MX$136
$4.55 SAR 17.09
60.22%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.95 MX$149
$4.66 SAR 17.50
70.60%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.86 MX$241
$12.69 SAR 47.64
1.34%
Apples (1kg)
$2.90 MX$54.2
$1.82 SAR 6.83
59.34%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 MX$25.87
$1.98 SAR 7.44
-30.30%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.49 MX$46.59
$1.82 SAR 6.85
36.81%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.03 MX$37.97
$2.00 SAR 7.51
1.50%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$37.88
$2.11 SAR 7.92
-4.27%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 MX$35.60
$2.60 SAR 9.76
-26.92%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.14 MX$21.41
$1.28 SAR 4.81
-10.94%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 MX$23.17
$0.64 SAR 2.40
93.75%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$2.82 SAR 10.60
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$2.01 SAR 7.53
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.16 SAR 8.09
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.27 MX$79.9
$6.74 SAR 25.29
-36.65%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.81 MX$184
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 MX$29.66
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 MX$51.3
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Unaizah
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.51 MX$9.63
$0.95 SAR 3.56
-46.32%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.39 MX$512
$40.56 SAR 152
-32.47%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.76 MX$89.1
$2.60 SAR 9.76
83.08%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.25 MX$60.8
$1.57 SAR 5.88
107.01%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.39 MX$101
$16.03 SAR 60.2
-66.38%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.53 MX$28.58
$0.55 SAR 2.08
178.18%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K MX$396.8K
$27.6K SAR 103.5K
-23.10%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.3K MX$435.1K
$21.7K SAR 81.6K
6.98%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Unaizah
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.5 MX$1,562
$103 SAR 386
-18.76%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.19 MX$434
$32.41 SAR 122
-28.45%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.61 MX$516
$67.2 SAR 252
-58.89%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Unaizah
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.4 MX$1,056
$54.1 SAR 203
4.40%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.19 MX$527
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.00 MX$93.5
$13.23 SAR 49.64
-62.21%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Unaizah
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,873
$471 SAR 1,767
-56.01%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,231 MX$97.8K
$9,262 SAR 34.8K
-43.52%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Unaizah
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.45 MX$813
$45.34 SAR 170
-4.17%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.54 MX$796
$53.0 SAR 199
-19.69%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.8 MX$1,361
$100 SAR 377
-27.47%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.4 MX$1,653
$80.4 SAR 302
9.97%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Unaizah
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$995 MX$18.6K
$588 SAR 2,207
69.18%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$382 MX$7,152
$440 SAR 1,651
-13.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,674 MX$31.3K
$760 SAR 2,853
120.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,081 MX$20.2K
$684 SAR 2,567
57.97%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,909 MX$73.1K
$2,056 SAR 7,717
90.11%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,138 MX$114.8K
$1,255 SAR 4,711
388.99%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Unaizah
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$832 MX$15.6K
$2,550 SAR 9,571
-67.36%
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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Unaizah: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$382
Unaizah
$440 15.1% $58
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$257
Unaizah
$187 27.5% $71
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$200
Unaizah
$131 34.4% $69
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$134
Unaizah
$202 50.7% $68
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$111
Unaizah
$126 12.9% $14
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$66
Unaizah
$81 21.2% $14
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Unaizah
$55 8.6% $4.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $588 in Unaizah. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Unaizah are about 3.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $40 in Unaizah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $187 – making Unaizah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇸🇦 Unaizah
🕒 Local time
13:23 1:23 PM
21:23 9:23 PM
8 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
163,729
💱 Currency
Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س
Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 21.01 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Unaizah 12,610 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Unaizah

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 Unaizah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,832 in Unaizah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Unaizah, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $588 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.
How do food prices compare in Playa del Carmen and in Unaizah?
Interestingly, groceries are about 27% cheaper in Unaizah – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $471 in Unaizah. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 enough for either Playa del Carmen or Unaizah?
$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,202 in Playa del Carmen and $1,221 in Unaizah, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is it better to live in Playa del Carmen or in Unaizah?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,202 in Playa del Carmen to $1,221 in Unaizah. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Unaizah makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

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