Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Yanbu

For one person, living is cheaper in Yanbu: $1,021 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 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
49

Cost of Living Index in Yanbu
Learn more

Yanbu Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Yanbu

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,021

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,021 in Yanbu, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Yanbu $1,021

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,620 in Yanbu, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Yanbu $1,620

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,220 in Yanbu, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Yanbu $2,220

Playa del Carmen costs about 18% more than Yanbu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Yanbu are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Yanbu 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$5.99 SAR 22.48

82.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$814

$38.12 SAR 143

13.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$6.67 SAR 25.02

76.61%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.57 SAR 5.88

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 SAR 6.18

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.5

$3.90 SAR 14.65

-2.31%

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

$1.28 MX$24.07

$0.82 SAR 3.07

56.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.70

$0.18 SAR 0.68

333.33%

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$26.40

$1.71 SAR 6.40

-17.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.62

$0.94 SAR 3.52

136.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.61

$2.20 SAR 8.26

-35.45%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.36

$2.53 SAR 9.48

-0.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

$6.33 SAR 23.76

14.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

$8.43 SAR 31.64

-8.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

$13.00 SAR 48.78

-2.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$2.12 SAR 7.97

31.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.68

$1.71 SAR 6.41

-19.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.89

$1.46 SAR 5.46

74.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.86

$1.62 SAR 6.06

30.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.39

$1.17 SAR 4.39

65.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.41

$1.04 SAR 3.91

81.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.53

$1.10 SAR 4.13

4.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.13

$0.54 SAR 2.03

118.52%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.33 SAR 4.98

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 SAR 5.10

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 SAR 8.26

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.6

$6.48 SAR 24.32

-33.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.73

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.39

$1.06 SAR 3.97

-48.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

$37.43 SAR 140

-28.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.3

$3.15 SAR 11.82

57.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.5

$0.78 SAR 2.94

326.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$13.66 SAR 51.3

-60.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.11

$0.62 SAR 2.32

132.26%

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

$20.7K MX$388.0K

$37.9K SAR 142.3K

-45.52%

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

$23.5K MX$440.5K

$22.0K SAR 82.5K

6.73%

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

$84.8 MX$1,592

$91.4 SAR 343

-7.27%

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

$23.41 MX$439

$22.38 SAR 84.0

4.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$538

$67.0 SAR 251

-57.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,071

$95.6 SAR 359

-40.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

$26.53 SAR 99.6

8.97%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.5

$11.78 SAR 44.21

-56.37%

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

$207 MX$3,878

$263 SAR 987

-21.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.7K

$3,844 SAR 14.4K

2.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$814

$74.3 SAR 279

-41.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$778

$57.7 SAR 217

-28.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,393

$99.2 SAR 372

-25.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,676

$93.5 SAR 351

-4.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$315 SAR 1,181

211.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,150

$211 SAR 790

80.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$610 SAR 2,288

180.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$414 SAR 1,552

159.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.0K

$1,702 SAR 6,386

131.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.6K

$1,237 SAR 4,644

397.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$3,411 SAR 12.8K

-78.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.39

112.43%

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 Yanbu: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Yanbu

$210 20.6% 44.7% $170

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Yanbu

$197 19.3% 22.8% $58

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Yanbu

$119 11.6% 41.3% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Yanbu

$181 17.7% 32.1% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Yanbu

$146 14.3% 30.8% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Yanbu

$119 11.7% 77% $52

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Yanbu

$49 4.8% 3.4% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $315 in Yanbu. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Yanbu are about 4.6 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $38 in Yanbu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $197 – making Yanbu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇸🇦 Yanbu

🕒 Local time

14:02 2:02 PM

22:02 10:02 PM

8 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

233,236

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.33 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 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of November 1, 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 Yanbu 12,270 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Yanbu

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 Yanbu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 18%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,531 in Yanbu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Yanbu, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $315 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,021 in Yanbu. That makes Yanbu about 15% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 29% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,021 in Yanbu. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,021 in Yanbu to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.