Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rabigh and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Rabigh: $959 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Rabigh
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Rabigh Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Rabigh

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$959

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Rabigh and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $959 per month in Rabigh vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Rabigh $959
Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $1,473 per month in Rabigh vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Rabigh $1,473
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,987 per month in Rabigh vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Rabigh $1,987
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Rabigh is about 20% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Rabigh and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Rabigh 29% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.61 SAR 17.32

$10.67 MX$199

-56.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.72 SAR 100

$43.80 MX$815

-39.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.98 SAR 26.19

$11.79 MX$219

-40.80%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.50 SAR 5.64

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 SAR 5.91

Cappuccino

$2.68 SAR 10.04

$3.79 MX$70.5

-29.29%

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

$0.67 SAR 2.50

$1.30 MX$24.14

-48.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 SAR 0.94

$0.83 MX$15.51

-69.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$58.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.8

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 SAR 6.91

$1.41 MX$26.22

30.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 SAR 3.80

$2.20 MX$40.86

-54.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 SAR 8.10

$1.47 MX$27.40

46.94%

Eggs

$2.66 SAR 9.97

$2.50 MX$46.46

6.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.07 SAR 22.79

$7.29 MX$136

-16.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.92 SAR 44.73

$7.95 MX$148

49.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.76 SAR 47.90

$12.86 MX$239

-0.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.08 SAR 7.82

$2.90 MX$53.9

-28.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 SAR 6.17

$1.38 MX$25.74

18.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 SAR 6.49

$2.49 MX$46.35

-30.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 SAR 5.51

$2.03 MX$37.77

-27.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 SAR 4.97

$2.02 MX$37.68

-34.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 SAR 5.61

$1.90 MX$35.42

-21.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 SAR 4.10

$1.14 MX$21.30

-4.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 SAR 2.71

$1.24 MX$23.05

-41.94%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.99 SAR 11.22

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 SAR 7.96

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 SAR 5.83

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 SAR 29.87

$4.27 MX$79.5

86.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$183

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.51

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 SAR 3.92

$0.51 MX$9.58

103.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.96 SAR 139

$27.39 MX$510

34.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 SAR 9.24

$4.76 MX$88.6

-48.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.70 SAR 10.13

$3.25 MX$60.5

-16.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.59 SAR 51.0

$5.39 MX$100

152.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 SAR 2.40

$1.53 MX$28.44

-58.17%

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

$25.9K SAR 97.0K

$21.2K MX$394.8K

21.86%

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

$21.9K SAR 82.1K

$23.3K MX$432.9K

-5.99%

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

$67.6 SAR 254

$83.5 MX$1,554

-18.98%

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

$35.15 SAR 132

$23.19 MX$431

51.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.3 SAR 234

$27.61 MX$514

125.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.0 SAR 300

$56.4 MX$1,050

41.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$525

Cinema Ticket

$15.44 SAR 58.0

$5.00 MX$93.1

208.80%

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

$420 SAR 1,575

$207 MX$3,854

102.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,799 SAR 29.3K

$5,231 MX$97.3K

49.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.60 SAR 51.0

$43.45 MX$809

-68.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.6 SAR 209

$42.54 MX$792

30.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$40.18 SAR 151

$72.8 MX$1,354

-44.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.7 SAR 198

$88.4 MX$1,645

-40.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$337 SAR 1,265

$995 MX$18.5K

-66.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$241 SAR 903

$382 MX$7,116

-37.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$612 SAR 2,296

$1,674 MX$31.2K

-63.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$431 SAR 1,619

$1,081 MX$20.1K

-60.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,983 SAR 7,443

$3,909 MX$72.7K

-49.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,363 SAR 5,117

$6,138 MX$114.2K

-77.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

11.45

-54.15%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Rabigh: November 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rabigh

$241 25.1%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8% 58.9% $142

Groceries & Markets

Rabigh

$218 22.8%

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4% 17.9% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rabigh

$165 17.2%

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2% 18.6% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Rabigh

$111 11.6%

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5% 40.1% $44

Eating Out

Rabigh

$94 9.8%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7% 114% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Rabigh

$73 7.6%

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3% 52.4% $38

Getting Around

Rabigh

$57 6%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 11.6% $6.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $337 in Rabigh versus $995 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27 in Rabigh versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $218 vs $257 – making Rabigh the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Rabigh

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

06:11 6:11 AM

22:11 10:11 PM

8 h behind Rabigh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

92,072

149,923

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇦 Saudi Riyal (ر.س)

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.23 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.95 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to SAR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Rabigh Playa del Carmen 12,440 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Rabigh
Playa del Carmen

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

Rabigh vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 25%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,438 per month in Rabigh and $1,804 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rabigh, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $337 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $959 in Rabigh and $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Rabigh about 20% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 26% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $959 in Rabigh to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.