Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Riyadh and Playa del Carmen

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.

83

Cost of Living Index in Riyadh
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Riyadh Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Riyadh

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,738

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Riyadh 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 Riyadh and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Riyadh costs about 44% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 SAR 30.37

$10.92 MX$203

-25.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.3 SAR 245

$43.37 MX$808

50.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.18 SAR 30.68

$11.78 MX$219

-30.56%

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

$4.30 SAR 16.13

$3.81 MX$71.0

12.86%

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

$0.85 SAR 3.18

$1.28 MX$23.89

-33.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 SAR 1.12

$0.78 MX$14.58

-61.54%

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)

$1.83 SAR 6.85

$1.41 MX$26.20

29.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 SAR 4.93

$2.22 MX$41.30

-40.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.37 SAR 8.88

$1.42 MX$26.40

66.90%

Eggs

$3.04 SAR 11.41

$2.52 MX$47.00

20.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.77 SAR 40.40

$7.26 MX$135

48.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.38 SAR 35.17

$7.70 MX$143

21.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.98 SAR 56.2

$12.69 MX$236

18.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 SAR 10.70

$2.78 MX$51.9

2.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 SAR 7.13

$1.37 MX$25.49

38.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.47 SAR 9.25

$2.55 MX$47.52

-3.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.71 SAR 6.43

$2.12 MX$39.55

-19.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 SAR 4.43

$1.94 MX$36.11

-39.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 SAR 4.82

$1.89 MX$35.13

-32.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 SAR 6.69

$1.15 MX$21.36

54.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 SAR 2.16

$1.18 MX$21.96

-50.85%

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)

$7.85 SAR 29.45

$4.30 MX$80.0

82.56%

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)

$1.04 SAR 3.91

$0.55 MX$10.31

89.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.07 SAR 143

$26.62 MX$496

43.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 SAR 11.74

$4.97 MX$92.6

-37.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 SAR 7.16

$3.33 MX$62.1

-42.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.31 SAR 49.91

$5.36 MX$99.8

148.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 SAR 2.26

$1.44 MX$26.90

-58.33%

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

$26.2K SAR 98.2K

$20.7K MX$385.0K

26.73%

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

$22.2K SAR 83.4K

$23.5K MX$437.2K

-5.27%

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

$108 SAR 403

$84.8 MX$1,580

26.84%

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

$29.62 SAR 111

$23.41 MX$436

26.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.0 SAR 266

$28.66 MX$534

147.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$83.0 SAR 311

$57.1 MX$1,063

45.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$57.3 SAR 215

$28.91 MX$539

98.10%

Cinema Ticket

$13.31 SAR 49.94

$5.14 MX$95.7

158.95%

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

$554 SAR 2,077

$207 MX$3,848

168.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K SAR 37.8K

$3,927 MX$73.2K

156.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.7 SAR 216

$43.35 MX$808

33.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.4 SAR 204

$41.44 MX$772

31.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 SAR 391

$74.2 MX$1,382

40.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 SAR 393

$89.3 MX$1,663

17.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,149 SAR 4,310

$980 MX$18.2K

17.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$833 SAR 3,127

$381 MX$7,095

118.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,166 SAR 8,125

$1,708 MX$31.8K

26.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 SAR 4,786

$1,075 MX$20.0K

18.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,779 SAR 10.4K

$3,943 MX$73.5K

-29.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,718 SAR 6,443

$6,158 MX$114.7K

-72.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,052 SAR 7,699

$735 MX$13.7K

179.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

11.45

-51.62%

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

Last update for Riyadh: October 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Riyadh

$833 48%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 54.3% $453

Groceries & Markets

Riyadh

$241 13.9%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 5.5% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Riyadh

$208 12%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 34.2% $71

Eating Out

Riyadh

$145 8.4%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 39.1% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Riyadh

$144 8.3%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 22.7% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Riyadh

$110 6.3%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 38.6% $42

Getting Around

Riyadh

$55 3.2%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 8.1% $4.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,149 in Riyadh versus $980 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.

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

Good to know

🇸🇦 Riyadh

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

09:27 9:27 AM

01:27 1:27 AM

8 h behind Riyadh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,188,286 Capital

149,923

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.267 USD

1 SAR = 0.239 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 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 October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.267 USD). 1 EUR = 4.18 SAR (1 SAR = 0.239 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.74 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

USD to SAR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Riyadh Playa del Carmen 12,920 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Riyadh
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

Riyadh vs Playa del Carmen: 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 $2,606 per month in Riyadh and $1,806 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 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 $1,738 in Riyadh and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. 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.