Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sakakah and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living costs are similar in Sakakah and in Playa del Carmen: $1,223 and $1,202 a month, rent and utilities included.

58

Cost of Living Index in Sakakah
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Sakakah Living Index
57

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

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Sakakah

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,223

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,223 per month in Sakakah vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Sakakah $1,223
Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $1,793 per month in Sakakah vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Sakakah $1,793
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $2,364 per month in Sakakah vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Sakakah $2,364
Playa del Carmen $2,962

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.81 SAR 21.79

$10.67 MX$200

-45.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.64 SAR 138

$43.80 MX$823

-16.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.81 SAR 29.29

$11.79 MX$221

-33.76%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 SAR 8.13

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 SAR 5.80

Cappuccino

$3.65 SAR 13.69

$3.79 MX$71.1

-3.69%

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

$0.64 SAR 2.40

$1.30 MX$24.36

-50.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 SAR 1.28

$0.83 MX$15.65

-59.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$59.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 SAR 6.26

$1.41 MX$26.46

18.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 SAR 5.08

$2.20 MX$41.23

-38.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.36 SAR 8.85

$1.47 MX$27.66

60.54%

Eggs

$2.38 SAR 8.94

$2.50 MX$46.89

-4.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.68 SAR 28.82

$7.29 MX$137

5.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.77 SAR 25.42

$7.95 MX$149

-14.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.59 SAR 47.25

$12.86 MX$242

-2.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.22 SAR 8.33

$2.90 MX$54.4

-23.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 SAR 6.46

$1.38 MX$25.98

24.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 SAR 5.97

$2.49 MX$46.78

-36.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 SAR 5.85

$2.03 MX$38.12

-23.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 SAR 4.63

$2.02 MX$38.03

-39.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 SAR 4.95

$1.90 MX$35.74

-30.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 SAR 4.45

$1.14 MX$21.49

4.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 SAR 1.98

$1.24 MX$23.27

-57.26%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.76 SAR 10.37

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 SAR 6.65

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 SAR 7.23

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.84 SAR 21.92

$4.27 MX$80.2

36.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$184

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.78

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 SAR 3.69

$0.51 MX$9.67

92.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.58 SAR 137

$27.39 MX$514

33.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.81 SAR 10.55

$4.76 MX$89.4

-40.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.73 SAR 6.50

$3.25 MX$61.0

-46.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.80 SAR 55.6

$5.39 MX$101

174.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 SAR 2.23

$1.53 MX$28.70

-61.44%

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

$25.1K SAR 94.4K

$21.2K MX$398.4K

18.52%

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

$24.2K SAR 90.9K

$23.3K MX$436.9K

4.09%

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

$119 SAR 445

$83.5 MX$1,568

42.11%

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

$37.42 SAR 140

$23.19 MX$435

61.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.6 SAR 276

$27.61 MX$519

166.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.1 SAR 297

$56.4 MX$1,060

40.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$529

Cinema Ticket

$11.94 SAR 44.80

$5.00 MX$93.9

138.80%

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

$380 SAR 1,426

$207 MX$3,889

83.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K SAR 41.2K

$5,231 MX$98.2K

109.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.10 SAR 143

$43.45 MX$816

-12.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.7 SAR 224

$42.54 MX$799

40.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 SAR 379

$72.8 MX$1,367

38.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.6 SAR 303

$88.4 MX$1,660

-8.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$563 SAR 2,114

$995 MX$18.7K

-43.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$398 SAR 1,494

$382 MX$7,181

4.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$872 SAR 3,274

$1,674 MX$31.4K

-47.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 SAR 2,267

$1,081 MX$20.3K

-44.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,840 SAR 6,905

$3,909 MX$73.4K

-52.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,239 SAR 4,651

$6,138 MX$115.3K

-79.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$912 SAR 3,422

$832 MX$15.6K

9.55%

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 Sakakah: October 31, 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

Sakakah

$398 32.6%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8% 4% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sakakah

$230 18.8%

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2% 41.5% $95

Groceries & Markets

Sakakah

$197 16.1%

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4% 30.8% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Sakakah

$126 10.3%

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3% 11.6% $15

Eating Out

Sakakah

$118 9.6%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7% 70.4% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Sakakah

$103 8.4%

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5% 35.5% $37

Getting Around

Sakakah

$52 4.3%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 2.9% $1.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $563 in Sakakah 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.

Salaries run about 10% higher in Sakakah. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Sakakah versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $197 vs $257 – making Sakakah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Sakakah

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

10:34 10:34 AM

02:34 2:34 AM

8 h behind Sakakah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

242,813

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 = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 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 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.78 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 21.09 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

USD to SAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sakakah Playa del Carmen 12,050 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Sakakah
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

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,834 per month in Sakakah 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 Sakakah, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $563 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

Interestingly, groceries are about 24% cheaper in Sakakah – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

Kindergarten costs $380 per month in Sakakah and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,223 in Sakakah and $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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 $1,223 in Sakakah. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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