Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taif and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $1,271 in Taif, rent and utilities included – about $830 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Taif outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

61

Cost of Living Index in Taif
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Taif Living Index
57

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

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Taif

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,271

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Taif vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Taif $1,271
Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $1,863 per month in Taif vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Taif $1,863
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $2,456 per month in Taif vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Taif $2,456
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Taif costs about 6% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Taif and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Taif 6% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.39 SAR 20.22

$10.67 MX$200

-49.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.10 SAR 139

$43.80 MX$823

-15.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.55 SAR 28.34

$11.79 MX$221

-35.96%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 SAR 8.14

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 SAR 5.11

Cappuccino

$2.20 SAR 8.27

$3.79 MX$71.1

-41.95%

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

$0.63 SAR 2.37

$1.30 MX$24.36

-51.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 SAR 0.81

$0.83 MX$15.65

-73.49%

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)

$1.81 SAR 6.80

$1.41 MX$26.46

28.37%

White Bread (500g)

$0.28 SAR 1.05

$2.20 MX$41.23

-87.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 SAR 8.74

$1.47 MX$27.66

58.50%

Eggs

$2.68 SAR 10.05

$2.50 MX$46.89

7.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.82 SAR 21.83

$7.29 MX$137

-20.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.93 SAR 26.01

$7.95 MX$149

-12.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.46 SAR 35.52

$12.86 MX$242

-26.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 SAR 9.19

$2.90 MX$54.4

-15.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 SAR 6.56

$1.38 MX$25.98

26.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 SAR 6.82

$2.49 MX$46.78

-26.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.87 SAR 7.02

$2.03 MX$38.12

-7.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.34 SAR 5.04

$2.02 MX$38.03

-33.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 SAR 5.41

$1.90 MX$35.74

-24.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 SAR 3.42

$1.14 MX$21.49

-20.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 SAR 2.92

$1.24 MX$23.27

-37.10%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.01 SAR 11.32

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 SAR 5.38

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 SAR 7.75

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.98 SAR 26.20

$4.27 MX$80.2

63.47%

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)

$1.07 SAR 4.03

$0.51 MX$9.67

109.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.71 SAR 142

$27.39 MX$514

37.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 SAR 5.11

$4.76 MX$89.4

-71.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 SAR 7.34

$3.25 MX$61.0

-39.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.54 SAR 35.80

$5.39 MX$101

76.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 SAR 2.40

$1.53 MX$28.70

-58.17%

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

$26.8K SAR 100.6K

$21.2K MX$398.4K

26.32%

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

$21.4K SAR 80.5K

$23.3K MX$436.9K

-7.81%

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

$141 SAR 530

$83.5 MX$1,568

69.10%

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

$27.63 SAR 104

$23.19 MX$435

19.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 SAR 257

$27.61 MX$519

147.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$143 SAR 538

$56.4 MX$1,060

154.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.26 SAR 49.75

$28.19 MX$529

-52.96%

Cinema Ticket

$19.64 SAR 73.7

$5.00 MX$93.9

292.80%

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

$187 SAR 701

$207 MX$3,889

-9.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,348 SAR 12.6K

$5,231 MX$98.2K

-36.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.65 SAR 156

$43.45 MX$816

-4.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 SAR 190

$42.54 MX$799

18.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.2 SAR 354

$72.8 MX$1,367

29.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.6 SAR 325

$88.4 MX$1,660

-1.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$569 SAR 2,136

$995 MX$18.7K

-42.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$399 SAR 1,496

$382 MX$7,181

4.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$897 SAR 3,365

$1,674 MX$31.4K

-46.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$610 SAR 2,288

$1,081 MX$20.3K

-43.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,992 SAR 7,477

$3,909 MX$73.4K

-49.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,188 SAR 4,459

$6,138 MX$115.3K

-80.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,573 SAR 5,905

$832 MX$15.6K

89.04%

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 Taif: 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

Taif

$399 31.4%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8% 4.1% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taif

$237 18.7%

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2% 43.4% $103

Sport & Entertainment

Taif

$183 14.4%

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5% 63.6% $116

Groceries & Markets

Taif

$181 14.2%

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4% 42.5% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Taif

$123 9.7%

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3% 9.5% $12

Eating Out

Taif

$96 7.5%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7% 110% $105

Getting Around

Taif

$53 4.2%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 5.1% $2.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $569 in Taif 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 89% higher in Taif. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Taif versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $181 vs $257 – making Taif the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Taif

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

15:26 3:26 PM

07:26 7:26 AM

8 h behind Taif

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

579,970

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

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Between locations

Taif Playa del Carmen 12,650 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Taif
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

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

Yes – Taif is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Taif 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 Taif, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $569 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,271 in Taif and $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 5% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 27% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,271 in Taif 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 $1,271 in Taif. 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, Taif makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.