Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Ghubra and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Ghubra: $90.0 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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

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Al Ghubra

🇴🇲 Oman

$90.0

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $90.0 in Al Ghubra versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen.

Al Ghubra $90.0
Playa del Carmen $1,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $159 in Al Ghubra versus $2,113 in Playa del Carmen.

Al Ghubra $159
Playa del Carmen $2,113

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $229 in Al Ghubra versus $3,016 in Playa del Carmen.

Al Ghubra $229
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Living in Al Ghubra costs roughly 93% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Al Ghubra 93% lower, Playa del Carmen 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.76 MX$199

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.03 MX$795

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$218

Cappuccino

$3.87 MX$71.4

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

$1.37 MX$25.29

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 OMR 0.10

$0.84 MX$15.44

-70.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 MX$57.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 MX$93.6

Milk (1 liter)

$2.56 OMR 0.99

$1.44 MX$26.55

77.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 MX$41.23

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.17

Eggs

$2.53 MX$46.71

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 MX$135

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 MX$145

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.79 MX$236

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.6

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.53

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.07

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$38.03

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$36.97

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.07

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 MX$22.02

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$23.23

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 MX$81.4

Wine (Bottle)

$9.59 MX$177

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.41

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 MX$51.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$10.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 MX$514

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 MX$92.1

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 MX$64.6

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 MX$99.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.08

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

$21.0K MX$387.8K

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

$23.9K MX$441.8K

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

$84.2 MX$1,556

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

$23.99 MX$443

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.02 MX$536

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.01 OMR 17.33

$63.0 MX$1,164

-28.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.68 OMR 14.12

$29.14 MX$539

25.88%

Cinema Ticket

$9.16 OMR 3.53

$4.94 MX$91.3

85.43%

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

$180 OMR 69.5

$204 MX$3,763

-11.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,941 MX$72.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.60 MX$806

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.12 MX$797

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.8 MX$1,400

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 MX$1,637

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 MX$18.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 MX$6,911

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 MX$20.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,944 MX$72.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,169 MX$114.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,110 OMR 1,197

$754 MX$13.9K

312.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Al Ghubra: October 11, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Al Ghubra

–

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9%

Groceries & Markets

Al Ghubra

–

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4%

Eating Out

Al Ghubra

–

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al Ghubra

–

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3%

Clothing & Footwear

Al Ghubra

–

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Al Ghubra

–

Playa del Carmen

$73 6%

Getting Around

Al Ghubra

–

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3%

Cost Breakdown

Al Ghubra pays 312% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Good to know

🇴🇲 Al Ghubra

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

09:32 9:32 AM

00:32 12:32 AM

9 h behind Al Ghubra

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

797,000

149,923

💱 Currency

Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 OMR = 2.6 USD

1 OMR = 2.31 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to OMR – Omani Rial Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇴🇲 Omani Rial (ر.ع.)

Omani Rial exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.385 OMR (1 OMR = 2.6 USD). 1 EUR = 0.433 OMR (1 OMR = 2.31 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to OMR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Al Ghubra Playa del Carmen 13,840 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Al Ghubra
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

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

Al Ghubra and Playa del Carmen differ by about 1245% in total monthly costs ($90.0 vs $1,210 including rent). Al Ghubra is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 312% higher in Al Ghubra, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Childcare runs $180 in Al Ghubra versus $204 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you'll spend $90.0 per month in Al Ghubra versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen – a 1245% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $90.0 in Al Ghubra versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Al Ghubra but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Al Ghubra the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Al Ghubra and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Al Ghubra gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1245% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.