Cost of Living Comparison Between Doha and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Doha and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,155 per month in Doha vs $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,334 per month in Doha vs $2,334 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,514 per month in Doha vs $3,362 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Doha costs about 65% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Doha sits 56% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.14 QAR 40.54

$11.96 MX$203

-6.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.4 QAR 267

$47.38 MX$805

54.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 QAR 30.83

$11.75 MX$200

-27.91%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.38 QAR 45.07

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.64 QAR 49.64

Cappuccino

$5.71 QAR 20.79

$4.12 MX$70.1

38.59%

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

$1.01 QAR 3.66

$1.40 MX$23.78

-27.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 QAR 1.62

$0.91 MX$15.50

-50.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 QAR 7.52

$1.68 MX$28.49

23.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 QAR 5.35

$2.15 MX$36.53

-31.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 QAR 7.01

$1.77 MX$30.14

9.04%

Eggs

$3.46 QAR 12.61

$2.82 MX$47.83

22.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.24 QAR 40.93

$9.20 MX$156

22.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.12 QAR 29.57

$9.23 MX$157

-12.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.19 QAR 40.72

$12.64 MX$215

-11.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 QAR 7.98

$2.95 MX$50.1

-25.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 QAR 6.75

$1.58 MX$26.83

17.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 QAR 5.54

$2.22 MX$37.76

-31.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 QAR 4.61

$2.36 MX$40.15

-46.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 QAR 3.66

$1.99 MX$33.86

-49.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 QAR 3.70

$1.98 MX$33.63

-48.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 QAR 5.03

$1.24 MX$21.07

11.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 QAR 1.87

$1.21 MX$20.58

-57.85%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$9.38 QAR 34.16

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 QAR 6.83

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 QAR 8.05

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.64 QAR 24.17

$4.60 MX$78.2

44.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$179

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.74

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.13

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 QAR 2.09

$0.60 MX$10.24

-5.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.29 QAR 99.4

$29.70 MX$505

-8.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 QAR 7.17

$5.24 MX$89.0

-62.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.03 QAR 7.40

$3.65 MX$62.0

-44.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.02 QAR 51.0

$5.78 MX$98.3

142.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 QAR 2.14

$1.54 MX$26.13

-61.69%

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

$27.9K QAR 101.7K

$22.8K MX$387.4K

22.49%

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

$22.2K QAR 80.6K

$25.8K MX$438.5K

-14.18%

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

$89.6 QAR 326

$90.7 MX$1,540

-1.24%

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

$35.92 QAR 131

$25.19 MX$428

42.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.9 QAR 320

$31.75 MX$539

176.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$133 QAR 485

$68.8 MX$1,169

93.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.48 QAR 67.3

$29.37 MX$499

-37.08%

Cinema Ticket

$12.29 QAR 44.72

$4.86 MX$82.6

152.88%

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

$685 QAR 2,493

$226 MX$3,834

203.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K QAR 36.6K

$4,194 MX$71.2K

139.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.6 QAR 224

$47.38 MX$805

29.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 QAR 189

$43.45 MX$738

19.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 QAR 381

$80.2 MX$1,363

30.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 QAR 315

$91.4 MX$1,552

-5.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,926 QAR 7,012

$1,086 MX$18.4K

77.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,231 QAR 4,480

$409 MX$6,943

201.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,532 QAR 12.9K

$1,972 MX$33.5K

79.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,342 QAR 8,525

$1,281 MX$21.8K

82.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,171 QAR 15.2K

$4,046 MX$68.7K

3.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,469 QAR 8,986

$6,704 MX$113.9K

-63.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,385 QAR 12.3K

$773 MX$13.1K

337.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.88

11.45

-48.65%

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

Last update for Doha: September 6, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,926 in Doha versus $1,086 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 338% higher in Doha, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73.0 in Doha versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $216 in Doha vs $278 in Playa del Carmen – so Doha wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

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

Yes – Doha is pricier by about 65%, and the gap shows up most in Sport & Entertainment. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,233 per month in Doha and $1,958 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 9% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $685 per month in Doha and $226 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,305, than in Doha at $2,155. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Doha 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.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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