Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Doha and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,149 in Doha, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

104

Cost of Living Index in Doha
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Doha Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Doha

🇶🇦 Qatar

$2,149

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,149 per month in Doha vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Doha $2,149
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $3,429 per month in Doha vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Doha $3,429
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $4,709 per month in Doha vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Doha $4,709
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Doha costs about 78% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Doha sits 58% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.36 QAR 34.05

$10.92 MX$203

-14.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 QAR 251

$43.37 MX$808

59.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.88 QAR 28.70

$11.78 MX$219

-33.11%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.99 QAR 43.63

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.81 QAR 50.3

Cappuccino

$5.69 QAR 20.72

$3.81 MX$71.0

49.34%

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

$0.90 QAR 3.29

$1.28 MX$23.89

-29.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 QAR 1.48

$0.78 MX$14.58

-47.44%

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)

$2.08 QAR 7.57

$1.41 MX$26.20

47.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 QAR 4.96

$2.22 MX$41.30

-38.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 QAR 6.99

$1.42 MX$26.40

35.21%

Eggs

$3.38 QAR 12.29

$2.52 MX$47.00

34.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.36 QAR 41.34

$7.26 MX$135

56.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.73 QAR 28.12

$7.70 MX$143

0.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.07 QAR 40.28

$12.69 MX$236

-12.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 QAR 8.32

$2.78 MX$51.9

-17.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 QAR 6.75

$1.37 MX$25.49

35.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 QAR 5.75

$2.55 MX$47.52

-38.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 QAR 4.60

$2.12 MX$39.55

-40.57%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 QAR 3.55

$1.94 MX$36.11

-49.48%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 QAR 3.52

$1.89 MX$35.13

-48.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 QAR 5.19

$1.15 MX$21.36

23.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 QAR 1.84

$1.18 MX$21.96

-57.63%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$9.69 QAR 35.27

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 QAR 6.76

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 QAR 8.33

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.33 QAR 23.04

$4.30 MX$80.0

47.21%

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)

$0.56 QAR 2.04

$0.55 MX$10.31

1.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.40 QAR 118

$26.62 MX$496

21.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.89 QAR 6.87

$4.97 MX$92.6

-61.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 QAR 7.61

$3.33 MX$62.1

-37.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.50 QAR 49.14

$5.36 MX$99.8

151.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.55 QAR 2.00

$1.44 MX$26.90

-61.81%

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

$24.2K QAR 88.1K

$20.7K MX$385.0K

17.10%

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

$21.4K QAR 77.9K

$23.5K MX$437.2K

-8.82%

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

$83.6 QAR 304

$84.8 MX$1,580

-1.38%

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

$33.81 QAR 123

$23.41 MX$436

44.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.0 QAR 320

$28.66 MX$534

207.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$194 QAR 707

$57.1 MX$1,063

240.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.58 QAR 67.6

$28.91 MX$539

-35.73%

Cinema Ticket

$12.28 QAR 44.68

$5.14 MX$95.7

138.91%

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

$720 QAR 2,619

$207 MX$3,848

248.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,469 QAR 34.5K

$3,927 MX$73.2K

141.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 QAR 217

$43.35 MX$808

37.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.0 QAR 197

$41.44 MX$772

30.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.4 QAR 362

$74.2 MX$1,382

33.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 QAR 305

$89.3 MX$1,663

-6.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,014 QAR 7,332

$980 MX$18.2K

105.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,159 QAR 4,220

$381 MX$7,095

204.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,486 QAR 12.7K

$1,708 MX$31.8K

104.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,403 QAR 8,748

$1,075 MX$20.0K

123.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,079 QAR 14.8K

$3,943 MX$73.5K

3.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,416 QAR 8,796

$6,158 MX$114.7K

-60.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,308 QAR 12.0K

$735 MX$13.7K

350.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

11.45

-48.30%

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

Last update for Doha: October 26, 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

Doha

$1.2K 53.9%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 67.2% $779

Sport & Entertainment

Doha

$219 10.2%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 69.2% $151

Groceries & Markets

Doha

$213 9.9%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 19.4% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Doha

$205 9.6%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 33.4% $69

Eating Out

Doha

$172 8%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 17.6% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Doha

$134 6.2%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 16.3% $22

Getting Around

Doha

$47 2.2%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 7.4% $3.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,014 in Doha 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 Doha are about 4.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69 in Doha versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $213 in Doha vs $255 in Playa del Carmen – so Doha wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇶🇦 Doha

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

11:17 11:17 AM

03:17 3:17 AM

8 h behind Doha

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,312,947 Capital

149,923

💱 Currency

Qatari Riyal QAR ر.ق

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 QAR = 0.275 USD

1 QAR = 0.246 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to QAR – Qatari Riyal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇶🇦 Qatari Riyal (ر.ق)

Qatari Riyal exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3.64 QAR (1 QAR = 0.275 USD). 1 EUR = 4.06 QAR (1 QAR = 0.246 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.79 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to QAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Doha Playa del Carmen 13,230 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Doha
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

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

Yes – Doha is pricier by about 78%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,224 per month in Doha 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 $2,014 in Doha.

Public transport costs about 18% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $720 per month in Doha and $207 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 $1,204, than in Doha at $2,149. 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.

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