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 $2,003 per month in Doha vs $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,069 per month in Doha vs $2,181 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,134 per month in Doha vs $3,065 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Doha costs about 54% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Doha sits 49% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.77 QAR 24.64

$11.73 MX$203

-42.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.0 QAR 196

$41.62 MX$719

29.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.78 QAR 24.69

$10.64 MX$184

-36.28%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.76 QAR 42.80

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.10 QAR 40.40

Cappuccino

$4.98 QAR 18.14

$3.52 MX$60.8

41.48%

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

$0.84 QAR 3.07

$1.51 MX$26.09

-44.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 QAR 1.13

$0.97 MX$16.82

-68.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 QAR 7.44

$1.38 MX$23.90

47.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 QAR 5.92

$1.89 MX$32.69

-13.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.15 QAR 7.82

$1.64 MX$28.29

31.10%

Eggs

$2.62 QAR 9.55

$2.51 MX$43.30

4.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.34 QAR 41.26

$8.34 MX$144

35.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.55 QAR 27.48

$8.34 MX$144

-9.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.43 QAR 37.97

$10.73 MX$185

-2.80%

Apples (1kg)

$1.98 QAR 7.21

$2.60 MX$45.00

-23.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 QAR 5.73

$1.46 MX$25.18

7.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 QAR 5.77

$1.90 MX$32.84

-16.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.45 QAR 5.26

$2.08 MX$35.88

-30.29%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 QAR 3.57

$1.78 MX$30.68

-44.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 QAR 3.88

$2.19 MX$37.76

-51.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 QAR 5.03

$1.04 MX$17.97

32.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 QAR 1.66

$1.08 MX$18.60

-57.41%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$8.27 QAR 30.10

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 QAR 6.71

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 QAR 10.92

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.47 QAR 23.53

$4.08 MX$70.5

58.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.59

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.50

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 QAR 1.91

$0.51 MX$8.81

3.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.91 QAR 120

$26.46 MX$457

24.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.23 QAR 8.11

$3.26 MX$56.4

-31.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 QAR 8.07

$2.49 MX$43.05

-10.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.60 QAR 49.50

$3.25 MX$56.1

318.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 QAR 2.16

$1.31 MX$22.59

-54.96%

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

$22.2K QAR 80.7K

$30.3K MX$523.2K

-26.76%

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

$20.3K QAR 73.9K

$23.4K MX$404.9K

-13.35%

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

$93.5 QAR 340

$82.9 MX$1,432

12.80%

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

$37.48 QAR 136

$22.22 MX$384

68.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 QAR 313

$29.34 MX$507

193.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$120 QAR 436

$51.6 MX$892

132.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.38 QAR 118

$18.32 MX$317

76.75%

Cinema Ticket

$12.20 QAR 44.41

$5.07 MX$87.5

140.63%

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

$794 QAR 2,891

$201 MX$3,470

295.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K QAR 42.7K

$5,212 MX$90.1K

125.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.3 QAR 227

$36.92 MX$638

68.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.6 QAR 199

$39.79 MX$688

37.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.4 QAR 362

$78.5 MX$1,356

26.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.2 QAR 328

$87.1 MX$1,505

3.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,609 QAR 5,857

$973 MX$16.8K

65.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,094 QAR 3,983

$468 MX$8,082

133.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,926 QAR 10.7K

$1,641 MX$28.4K

78.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,079 QAR 7,567

$1,221 MX$21.1K

70.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,471 QAR 16.3K

$3,946 MX$68.2K

13.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,709 QAR 9,860

$6,498 MX$112.3K

-58.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,111 QAR 11.3K

$664 MX$11.5K

368.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.08

11.42

-46.76%

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

Last update for Doha: May 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,609 in Doha versus $973 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 369% 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 $54.0 in Doha versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $208 in Doha vs $249 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 54%, 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 $3,004 per month in Doha and $1,945 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 24% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $794 per month in Doha and $201 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 $1,297, than in Doha at $2,003. 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.