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 $1,944 per month in Doha vs $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,080 per month in Doha vs $2,137 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,216 per month in Doha vs $3,017 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Doha costs about 55% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Doha sits 46% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.76 QAR 24.61

$11.99 MX$209

-43.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.0 QAR 197

$41.78 MX$728

29.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.96 QAR 25.35

$10.75 MX$187

-35.26%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.62 QAR 42.29

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.90 QAR 39.66

Cappuccino

$4.97 QAR 18.10

$3.50 MX$60.9

42.00%

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

$0.86 QAR 3.13

$1.45 MX$25.22

-40.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 QAR 1.20

$0.88 MX$15.41

-62.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 QAR 7.44

$1.43 MX$24.94

42.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 QAR 5.95

$1.84 MX$31.99

-10.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 QAR 8.01

$1.57 MX$27.31

40.13%

Eggs

$2.67 QAR 9.70

$2.51 MX$43.74

6.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.57 QAR 42.12

$8.28 MX$144

39.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 QAR 28.80

$8.43 MX$147

-6.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 QAR 39.04

$10.68 MX$186

0.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.03 QAR 7.40

$2.61 MX$45.43

-22.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 QAR 5.91

$1.44 MX$25.04

12.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 QAR 5.56

$1.96 MX$34.16

-21.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.39 QAR 5.06

$2.09 MX$36.47

-33.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 QAR 3.77

$1.85 MX$32.24

-44.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 QAR 4.07

$2.17 MX$37.74

-48.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 QAR 4.86

$1.03 MX$17.96

30.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 QAR 1.75

$1.07 MX$18.70

-55.14%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$10.16 QAR 37.00

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 QAR 6.74

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 QAR 10.89

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.35 QAR 23.12

$4.10 MX$71.4

54.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 QAR 2.08

$0.51 MX$8.87

11.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.81 QAR 119

$26.04 MX$453

26.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 QAR 8.15

$3.23 MX$56.3

-30.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 QAR 7.77

$2.41 MX$41.88

-11.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 QAR 49.81

$3.23 MX$56.2

323.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 QAR 2.15

$1.32 MX$23.00

-55.30%

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

$22.2K QAR 80.9K

$29.7K MX$517.1K

-25.18%

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

$20.4K QAR 74.3K

$23.7K MX$412.0K

-13.71%

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

$93.4 QAR 340

$82.0 MX$1,428

13.90%

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

$37.55 QAR 137

$22.95 MX$400

63.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.7 QAR 323

$30.11 MX$524

194.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$120 QAR 435

$52.0 MX$905

130.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.64 QAR 115

$18.53 MX$323

70.75%

Cinema Ticket

$12.46 QAR 45.34

$4.98 MX$86.6

150.20%

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

$802 QAR 2,918

$197 MX$3,438

306.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K QAR 42.3K

$5,336 MX$92.9K

117.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.1 QAR 223

$35.60 MX$620

71.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 QAR 200

$40.33 MX$702

36.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 QAR 365

$78.8 MX$1,371

27.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.2 QAR 328

$88.9 MX$1,549

1.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,638 QAR 5,963

$947 MX$16.5K

72.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,064 QAR 3,872

$474 MX$8,254

124.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,901 QAR 10.6K

$1,644 MX$28.6K

76.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,098 QAR 7,636

$1,211 MX$21.1K

73.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,212 QAR 15.3K

$4,056 MX$70.6K

3.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,509 QAR 9,134

$6,470 MX$112.7K

-61.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,128 QAR 11.4K

$654 MX$11.4K

378.37%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,638 in Doha versus $947 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 378% 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 – $212 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 55%, 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 $2,916 per month in Doha and $1,884 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 26% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $802 per month in Doha and $197 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 $1,256, than in Doha at $1,944. 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.