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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,662 in Dukhan versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,239 in Dukhan versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,817 in Dukhan versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Dukhan is roughly 28% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dukhan is 24% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.66 QAR 24.26

$11.73 MX$203

-43.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.3 QAR 201

$41.62 MX$720

32.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.78 QAR 24.66

$10.64 MX$184

-36.28%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.51 QAR 41.89

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.16 QAR 40.64

Cappuccino

$5.03 QAR 18.29

$3.52 MX$60.9

42.90%

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

$0.81 QAR 2.94

$1.51 MX$26.12

-46.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 QAR 1.12

$0.97 MX$16.84

-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)

$2.12 QAR 7.73

$1.38 MX$23.93

53.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 QAR 5.66

$1.89 MX$32.72

-17.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 QAR 8.10

$1.64 MX$28.32

35.98%

Eggs

$2.60 QAR 9.46

$2.51 MX$43.34

3.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.74 QAR 42.74

$8.34 MX$144

40.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.75 QAR 28.20

$8.34 MX$144

-7.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.45 QAR 38.04

$10.73 MX$186

-2.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 QAR 7.44

$2.60 MX$45.04

-21.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 QAR 5.94

$1.46 MX$25.20

11.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 QAR 5.67

$1.90 MX$32.87

-17.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.45 QAR 5.27

$2.08 MX$35.91

-30.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 QAR 3.73

$1.78 MX$30.71

-42.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 QAR 4.09

$2.19 MX$37.80

-48.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 QAR 5.02

$1.04 MX$17.99

32.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 QAR 1.76

$1.08 MX$18.62

-55.56%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$8.11 QAR 29.53

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 QAR 6.54

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 QAR 11.04

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.22 QAR 22.63

$4.08 MX$70.6

52.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.23 QAR 8.13

$3.26 MX$56.4

-31.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 QAR 8.08

$2.49 MX$43.09

-10.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.66 QAR 49.74

$3.25 MX$56.2

320.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.52 QAR 1.90

$1.31 MX$22.61

-60.31%

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

$22.2K QAR 80.9K

$30.3K MX$523.7K

-26.64%

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

$20.7K QAR 75.2K

$23.4K MX$405.3K

-11.79%

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

$90.7 QAR 330

$82.9 MX$1,433

9.41%

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

$38.06 QAR 139

$22.22 MX$384

71.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.1 QAR 317

$29.34 MX$507

196.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$12.33 QAR 44.87

$5.07 MX$87.6

143.20%

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

$793 QAR 2,888

$201 MX$3,473

295.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K QAR 43.2K

$5,212 MX$90.1K

127.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.8 QAR 221

$36.92 MX$639

64.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.4 QAR 205

$39.79 MX$688

41.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 QAR 372

$78.5 MX$1,357

30.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.7 QAR 330

$87.1 MX$1,506

4.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,399 QAR 5,091

$973 MX$16.8K

43.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$933 QAR 3,397

$468 MX$8,090

99.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,739 QAR 6,329

$1,641 MX$28.4K

5.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,165 QAR 4,242

$1,221 MX$21.1K

-4.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,097 QAR 14.9K

$664 MX$11.5K

517.16%

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 Dukhan: May 30, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,399 in Dukhan and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dukhan pays 517% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $55.0 in Dukhan vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $212 vs $249, with Dukhan cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Dukhan and Playa del Carmen differ by about 28% in total monthly costs ($1,662 vs $1,297 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Dukhan pays 517% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,399 in Dukhan versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Dukhan pay roughly 18% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,662 per month in Dukhan versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,662 in Dukhan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Dukhan. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen 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, Dukhan 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Dukhan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.