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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,146 per month in Lusail vs $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,535 per month in Lusail vs $2,126 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,924 per month in Lusail vs $2,980 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Lusail costs about 69% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Lusail sits 60% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.75 QAR 24.58

$11.87 MX$204

-43.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.5 QAR 198

$42.90 MX$736

26.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.02 QAR 25.54

$10.65 MX$183

-34.08%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.61 QAR 42.26

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.80 QAR 39.33

Cappuccino

$5.14 QAR 18.72

$3.45 MX$59.2

48.99%

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

$0.79 QAR 2.88

$1.50 MX$25.81

-47.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 QAR 1.21

$0.95 MX$16.28

-65.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 QAR 7.53

$1.38 MX$23.61

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 QAR 5.66

$1.85 MX$31.70

-16.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 QAR 5.06

$1.61 MX$27.65

-13.66%

Eggs

$2.55 QAR 9.28

$2.59 MX$44.51

-1.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.75 QAR 42.78

$8.26 MX$142

42.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.53 QAR 27.42

$8.37 MX$144

-10.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.47 QAR 38.13

$10.66 MX$183

-1.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 QAR 7.50

$2.63 MX$45.12

-21.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 QAR 5.95

$1.49 MX$25.53

9.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 QAR 5.46

$1.92 MX$32.94

-21.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 QAR 2.05

$2.09 MX$35.81

-73.21%

Potato (1kg)

$0.57 QAR 2.06

$1.86 MX$31.88

-69.35%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 QAR 1.97

$2.26 MX$38.81

-76.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 QAR 4.98

$1.06 MX$18.23

29.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 QAR 1.75

$1.09 MX$18.67

-55.96%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$9.83 QAR 35.78

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 QAR 6.69

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 QAR 11.00

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.16 QAR 22.41

$4.15 MX$71.2

48.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 QAR 7.91

$3.13 MX$53.7

-30.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 QAR 7.85

$2.51 MX$43.09

-13.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.69 QAR 49.84

$3.15 MX$54.1

334.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 QAR 2.16

$1.27 MX$21.88

-53.54%

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

$22.2K QAR 80.9K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

-26.81%

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

$20.8K QAR 75.6K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

-11.84%

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

$92.6 QAR 337

$83.0 MX$1,425

11.55%

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

$38.28 QAR 139

$22.71 MX$390

68.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.7 QAR 315

$29.46 MX$506

194.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$12.62 QAR 45.92

$4.93 MX$84.5

155.98%

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

$805 QAR 2,931

$197 MX$3,386

308.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K QAR 43.3K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

125.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.2 QAR 226

$36.90 MX$633

68.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 QAR 200

$39.89 MX$685

37.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 QAR 365

$80.0 MX$1,373

25.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.7 QAR 323

$89.5 MX$1,536

-0.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,061 QAR 7,502

$956 MX$16.4K

115.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,373 QAR 4,998

$477 MX$8,189

187.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,705 QAR 17.1K

$1,646 MX$28.3K

185.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,248 QAR 11.8K

$1,225 MX$21.0K

165.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,398 QAR 5,088

$667 MX$11.4K

109.58%

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 Lusail: June 7, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,061 in Lusail versus $956 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 110% higher in Lusail, 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 Lusail versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $199 in Lusail vs $250 in Playa del Carmen – so Lusail 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,146 in Lusail, $1,271 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 69% apart. Lusail costs more across the board, with Monthly Utilities & Internet showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,220 per month in Lusail and $1,906 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Lusail and $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 25% cheaper in Lusail – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,271, than in Lusail at $2,146. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lusail it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,271 in Playa del Carmen to $2,146 in Lusail. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Lusail makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.