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 $2,139 per month in Lusail vs $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,536 per month in Lusail vs $2,125 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,933 per month in Lusail vs $2,990 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Lusail costs about 70% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Lusail sits 61% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.92 QAR 25.17

$11.72 MX$203

-40.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.6 QAR 202

$41.89 MX$725

32.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.00 QAR 25.49

$10.51 MX$182

-33.40%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.62 QAR 42.29

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.06 QAR 40.26

Cappuccino

$5.04 QAR 18.33

$3.59 MX$62.0

40.39%

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

$0.79 QAR 2.86

$1.51 MX$26.10

-47.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 QAR 1.12

$0.92 MX$15.83

-66.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 QAR 7.49

$1.40 MX$24.16

47.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 QAR 5.92

$1.88 MX$32.60

-13.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 QAR 5.03

$1.56 MX$26.97

-11.54%

Eggs

$2.58 QAR 9.41

$2.61 MX$45.14

-1.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.63 QAR 42.35

$8.32 MX$144

39.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.50 QAR 27.30

$8.35 MX$145

-10.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.71 QAR 38.99

$10.86 MX$188

-1.38%

Apples (1kg)

$1.97 QAR 7.16

$2.71 MX$46.93

-27.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 QAR 5.98

$1.51 MX$26.04

8.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 QAR 5.44

$1.87 MX$32.41

-20.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 QAR 2.04

$2.19 MX$37.89

-74.43%

Potato (1kg)

$0.53 QAR 1.94

$1.86 MX$32.14

-71.51%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 QAR 1.96

$2.23 MX$38.59

-75.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 QAR 4.99

$1.07 MX$18.48

28.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 QAR 1.64

$1.09 MX$18.79

-58.72%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$10.28 QAR 37.41

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 QAR 6.77

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 QAR 11.12

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.28 QAR 22.85

$4.19 MX$72.4

49.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.19 QAR 7.96

$3.08 MX$53.3

-28.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 QAR 7.75

$2.40 MX$41.61

-11.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 QAR 50.6

$3.13 MX$54.1

343.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 QAR 2.18

$1.31 MX$22.69

-54.20%

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

$22.3K QAR 81.3K

$29.8K MX$515.7K

-25.04%

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

$20.8K QAR 75.7K

$23.3K MX$403.5K

-10.84%

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

$91.0 QAR 331

$81.3 MX$1,406

11.93%

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

$37.87 QAR 138

$22.56 MX$390

67.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.3 QAR 322

$30.05 MX$520

193.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$12.16 QAR 44.27

$4.92 MX$85.1

147.15%

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

$807 QAR 2,939

$201 MX$3,474

302.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K QAR 43.6K

$5,175 MX$89.5K

131.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.2 QAR 230

$35.92 MX$622

76.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 QAR 204

$40.13 MX$694

39.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 QAR 371

$79.7 MX$1,379

27.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.1 QAR 324

$86.5 MX$1,496

3.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,056 QAR 7,485

$978 MX$16.9K

110.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,381 QAR 5,027

$470 MX$8,140

193.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,638 QAR 16.9K

$1,651 MX$28.6K

180.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,302 QAR 12.0K

$1,203 MX$20.8K

174.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,382 QAR 5,032

$677 MX$11.7K

104.32%

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,056 in Lusail versus $978 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 104% 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 $56.0 in Lusail versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $199 in Lusail vs $252 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: $2,139 in Lusail, $1,260 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 70% apart. Lusail costs more across the board, with Monthly Utilities & Internet showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,209 per month in Lusail and $1,890 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 $56.0 in Lusail and $42.00 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 26% 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 $1,260, than in Lusail at $2,139. 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 $1,260 in Playa del Carmen to $2,139 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.