Cost of Living Comparison Between Madinat As Sultan Qaboos and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Madinat As Sultan Qaboos and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $935 in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,410 in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,885 in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos costs roughly 28% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Madinat As Sultan Qaboos 32% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.35 OMR 2.06

$11.71 MX$198

-54.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.65 OMR 12.95

$46.59 MX$787

-27.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.92 OMR 3.05

$11.65 MX$197

-32.02%

Cappuccino

$4.89 OMR 1.88

$4.09 MX$69.2

19.56%

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

$0.85 OMR 0.33

$1.37 MX$23.23

-37.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 OMR 0.10

$0.83 MX$14.09

-67.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.04 OMR 5.02

$3.35 MX$56.7

289.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.75 OMR 4.91

$6.91 MX$117

84.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.29 OMR 0.88

$1.73 MX$29.19

32.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 OMR 0.49

$2.26 MX$38.20

-43.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 OMR 0.70

$1.77 MX$29.90

2.26%

Eggs

$2.89 OMR 1.11

$2.73 MX$46.18

5.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.61 OMR 2.93

$9.18 MX$155

-17.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.82 OMR 2.63

$8.92 MX$151

-23.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.67 OMR 4.11

$12.60 MX$213

-15.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.49 OMR 1.34

$3.02 MX$51.1

15.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 OMR 0.73

$1.57 MX$26.54

21.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 OMR 0.90

$2.13 MX$35.92

9.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.24 OMR 0.48

$2.26 MX$38.27

-45.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 OMR 0.46

$2.00 MX$33.87

-39.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 OMR 0.48

$2.06 MX$34.89

-39.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.83 OMR 0.70

$1.18 MX$19.94

55.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 OMR 0.24

$1.20 MX$20.35

-47.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.63 OMR 2.55

$4.63 MX$78.3

43.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.57 OMR 6.00

$10.69 MX$181

45.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.44 OMR 2.09

$1.62 MX$27.37

235.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.69 OMR 3.34

$2.88 MX$48.69

201.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.69

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 OMR 1.24

$5.45 MX$92.1

-41.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.59 OMR 1.00

$3.70 MX$62.6

-30.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.94 OMR 3.06

$5.98 MX$101

32.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 OMR 0.25

$1.55 MX$26.25

-58.71%

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

$25.2K OMR 9,698

$22.3K MX$377.3K

12.81%

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

$22.5K OMR 8,645

$25.9K MX$438.5K

-13.47%

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

$172 OMR 66.1

$89.1 MX$1,506

92.70%

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

$31.31 OMR 12.06

$25.04 MX$423

25.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 OMR 27.13

$31.50 MX$532

123.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,145

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

Cinema Ticket

$10.49 OMR 4.04

$5.05 MX$85.3

107.72%

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

$287 OMR 111

$225 MX$3,802

27.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K OMR 4,044

$4,222 MX$71.4K

148.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.9 OMR 21.91

$47.44 MX$802

19.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.63 OMR 16.80

$44.98 MX$760

-3.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.3 OMR 34.39

$82.0 MX$1,386

8.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.5 OMR 36.77

$92.1 MX$1,556

3.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,850

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

11.45

-54.15%

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

Last update for Madinat As Sultan Qaboos: September 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $34.00 in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $284 vs $277, with Playa del Carmen 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

Madinat As Sultan Qaboos vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Madinat As Sultan Qaboos wins on cost – living expenses run 38% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Madinat As Sultan Qaboos the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,402 in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos and $1,940 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Shoppers in Playa del Carmen pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $935 per month in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen – a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $935 in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Madinat As Sultan Qaboos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Madinat As Sultan Qaboos delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $935 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Madinat As Sultan Qaboos hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Madinat As Sultan Qaboos 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 Madinat As Sultan Qaboos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.