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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,525 in Muscat versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,272 in Muscat versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,019 in Muscat versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Muscat is roughly 18% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Muscat is 11% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.34 OMR 2.06

$11.71 MX$198

-54.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.00 OMR 13.09

$46.59 MX$788

-27.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.74 OMR 2.98

$11.65 MX$197

-33.56%

Cappuccino

$4.73 OMR 1.82

$4.09 MX$69.2

15.65%

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

$0.86 OMR 0.33

$1.37 MX$23.23

-37.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 OMR 0.11

$0.83 MX$14.09

-65.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.07 OMR 5.03

$3.35 MX$56.7

290.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.79 OMR 4.92

$6.91 MX$117

85.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 OMR 0.87

$1.73 MX$29.20

30.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 OMR 0.48

$2.26 MX$38.21

-44.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 OMR 0.73

$1.77 MX$29.91

7.34%

Eggs

$2.94 OMR 1.13

$2.73 MX$46.19

7.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.65 OMR 2.94

$9.18 MX$155

-16.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.57 OMR 2.53

$8.92 MX$151

-26.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.54 OMR 4.06

$12.60 MX$213

-16.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.41 OMR 1.31

$3.02 MX$51.1

12.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 OMR 0.77

$1.57 MX$26.55

27.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 OMR 0.89

$2.13 MX$35.93

8.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 OMR 0.46

$2.26 MX$38.28

-46.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 OMR 0.47

$2.00 MX$33.88

-39.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 OMR 0.50

$2.06 MX$34.90

-37.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 OMR 0.69

$1.18 MX$19.94

52.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 OMR 0.26

$1.20 MX$20.35

-44.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.30 OMR 2.43

$4.63 MX$78.4

36.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.43 OMR 5.94

$10.69 MX$181

44.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.68 OMR 2.19

$1.62 MX$27.38

250.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.72 OMR 3.36

$2.88 MX$48.70

202.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 OMR 0.49

$0.57 MX$9.69

126.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.7 OMR 29.52

$29.83 MX$504

157.02%

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)

$7.82 OMR 3.01

$5.98 MX$101

30.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.61 OMR 0.23

$1.55 MX$26.26

-60.65%

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

$25.1K OMR 9,665

$22.3K MX$377.4K

12.43%

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

$22.2K OMR 8,564

$25.9K MX$438.7K

-14.28%

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

$170 OMR 65.5

$89.1 MX$1,507

90.72%

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

$30.94 OMR 11.91

$25.04 MX$423

23.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 OMR 26.92

$31.50 MX$532

122.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.7 OMR 24.14

$67.8 MX$1,146

-7.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.20 OMR 11.24

$28.92 MX$489

0.97%

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 OMR 3.98

$5.05 MX$85.4

104.75%

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

$289 OMR 111

$225 MX$3,803

28.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K OMR 4,110

$4,222 MX$71.4K

152.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 OMR 21.42

$47.44 MX$802

17.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.19 OMR 16.63

$44.98 MX$760

-3.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 OMR 35.43

$82.0 MX$1,386

12.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.0 OMR 36.95

$92.1 MX$1,557

4.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 OMR 259

$1,069 MX$18.1K

-37.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$455 OMR 175

$405 MX$6,852

12.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,366 OMR 526

$1,935 MX$32.7K

-29.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$857 OMR 330

$1,301 MX$22.0K

-34.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,835 OMR 1,092

$3,995 MX$67.5K

-29.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,595 OMR 614

$6,626 MX$112.0K

-75.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,660 OMR 639

$749 MX$12.7K

121.75%

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 Muscat: September 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $673 in Muscat and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Muscat pays 122% 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: $34.00 in Muscat 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

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

Muscat and Playa del Carmen differ by about 18% in total monthly costs ($1,525 vs $1,293 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 122% higher in Muscat, 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: $673 in Muscat versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $34.00 in Muscat. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,525 per month in Muscat versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,525 in Muscat, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Muscat. 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, Muscat 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 18% less than in Muscat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.