Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Muscat and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $1,556 in Muscat, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Muscat
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Muscat Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Muscat

🇴🇲 Oman

$1,556

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Muscat and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Muscat and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,556 in Muscat versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen.

Muscat $1,556
Playa del Carmen $1,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,299 in Muscat versus $2,113 in Playa del Carmen.

Muscat $2,299
Playa del Carmen $2,113

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,042 in Muscat versus $3,016 in Playa del Carmen.

Muscat $3,042
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Living in Muscat is roughly 29% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Muscat is 15% above, Playa del Carmen is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.33 OMR 2.05

$10.76 MX$199

-50.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.12 OMR 15.06

$43.03 MX$795

-9.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 OMR 2.99

$11.79 MX$218

-34.18%

Cappuccino

$4.93 OMR 1.90

$3.87 MX$71.4

27.39%

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

$0.85 OMR 0.33

$1.37 MX$25.29

-37.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 OMR 0.10

$0.84 MX$15.44

-67.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.87 OMR 4.95

$3.10 MX$57.3

315.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.07 OMR 5.03

$5.07 MX$93.6

157.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 OMR 0.89

$1.44 MX$26.55

60.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 OMR 0.48

$2.23 MX$41.23

-44.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 OMR 0.72

$1.47 MX$27.17

27.21%

Eggs

$3.02 OMR 1.16

$2.53 MX$46.71

19.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.23 OMR 2.78

$7.30 MX$135

-0.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.91 OMR 2.66

$7.86 MX$145

-12.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.57 OMR 4.07

$12.79 MX$236

-17.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.51 OMR 1.35

$2.90 MX$53.6

21.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 OMR 0.77

$1.44 MX$26.53

39.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 OMR 0.90

$2.55 MX$47.07

-8.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 OMR 0.49

$2.06 MX$38.03

-38.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 OMR 0.44

$2.00 MX$36.97

-42.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 OMR 0.49

$2.01 MX$37.07

-36.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.79 OMR 0.69

$1.19 MX$22.02

50.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 OMR 0.26

$1.26 MX$23.23

-46.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.62 OMR 2.55

$4.40 MX$81.4

50.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.83 OMR 6.09

$9.59 MX$177

65.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$6.03 OMR 2.32

$1.59 MX$29.41

279.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.33 OMR 3.98

$2.81 MX$51.9

267.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.33 OMR 0.51

$0.57 MX$10.47

133.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 OMR 30.00

$27.82 MX$514

180.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 OMR 1.23

$4.98 MX$92.1

-36.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.62 OMR 1.01

$3.50 MX$64.6

-25.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.83 OMR 3.01

$5.40 MX$99.8

45.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 OMR 0.23

$1.47 MX$27.08

-59.18%

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

$25.9K OMR 9,986

$21.0K MX$387.8K

23.60%

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

$22.4K OMR 8,624

$23.9K MX$441.8K

-6.30%

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

$176 OMR 67.9

$84.2 MX$1,556

109.32%

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

$28.30 OMR 10.90

$23.99 MX$443

17.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.9 OMR 27.28

$29.02 MX$536

144.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.7 OMR 24.14

$63.0 MX$1,164

-0.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.94 OMR 11.53

$29.14 MX$539

2.75%

Cinema Ticket

$10.52 OMR 4.05

$4.94 MX$91.3

112.96%

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

$283 OMR 109

$204 MX$3,763

39.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K OMR 4,070

$3,941 MX$72.8K

168.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.6 OMR 21.79

$43.60 MX$806

29.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.33 OMR 16.68

$43.12 MX$797

0.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.1 OMR 35.08

$75.8 MX$1,400

20.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 OMR 33.28

$88.6 MX$1,637

-2.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$674 OMR 260

$1,008 MX$18.6K

-33.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$461 OMR 177

$374 MX$6,911

23.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,324 OMR 510

$1,708 MX$31.6K

-22.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$813 OMR 313

$1,106 MX$20.4K

-26.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,871 OMR 1,105

$3,944 MX$72.9K

-27.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,614 OMR 621

$6,169 MX$114.0K

-73.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,650 OMR 635

$754 MX$13.9K

118.72%

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: October 11, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Muscat

$461 29.6%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 18.8% $87

Groceries & Markets

Muscat

$292 18.8%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 11.5% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Muscat

$275 17.7%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 50.2% $138

Eating Out

Muscat

$220 14.1%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 8.1% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Muscat

$125 8%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 9.5% $12

Getting Around

Muscat

$100 6.4%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 47.2% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Muscat

$84 5.4%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 13% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $674 in Muscat and $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Muscat pays 119% 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: $39.00 in Muscat vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $258, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇴🇲 Muscat

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

11:39 11:39 AM

02:39 2:39 AM

9 h behind Muscat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,090,797 Capital

149,923

💱 Currency

Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 OMR = 2.6 USD

1 OMR = 2.31 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to OMR – Omani Rial Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇴🇲 Omani Rial (ر.ع.)

Omani Rial exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.385 OMR (1 OMR = 2.6 USD). 1 EUR = 0.433 OMR (1 OMR = 2.31 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to OMR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Muscat Playa del Carmen 13,840 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Muscat
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 29% in total monthly costs ($1,556 vs $1,210 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 119% 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: $674 in Muscat versus $1,008 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 $43.00 versus $39.00 in Muscat. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,556 per month in Muscat versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,556 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 29% less than in Muscat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.