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: $1,331 in Muscat versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,982 in Muscat versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,633 in Muscat versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Muscat is roughly 3% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Muscat 1% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.29 OMR 2.04

$11.73 MX$203

-54.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.39 OMR 10.16

$41.62 MX$720

-36.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.84 OMR 3.02

$10.64 MX$184

-26.32%

Cappuccino

$4.95 OMR 1.90

$3.52 MX$60.9

40.63%

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

$1.02 OMR 0.39

$1.51 MX$26.12

-32.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 OMR 0.13

$0.97 MX$16.84

-64.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.16 OMR 4.68

$2.95 MX$51.0

312.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.87 OMR 4.57

$4.45 MX$77.0

166.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 OMR 0.77

$1.38 MX$23.93

44.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 OMR 0.46

$1.89 MX$32.72

-36.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 OMR 0.65

$1.64 MX$28.32

3.66%

Eggs

$2.45 OMR 0.94

$2.51 MX$43.34

-2.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.84 OMR 1.48

$8.34 MX$144

-53.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.16 OMR 1.98

$8.34 MX$144

-38.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.46 OMR 3.26

$10.73 MX$186

-21.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 OMR 0.98

$2.60 MX$45.04

-2.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 OMR 0.66

$1.46 MX$25.20

17.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 OMR 0.68

$1.90 MX$32.87

-6.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 OMR 0.44

$2.08 MX$35.91

-45.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 OMR 0.38

$1.78 MX$30.71

-43.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 OMR 0.39

$2.19 MX$37.80

-53.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 OMR 0.40

$1.04 MX$17.99

-0.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 OMR 0.22

$1.08 MX$18.62

-48.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.22 OMR 2.39

$4.08 MX$70.6

52.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.55 OMR 5.99

$10.32 MX$178

50.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.25 OMR 1.64

$1.71 MX$29.61

148.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.90 OMR 3.04

$2.58 MX$44.54

206.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.27 OMR 0.49

$0.51 MX$8.81

149.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.3 OMR 23.99

$26.46 MX$458

135.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 OMR 1.22

$3.26 MX$56.4

-3.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 OMR 0.31

$2.49 MX$43.09

-67.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.34 OMR 3.98

$3.25 MX$56.2

218.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 OMR 0.23

$1.31 MX$22.61

-54.20%

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

$22.8K OMR 8,778

$30.3K MX$523.7K

-24.70%

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

$21.8K OMR 8,405

$23.4K MX$405.3K

-6.82%

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

$107 OMR 41.32

$82.9 MX$1,433

29.52%

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

$40.60 OMR 15.63

$22.22 MX$384

82.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 OMR 27.13

$29.34 MX$507

140.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.24 OMR 18.19

$51.6 MX$893

-8.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.99 OMR 8.85

$18.32 MX$317

25.49%

Cinema Ticket

$10.47 OMR 4.03

$5.07 MX$87.6

106.51%

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

$192 OMR 74.1

$201 MX$3,473

-4.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,757 OMR 3,756

$5,212 MX$90.1K

87.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.7 OMR 19.53

$36.92 MX$639

37.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.51 OMR 15.21

$39.79 MX$688

-0.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.4 OMR 30.56

$78.5 MX$1,357

1.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 OMR 34.66

$87.1 MX$1,506

3.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 OMR 238

$973 MX$16.8K

-36.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$410 OMR 158

$468 MX$8,090

-12.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 OMR 470

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-25.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 OMR 281

$1,221 MX$21.1K

-40.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,666 OMR 1,026

$3,946 MX$68.3K

-32.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,552 OMR 597

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-76.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,654 OMR 637

$664 MX$11.5K

149.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.15

11.42

-54.90%

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

Last update for Muscat: May 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Muscat and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Muscat pays 149% 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: $26.00 in Muscat vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $231 vs $249 per month, with Muscat cheaper across the board.

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 3% in total monthly costs ($1,331 vs $1,297 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Muscat pays 149% more on average, 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: $619 in Muscat versus $973 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 $42.00 versus $26.00 in Muscat. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,331 per month in Muscat versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,331 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 3% less than in Muscat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.