Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Al-Buraimi Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Al-Buraimi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $923 in Al-Buraimi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,351 in Al-Buraimi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,374 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,778 in Al-Buraimi.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 40% more expensive than in Al-Buraimi, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Al-Buraimi 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$5.07 OMR 1.95

130.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$788

$13.24 OMR 5.10

251.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$7.84 OMR 3.02

48.60%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.2

$4.87 OMR 1.87

-16.02%

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

$1.37 MX$23.23

$0.84 OMR 0.32

63.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.09

$0.27 OMR 0.10

207.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.7

$12.84 OMR 4.94

-73.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$12.96 OMR 4.99

-46.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.20

$2.31 OMR 0.89

-25.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.21

$1.24 OMR 0.48

82.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.91

$1.53 OMR 0.59

15.69%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.19

$2.91 OMR 1.12

-6.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$6.62 OMR 2.55

38.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$5.56 OMR 2.14

60.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$8.90 OMR 3.42

41.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.1

$2.12 OMR 0.82

42.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.55

$1.81 OMR 0.70

-13.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.93

$2.06 OMR 0.79

3.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.28

$1.25 OMR 0.48

80.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.88

$1.21 OMR 0.47

65.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.90

$0.99 OMR 0.38

108.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.94

$0.84 OMR 0.33

40.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.35

$0.66 OMR 0.25

81.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.4

$5.06 OMR 1.95

-8.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$181

$15.70 OMR 6.04

-31.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.38

$5.68 OMR 2.19

-71.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.70

$8.86 OMR 3.41

-67.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.69

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

$39.22 OMR 15.10

-23.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.1

$3.28 OMR 1.26

66.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$1.27 OMR 0.49

191.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$7.86 OMR 3.03

-23.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.26

$0.64 OMR 0.25

142.19%

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

$22.3K MX$377.4K

$25.3K OMR 9,741

-11.75%

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

$25.9K MX$438.7K

$22.4K OMR 8,610

16.03%

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

$89.1 MX$1,507

$76.7 OMR 29.53

16.19%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$31.38 OMR 12.08

-20.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$69.1 OMR 26.59

-54.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,146

$64.0 OMR 24.63

5.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.4

$7.86 OMR 3.03

-35.75%

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

$225 MX$3,803

$264 OMR 102

-14.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.4K

$10.7K OMR 4,121

-60.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$802

$56.0 OMR 21.56

-15.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$760

$42.79 OMR 16.47

5.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,386

$92.5 OMR 35.63

-11.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,557

$97.3 OMR 37.47

-5.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,852

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

$3,575 OMR 1,376

-79.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.25

118.10%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Al-Buraimi: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Al-Buraimi pays 377% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $13.00 in Al-Buraimi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $258 per month, with Al-Buraimi 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

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

Al-Buraimi is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around. The 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 377% lower in Al-Buraimi. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

A monthly transit pass in Al-Buraimi runs roughly 31% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $225 in Playa del Carmen versus $264 in Al-Buraimi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $923 in Al-Buraimi versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Al-Buraimi but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Al-Buraimi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Al-Buraimi is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Al-Buraimi 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 Al-Buraimi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.