Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Al Ghubra

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Ghubra: $89.8 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Al Ghubra

🇴🇲 Oman

$89.8

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Al Ghubra

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,202 in Playa del Carmen versus $90 in Al Ghubra.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Al Ghubra $90

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $159 in Al Ghubra.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Al Ghubra $159

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,962 in Playa del Carmen versus $228 in Al Ghubra.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Al Ghubra $228

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 1239% more expensive than in Al Ghubra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Al Ghubra 93% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$201

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$824

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$222

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$71.2

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

$1.30 MX$24.41

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.69

$0.25 OMR 0.10

232.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$59.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.9

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.51

$2.62 OMR 1.01

-46.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$41.32

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.71

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.99

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$137

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$150

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$242

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$54.5

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$26.03

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.88

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.20

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$38.11

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.82

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.54

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.32

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$80.4

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$185

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.85

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.7

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.69

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$515

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$89.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$61.1

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.76

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

$21.2K MX$399.2K

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

$23.3K MX$437.8K

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

$83.5 MX$1,571

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

$23.19 MX$436

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$520

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,062

$44.49 OMR 17.12

26.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$531

$35.85 OMR 13.80

-21.37%

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$94.1

$9.06 OMR 3.49

-44.81%

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

$207 MX$3,897

$182 OMR 70.1

13.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$98.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$818

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$801

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,369

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,663

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,197

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$73.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$115.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.7K

$3,071 OMR 1,182

-72.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Al Ghubra: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Al Ghubra

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Al Ghubra

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Al Ghubra

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Al Ghubra

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Al Ghubra

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Al Ghubra

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Al Ghubra

–

Cost Breakdown

Al Ghubra pays about 3.7 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇴🇲 Al Ghubra

🕒 Local time

03:56 3:56 AM

12:56 12:56 PM

9 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

797,000

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.31 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 EUR

1 OMR = 2.6 USD

1 OMR = 2.32 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

OMR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.82 MXN (100 MXN = 5.31 USD). 1 EUR = 21.1 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

Omani Rial exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 0.385 OMR (1 OMR = 2.6 USD). 1 EUR = 0.432 OMR (1 OMR = 2.32 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Playa del Carmen
Al Ghubra

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

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen and $90 in Al Ghubra, so Al Ghubra is about 93% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 73% lower in Playa del Carmen. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Childcare runs $207 in Playa del Carmen versus $182 in Al Ghubra. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $90 in Al Ghubra – Al Ghubra is about 93% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $90 in Al Ghubra versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Al Ghubra but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Al Ghubra 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.