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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,155 in Doha, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,334 in Doha, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,362 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,514 in Doha, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 39% cheaper than Doha, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Playa del Carmen sits 5% below the global median, while Doha is 56% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$11.14 QAR 40.54

7.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$805

$73.4 QAR 267

-35.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$200

$8.47 QAR 30.83

38.72%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.38 QAR 45.07

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.64 QAR 49.64

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.1

$5.71 QAR 20.79

-27.85%

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

$1.40 MX$23.78

$1.01 QAR 3.66

38.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.50

$0.45 QAR 1.62

102.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.49

$2.07 QAR 7.52

-18.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.53

$1.47 QAR 5.35

46.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.14

$1.93 QAR 7.01

-8.29%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.83

$3.46 QAR 12.61

-18.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$11.24 QAR 40.93

-18.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$8.12 QAR 29.57

13.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$215

$11.19 QAR 40.72

12.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$2.19 QAR 7.98

34.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.83

$1.86 QAR 6.75

-15.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.76

$1.52 QAR 5.54

46.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.15

$1.27 QAR 4.61

85.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.86

$1.01 QAR 3.66

97.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.63

$1.02 QAR 3.70

94.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.07

$1.38 QAR 5.03

-10.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.58

$0.51 QAR 1.87

137.25%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$9.38 QAR 34.16

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 QAR 6.83

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 QAR 8.05

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.2

$6.64 QAR 24.17

-30.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$179

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.74

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.13

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.24

$0.57 QAR 2.09

5.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$505

$27.29 QAR 99.4

8.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$89.0

$1.97 QAR 7.17

165.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$62.0

$2.03 QAR 7.40

79.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.3

$14.02 QAR 51.0

-58.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.13

$0.59 QAR 2.14

161.02%

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

$22.8K MX$387.4K

$27.9K QAR 101.7K

-18.36%

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

$25.8K MX$438.5K

$22.2K QAR 80.6K

16.52%

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

$90.7 MX$1,540

$89.6 QAR 326

1.25%

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

$25.19 MX$428

$35.92 QAR 131

-29.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$87.9 QAR 320

-63.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,169

$133 QAR 485

-48.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$499

$18.48 QAR 67.3

58.93%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.6

$12.29 QAR 44.72

-60.46%

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

$226 MX$3,834

$685 QAR 2,493

-67.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.2K

$10.1K QAR 36.6K

-58.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$805

$61.6 QAR 224

-23.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$738

$52.0 QAR 189

-16.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,363

$105 QAR 381

-23.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,552

$86.4 QAR 315

5.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$1,926 QAR 7,012

-43.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,943

$1,231 QAR 4,480

-66.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$3,532 QAR 12.9K

-44.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.8K

$2,342 QAR 8,525

-45.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.7K

$4,171 QAR 15.2K

-3.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.9K

$2,469 QAR 8,986

171.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$3,385 QAR 12.3K

-77.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.88

94.73%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Doha: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,926 in Doha. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 338% higher in Doha, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $73.0 in Doha. Groceries tell a different story – $278 in Playa del Carmen vs $216 in Doha – so Doha wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Doha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Doha is pricier by about 65%, and the gap shows up most in Sport & Entertainment. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,958 per month in Playa del Carmen and $3,233 in Doha. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 9% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $226 per month in Playa del Carmen and $685 in Doha. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,305, than in Doha at $2,155. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Doha it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Doha makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.