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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,706 in Dukhan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,397 in Dukhan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,089 in Dukhan.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 23% less than in Dukhan, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 5% below, Dukhan is 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$11.21 QAR 40.81

6.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$805

$71.9 QAR 262

-34.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$200

$8.33 QAR 30.31

41.06%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.44 QAR 45.29

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.61 QAR 49.55

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.1

$5.92 QAR 21.56

-30.41%

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

$1.40 MX$23.78

$0.98 QAR 3.57

42.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.50

$0.42 QAR 1.52

116.67%

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

$2.16 QAR 7.87

-22.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.53

$1.46 QAR 5.31

47.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.14

$2.01 QAR 7.33

-11.94%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.83

$3.62 QAR 13.18

-22.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$11.44 QAR 41.64

-19.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$8.45 QAR 30.77

9.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$215

$11.15 QAR 40.58

13.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$2.16 QAR 7.85

36.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.83

$1.77 QAR 6.46

-10.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.76

$1.52 QAR 5.52

46.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.15

$1.22 QAR 4.43

93.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.86

$0.96 QAR 3.48

107.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.63

$0.97 QAR 3.53

104.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.07

$1.39 QAR 5.06

-10.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.58

$0.51 QAR 1.85

137.25%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$9.54 QAR 34.74

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 QAR 6.98

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 QAR 8.34

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.2

$6.39 QAR 23.27

-28.01%

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

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$505

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$89.0

$1.90 QAR 6.93

175.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$62.0

$2.02 QAR 7.36

80.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.3

$13.66 QAR 49.73

-57.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.13

$0.52 QAR 1.89

196.15%

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

$22.8K MX$387.4K

$27.3K QAR 99.4K

-16.46%

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

$25.8K MX$438.5K

$22.1K QAR 80.4K

16.83%

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

$90.7 MX$1,540

$88.1 QAR 321

2.92%

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

$25.19 MX$428

$35.06 QAR 128

-28.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$86.6 QAR 315

-63.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,169

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$499

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.6

$12.24 QAR 44.55

-60.29%

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

$226 MX$3,834

$693 QAR 2,523

-67.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.2K

$10.1K QAR 36.9K

-58.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$805

$60.8 QAR 221

-22.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$738

$52.5 QAR 191

-17.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,363

$104 QAR 377

-22.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,552

$89.6 QAR 326

2.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$1,418 QAR 5,163

-23.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,943

$934 QAR 3,399

-56.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$1,714 QAR 6,240

15.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.8K

$1,154 QAR 4,200

11.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$4,058 QAR 14.8K

-80.95%

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 Dukhan: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $1,418 in Dukhan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dukhan pays 425% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $72.0 in Dukhan. Groceries flip the comparison at $278 vs $219, with Dukhan cheaper for home cooking.

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 Dukhan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Dukhan differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($1,305 vs $1,706 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 425% lower in Dukhan. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,418 in Dukhan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Dukhan pay roughly 27% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,706 in Dukhan – a 31% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,706 in Dukhan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Dukhan. 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, Playa del Carmen and Dukhan 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 31% less than in Dukhan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.