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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,693 in Dukhan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,266 in Dukhan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,838 in Dukhan.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 26% less than in Dukhan, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 6% below, Dukhan is 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$7.01 QAR 25.52

71.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$55.6 QAR 202

-24.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$6.77 QAR 24.64

58.79%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.62 QAR 42.29

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.11 QAR 40.45

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$5.13 QAR 18.67

-31.77%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.81 QAR 2.94

79.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.33 QAR 1.21

166.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$2.13 QAR 7.77

-32.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.57 QAR 5.72

17.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$2.12 QAR 7.72

-25.94%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.58 QAR 9.38

-2.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$11.49 QAR 41.82

-27.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$7.59 QAR 27.63

11.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$10.46 QAR 38.09

2.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$2.05 QAR 7.45

27.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.56 QAR 5.66

-7.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.53 QAR 5.55

28.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.45 QAR 5.28

44.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.01 QAR 3.67

83.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$1.11 QAR 4.06

95.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.31 QAR 4.78

-21.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.45 QAR 1.63

137.78%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$10.13 QAR 36.89

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 QAR 6.71

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 QAR 10.53

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$6.29 QAR 22.91

-34.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$2.25 QAR 8.19

43.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$2.22 QAR 8.09

8.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$13.79 QAR 50.2

-76.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$0.51 QAR 1.87

158.82%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$22.4K QAR 81.7K

32.29%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$20.5K QAR 74.7K

15.34%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$91.2 QAR 332

-10.10%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$38.04 QAR 138

-39.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$85.4 QAR 311

-64.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$12.50 QAR 45.50

-60.16%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$800 QAR 2,910

-75.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$11.6K QAR 42.3K

-54.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$61.4 QAR 223

-42.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$55.3 QAR 201

-27.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$101 QAR 368

-22.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$90.2 QAR 328

-1.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$1,370 QAR 4,986

-30.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$922 QAR 3,358

-48.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$1,701 QAR 6,192

-3.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$1,169 QAR 4,257

3.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$4,153 QAR 15.1K

-84.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

6.08

87.83%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Dukhan: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $1,370 in Dukhan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dukhan pays 535% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $56.0 in Dukhan. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $208, 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 35% in total monthly costs ($1,256 vs $1,693 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 535% 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,370 in Dukhan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Dukhan pay roughly 19% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,693 in Dukhan – a 35% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,693 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 35% less than in Dukhan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.