Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Duqm

For one person, living is cheaper in Duqm: $306 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Duqm, Oman
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Duqm
🇴🇲 Oman
$306
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Duqm

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 Duqm actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $306 in Duqm.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Duqm $306

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $503 in Duqm.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Duqm $503

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $701 in Duqm.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,959
  • Duqm $701

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 293% more expensive than in Duqm, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Duqm 78% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Duqm
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.92 MX$205
$4.78 OMR 1.84
128.45%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.37 MX$813
$12.92 OMR 4.98
235.68%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.78 MX$221
-
-
Cappuccino
$3.81 MX$71.4
$2.29 OMR 0.88
66.38%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$24.03
$0.53 OMR 0.21
141.51%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 MX$14.67
$0.37 OMR 0.14
110.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.17 MX$59.3
$7.62 OMR 2.93
-58.40%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$92.5
$12.82 OMR 4.94
-61.54%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Duqm
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.35
-
-
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$41.54
-
-
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.42 MX$26.56
$2.62 OMR 1.01
-45.80%
Eggs
$2.52 MX$47.27
$2.78 OMR 1.07
-9.35%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.26 MX$136
-
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.70 MX$144
$5.25 OMR 2.02
46.67%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.69 MX$238
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$52.2
$3.47 OMR 1.34
-19.88%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 MX$25.64
-
-
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.80
-
-
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 MX$39.78
-
-
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.32
-
-
Onion (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.34
$0.76 OMR 0.29
148.68%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.49
-
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 MX$22.09
$0.21 OMR 0.08
461.90%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.30 MX$80.5
-
-
Wine (Bottle)
$9.95 MX$186
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 MX$29.67
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 MX$50.1
$13.10 OMR 5.04
-79.62%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Duqm
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.55 MX$10.37
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.62 MX$499
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.97 MX$93.1
-
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.33 MX$62.4
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.36 MX$100
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$27.06
-
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K MX$387.3K
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K MX$439.7K
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Duqm
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.8 MX$1,589
-
-
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.41 MX$439
-
-
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.66 MX$537
-
-
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Duqm
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,069
$77.6 OMR 29.88
-26.50%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.91 MX$542
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.14 MX$96.3
-
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Duqm
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,871
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,927 MX$73.6K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Duqm
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.35 MX$812
-
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.44 MX$777
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.2 MX$1,390
-
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.3 MX$1,672
-
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Duqm
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$980 MX$18.4K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$381 MX$7,136
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$32.0K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,075 MX$20.1K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,943 MX$73.9K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,158 MX$115.4K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Duqm
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$735 MX$13.8K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
0
-

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Duqm: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$381
Duqm
–
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$255
Duqm
–
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Duqm
–
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Duqm
–
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Duqm
–
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$67
Duqm
–
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Duqm
–

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $13 in Duqm for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $95 per month, with Duqm cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇴🇲 Duqm
🕒 Local time
09:24 9:24 AM
18:24 6:24 PM
9 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
12,000
💱 Currency
Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.
Exchange rates and currency converter

OMR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

Omani Rial exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.385 OMR (1 OMR = 2.6 USD). 1 EUR = 0.43 OMR (1 OMR = 2.33 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Duqm 14,120 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Duqm

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 Duqm: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Duqm cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Duqm is about 75% cheaper overall, especially in groceries and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $1,806 in Playa del Carmen and $459 in Duqm to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do food prices compare in Playa del Carmen and in Duqm?
Supermarket bills run roughly 167% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is eating out cheaper in Playa del Carmen or in Duqm?
Dining out is cheaper in Duqm – a meal for two runs $13 versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Playa del Carmen or in Duqm?
At $306 in Duqm versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Duqm but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Duqm the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Playa del Carmen or in Duqm?
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.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

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