Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Madinat As Sultan Qaboos Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Madinat As Sultan Qaboos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $796 in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,214 in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,632 in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 63% more expensive than Madinat As Sultan Qaboos, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Madinat As Sultan Qaboos 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$5.05 OMR 1.94

132.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$719

$25.54 OMR 9.83

62.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$7.94 OMR 3.06

34.01%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.8

$4.84 OMR 1.86

-27.27%

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

$1.51 MX$26.09

$1.04 OMR 0.40

45.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.82

$0.31 OMR 0.12

212.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$12.20 OMR 4.70

-75.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$11.72 OMR 4.51

-62.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.90

$1.90 OMR 0.73

-27.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.69

$1.20 OMR 0.46

57.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.29

$1.72 OMR 0.66

-4.65%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.30

$2.37 OMR 0.91

5.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$3.82 OMR 1.47

118.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$5.05 OMR 1.94

65.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$185

$8.72 OMR 3.36

23.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.00

$2.58 OMR 0.99

0.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.18

$1.69 OMR 0.65

-13.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.84

$1.85 OMR 0.71

2.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.88

$1.12 OMR 0.43

85.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.68

$0.96 OMR 0.37

85.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.76

$0.99 OMR 0.38

121.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.97

$1.09 OMR 0.42

-4.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$0.52 OMR 0.20

107.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.5

$6.29 OMR 2.42

-35.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$15.55 OMR 5.99

-33.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.59

$4.27 OMR 1.65

-59.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.50

$7.84 OMR 3.02

-67.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$457

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$3.10 OMR 1.20

5.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.05

$0.75 OMR 0.29

232.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$10.31 OMR 3.97

-68.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.59

$0.60 OMR 0.23

118.33%

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

$30.3K MX$523.2K

$22.9K OMR 8,823

32.13%

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

$23.4K MX$404.9K

$21.6K OMR 8,308

8.58%

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

$82.9 MX$1,432

$109 OMR 41.88

-23.81%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$40.91 OMR 15.75

-45.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$70.8 OMR 27.26

-58.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$892

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.5

$10.28 OMR 3.96

-50.68%

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

$201 MX$3,470

$194 OMR 74.7

3.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$9,991 OMR 3,847

-47.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$638

$50.7 OMR 19.51

-27.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$39.53 OMR 15.22

0.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,356

$80.1 OMR 30.84

-2.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,505

$88.4 OMR 34.04

-1.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,082

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.15

121.75%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Madinat As Sultan Qaboos: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $26.00 in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $230 per month, with Madinat As Sultan Qaboos cheaper across the board.

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 Madinat As Sultan Qaboos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Madinat As Sultan Qaboos wins on cost – living expenses run 63% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Madinat As Sultan Qaboos the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,945 in Playa del Carmen and $1,194 in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $796 in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos – a 63% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $796 in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Madinat As Sultan Qaboos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Madinat As Sultan Qaboos delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $796 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Madinat As Sultan Qaboos hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Madinat As Sultan Qaboos 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 Madinat As Sultan Qaboos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.