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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,525 in Muscat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,272 in Muscat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,374 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,019 in Muscat.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 15% less than in Muscat, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 6% below, Muscat is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$5.34 OMR 2.06

119.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$788

$34.00 OMR 13.09

37.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$7.74 OMR 2.98

50.52%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.2

$4.73 OMR 1.82

-13.53%

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

$1.37 MX$23.23

$0.86 OMR 0.33

59.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.09

$0.29 OMR 0.11

186.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.7

$13.07 OMR 5.03

-74.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$12.79 OMR 4.92

-45.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.20

$2.25 OMR 0.87

-23.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.21

$1.25 OMR 0.48

80.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.91

$1.90 OMR 0.73

-6.84%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.19

$2.94 OMR 1.13

-7.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$7.65 OMR 2.94

20.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$6.57 OMR 2.53

35.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$10.54 OMR 4.06

19.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.1

$3.41 OMR 1.31

-11.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.55

$2.00 OMR 0.77

-21.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.93

$2.32 OMR 0.89

-8.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.28

$1.20 OMR 0.46

88.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.88

$1.22 OMR 0.47

63.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.90

$1.29 OMR 0.50

59.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.94

$1.80 OMR 0.69

-34.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.35

$0.67 OMR 0.26

79.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.4

$6.30 OMR 2.43

-26.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$181

$15.43 OMR 5.94

-30.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.38

$5.68 OMR 2.19

-71.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.70

$8.72 OMR 3.36

-66.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.69

$1.29 OMR 0.49

-55.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

$76.7 OMR 29.52

-61.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.1

$3.21 OMR 1.24

69.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$2.59 OMR 1.00

42.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$7.82 OMR 3.01

-23.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.26

$0.61 OMR 0.23

154.10%

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

$22.3K MX$377.4K

$25.1K OMR 9,665

-11.06%

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

$25.9K MX$438.7K

$22.2K OMR 8,564

16.66%

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

$89.1 MX$1,507

$170 OMR 65.5

-47.57%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$30.94 OMR 11.91

-19.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$69.9 OMR 26.92

-54.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,146

$62.7 OMR 24.14

8.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

$29.20 OMR 11.24

-0.96%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.4

$10.34 OMR 3.98

-51.16%

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

$225 MX$3,803

$289 OMR 111

-22.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.4K

$10.7K OMR 4,110

-60.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$802

$55.7 OMR 21.42

-14.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$760

$43.19 OMR 16.63

4.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,386

$92.0 OMR 35.43

-10.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,557

$96.0 OMR 36.95

-4.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$673 OMR 259

58.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,852

$455 OMR 175

-10.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$1,366 OMR 526

41.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$857 OMR 330

51.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

$2,835 OMR 1,092

40.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.0K

$1,595 OMR 614

315.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

$1,660 OMR 639

-54.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.25

118.10%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Muscat: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $673 in Muscat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Muscat pays 122% 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 $34.00 in Muscat. Groceries flip the comparison at $277 vs $284, with Playa del Carmen 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 Muscat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Muscat differ by about 18% in total monthly costs ($1,293 vs $1,525 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 122% lower in Muscat. 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: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $673 in Muscat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $34.00 in Muscat. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,293 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,525 in Muscat – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,525 in Muscat, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Muscat. 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 Muscat 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 18% less than in Muscat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.