Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Nizwa

For one person, living is cheaper in Nizwa: $44.08 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Nizwa

🇴🇲 Oman

$44.08

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $44 in Nizwa.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Nizwa $44

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,102 in Playa del Carmen versus $65 in Nizwa.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Nizwa $65

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,000 in Playa del Carmen versus $86 in Nizwa.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Nizwa $86

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 2632% more expensive than in Nizwa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Nizwa 97% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$203

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$826

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$220

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.8

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

$1.34 MX$25.06

$1.06 OMR 0.41

26.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.41

$0.27 OMR 0.10

203.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$57.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$92.2

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.46

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.39

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.62

Eggs

$2.49 MX$46.50

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$140

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$149

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$235

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.66

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.90

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.92

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.79

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$37.14

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.24

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.42

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$79.6

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$187

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.72

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.71

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.84

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$514

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$91.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$64.2

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$100

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$27.05

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

$21.2K MX$395.3K

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

$23.0K MX$430.0K

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

$85.4 MX$1,595

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

$23.46 MX$438

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$531

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,162

$38.77 OMR 14.92

60.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$536

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$95.4

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

$201 MX$3,756

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$73.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$829

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$773

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,359

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,674

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,963

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$114.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Last update for Nizwa: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Nizwa

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Nizwa

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Nizwa

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Nizwa

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Nizwa

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Nizwa

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Nizwa

–

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇴🇲 Nizwa

🕒 Local time

15:44 3:44 PM

00:44 12:44 AM

9 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

700,000

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 EUR

1 OMR = 2.6 USD

1 OMR = 2.32 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

OMR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 18.68 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.92 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

Omani Rial exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 0.385 OMR (1 OMR = 2.6 USD). 1 EUR = 0.431 OMR (1 OMR = 2.32 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Nizwa 13,840 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Nizwa

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 Nizwa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nizwa is cheaper overall, especially in eating out and leisure. The 2632% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,806 in Playa del Carmen and $66 in Nizwa 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.

At $44 in Nizwa versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Nizwa but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Nizwa 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.