Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Umm Salal 'ali Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Umm Salal 'ali

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $747 in Umm Salal 'ali, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,231 in Umm Salal 'ali, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,715 in Umm Salal 'ali, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 72% more than Umm Salal 'ali, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Playa del Carmen and Umm Salal 'ali are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Umm Salal 'ali 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$6.81 QAR 24.80

75.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$55.1 QAR 201

-22.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$6.79 QAR 24.70

55.96%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.84 QAR 43.10

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.93 QAR 39.77

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$4.98 QAR 18.12

-27.31%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$0.79 QAR 2.89

86.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$0.31 QAR 1.12

203.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$2.07 QAR 7.54

-30.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$1.62 QAR 5.89

16.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$2.16 QAR 7.85

-24.54%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$2.66 QAR 9.69

-0.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$11.59 QAR 42.20

-29.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$7.94 QAR 28.91

4.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$10.48 QAR 38.14

5.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$1.97 QAR 7.19

34.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$1.57 QAR 5.70

-4.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$1.56 QAR 5.66

27.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$1.40 QAR 5.08

48.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$1.01 QAR 3.67

77.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$1.12 QAR 4.09

94.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$1.32 QAR 4.81

-18.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$0.49 QAR 1.77

112.24%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$9.50 QAR 34.57

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 QAR 6.66

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 QAR 10.92

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$6.28 QAR 22.86

-36.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$2.18 QAR 7.95

44.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

$2.20 QAR 8.00

9.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

$13.63 QAR 49.60

-77.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$0.56 QAR 2.02

126.79%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$22.6K QAR 82.4K

36.36%

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$20.5K QAR 74.7K

13.66%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$92.3 QAR 336

-11.14%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$38.42 QAR 140

-41.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$87.0 QAR 317

-65.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$12.41 QAR 45.17

-59.95%

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

$198 MX$3,442

$787 QAR 2,866

-74.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

$11.8K QAR 42.8K

-55.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$62.1 QAR 226

-41.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$55.9 QAR 203

-28.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$101 QAR 368

-20.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$89.9 QAR 327

-1.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Umm Salal 'ali: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $55.0 in Umm Salal 'ali. Groceries tell a different story – $251 in Playa del Carmen vs $211 in Umm Salal 'ali – so Umm Salal 'ali wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Umm Salal 'ali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 72%, and the gap shows up most in Monthly Utilities & Internet. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,120 in Umm Salal 'ali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,287 in Playa del Carmen and $747 in Umm Salal 'ali. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $198 per month in Playa del Carmen and $787 in Umm Salal 'ali. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Umm Salal 'ali, where all-in costs run around $747, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. In Umm Salal 'ali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Umm Salal 'ali – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Umm Salal 'ali. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.