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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $733 in Umm Salal 'ali, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,224 in Umm Salal 'ali, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,715 in Umm Salal 'ali, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 73% 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 5% lower, Umm Salal 'ali 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$6.72 QAR 24.45

76.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$53.9 QAR 196

-20.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$6.96 QAR 25.34

53.02%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.67 QAR 42.47

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.83 QAR 39.44

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$5.18 QAR 18.84

-33.40%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.83 QAR 3.03

80.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.30 QAR 1.11

216.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$2.04 QAR 7.43

-32.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.56 QAR 5.70

18.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$2.12 QAR 7.72

-24.06%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.55 QAR 9.29

1.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$11.52 QAR 41.92

-28.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$7.52 QAR 27.39

11.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$10.37 QAR 37.73

2.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.00 QAR 7.29

31.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.56 QAR 5.69

-4.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.50 QAR 5.47

28.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.44 QAR 5.24

45.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.00 QAR 3.65

86.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.08 QAR 3.94

109.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.32 QAR 4.82

-19.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.45 QAR 1.63

142.22%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$9.78 QAR 35.59

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 QAR 6.42

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 QAR 10.72

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$6.19 QAR 22.53

-32.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$2.21 QAR 8.04

41.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$2.23 QAR 8.12

12.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$13.98 QAR 50.9

-77.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.55 QAR 2.00

130.91%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$22.2K QAR 81.0K

36.51%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$20.7K QAR 75.4K

13.69%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$92.3 QAR 336

-10.06%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$38.02 QAR 138

-40.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$86.6 QAR 315

-65.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$12.56 QAR 45.71

-60.75%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$785 QAR 2,858

-74.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$11.8K QAR 43.1K

-55.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$62.5 QAR 227

-40.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$54.6 QAR 199

-26.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$101 QAR 368

-20.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$91.1 QAR 332

-1.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Umm Salal 'ali: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $54.0 in Umm Salal 'ali. Groceries tell a different story – $250 in Playa del Carmen vs $206 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 73%, 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 $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,099 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 $1,271 in Playa del Carmen and $733 in Umm Salal 'ali. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $785 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 $733, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. 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.