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 $1,330 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $821 in Umm Salal 'ali, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,336 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,377 in Umm Salal 'ali, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,341 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,932 in Umm Salal 'ali, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 62% 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 3% lower, Umm Salal 'ali 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.02 MX$221

$13.82 QAR 50.3

-5.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.25 MX$784

$76.9 QAR 280

-39.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.59 MX$213

$8.03 QAR 29.21

56.79%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.91 QAR 39.72

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.21 QAR 48.08

Cappuccino

$4.00 MX$67.9

$5.92 QAR 21.54

-32.43%

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

$1.42 MX$24.08

$0.98 QAR 3.57

44.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 MX$13.73

$0.42 QAR 1.52

92.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 MX$51.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 MX$116

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.04

$2.14 QAR 7.77

-20.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$37.62

$1.40 QAR 5.11

58.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.13

$2.03 QAR 7.39

-15.27%

Eggs

$2.71 MX$45.99

$3.67 QAR 13.35

-26.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.37 MX$159

$11.38 QAR 41.41

-17.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 MX$150

$7.91 QAR 28.79

12.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 MX$217

$10.75 QAR 39.13

18.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 MX$53.0

$2.21 QAR 8.05

41.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.24

$1.75 QAR 6.38

-11.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.51

$1.53 QAR 5.56

40.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 MX$39.89

$1.27 QAR 4.61

85.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$34.23

$0.93 QAR 3.39

117.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.67

$0.95 QAR 3.48

109.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.09

$1.52 QAR 5.54

-18.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$20.21

$0.52 QAR 1.88

128.85%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$10.26 QAR 37.33

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 QAR 7.78

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 QAR 8.34

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 MX$78.8

$6.54 QAR 23.82

-28.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 MX$177

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$26.82

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 MX$49.48

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.53

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.76 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.32 MX$90.2

$1.88 QAR 6.85

182.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.72 MX$63.0

$2.14 QAR 7.77

73.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.9

$13.60 QAR 49.51

-57.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.27

$0.58 QAR 2.12

167.24%

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

$22.4K MX$379.1K

$26.5K QAR 96.5K

-15.63%

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

$25.6K MX$433.3K

$22.1K QAR 80.5K

15.66%

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

$89.3 MX$1,513

$94.0 QAR 342

-5.02%

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

$23.30 MX$395

$34.13 QAR 124

-31.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.72 MX$538

$86.4 QAR 314

-63.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,165

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.40 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$5.06 MX$85.7

$12.21 QAR 44.44

-58.56%

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

$222 MX$3,765

$690 QAR 2,511

-67.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,293 MX$72.7K

$9,912 QAR 36.1K

-56.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.21 MX$783

$60.5 QAR 220

-23.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.43 MX$753

$53.6 QAR 195

-17.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 MX$1,618

$105 QAR 382

-9.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.5 MX$1,568

$87.2 QAR 317

6.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 MX$6,663

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,988 MX$33.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 MX$22.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,037 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,627 MX$112.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$747 MX$12.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

5.88

97.28%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 18, 2026

Last update for Umm Salal 'ali: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $77.0 in Umm Salal 'ali. Groceries tell a different story – $277 in Playa del Carmen vs $215 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 62%, 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 $1,995 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,232 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 $1,330 in Playa del Carmen and $821 in Umm Salal 'ali. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $222 per month in Playa del Carmen and $690 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 $821, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,330. 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.