Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Salalah and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Salalah: $1,059 a month against $1,215 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Salalah
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Salalah Living Index
60

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

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Salalah

🇴🇲 Oman

$1,059

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,215

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Salalah and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,059 per month in Salalah vs $1,215 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Salalah $1,059
Playa del Carmen $1,215

A couple spends around $1,599 per month in Salalah vs $2,144 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Salalah $1,599
Playa del Carmen $2,144

A family of three spends $2,138 per month in Salalah vs $3,072 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Salalah $2,138
Playa del Carmen $3,072

Salalah is about 13% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Salalah and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Salalah 21% lower, Playa del Carmen 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.31 OMR 2.05

$10.97 MX$201

-51.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.43 OMR 10.17

$44.85 MX$823

-41.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.97 OMR 4.99

$11.92 MX$219

8.81%

Cappuccino

$6.09 OMR 2.34

$3.80 MX$69.9

60.26%

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

$0.90 OMR 0.35

$1.31 MX$24.08

-31.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 OMR 0.10

$0.86 MX$15.72

-70.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.33 OMR 3.59

$3.21 MX$59.0

190.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.30 OMR 3.96

$5.01 MX$92.0

105.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 OMR 0.74

$1.46 MX$26.77

32.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 OMR 0.47

$2.33 MX$42.72

-47.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 OMR 1.03

$1.44 MX$26.48

84.72%

Eggs

$1.82 OMR 0.70

$2.46 MX$45.20

-26.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.58 OMR 1.76

$7.70 MX$141

-40.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.62 OMR 1.78

$7.89 MX$145

-41.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.61 OMR 2.55

$12.80 MX$235

-48.36%

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 OMR 0.74

$2.92 MX$53.6

-34.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 OMR 0.72

$1.42 MX$26.11

31.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 OMR 0.82

$2.57 MX$47.10

-17.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.87 OMR 0.72

$2.14 MX$39.24

-12.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 OMR 0.59

$1.95 MX$35.75

-22.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 OMR 0.40

$1.94 MX$35.55

-46.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 OMR 0.40

$1.15 MX$21.13

-9.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 OMR 0.18

$1.22 MX$22.42

-60.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.84 OMR 2.25

$4.38 MX$80.3

33.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.73 OMR 7.60

$9.85 MX$181

100.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.81 OMR 1.47

$1.54 MX$28.23

147.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 OMR 1.83

$2.72 MX$49.86

75.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.32 OMR 0.51

$0.52 MX$9.64

153.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.3 OMR 21.27

$27.42 MX$503

101.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.31 OMR 0.89

$4.91 MX$90.2

-52.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 OMR 0.51

$3.52 MX$64.7

-62.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.49 OMR 4.42

$5.69 MX$104

101.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.61 OMR 0.23

$1.54 MX$28.27

-60.39%

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

$20.8K OMR 8,004

$21.2K MX$389.9K

-2.11%

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

$18.3K OMR 7,048

$24.5K MX$449.6K

-25.25%

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

$78.1 OMR 30.07

$83.6 MX$1,535

-6.58%

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

$49.55 OMR 19.08

$24.03 MX$441

106.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.3 OMR 28.59

$29.33 MX$539

153.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.58 OMR 15.24

$64.9 MX$1,191

-38.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.22 OMR 10.10

$29.46 MX$541

-11.00%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 OMR 3.01

$5.09 MX$93.4

53.44%

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

$106 OMR 40.78

$208 MX$3,813

-48.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,942 OMR 747

$4,045 MX$74.3K

-52.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.74 OMR 11.06

$44.55 MX$818

-35.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.76 OMR 11.84

$42.06 MX$772

-26.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$57.8 OMR 22.23

$75.5 MX$1,387

-23.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.20 OMR 17.79

$91.4 MX$1,678

-49.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$251 OMR 96.5

$986 MX$18.1K

-74.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$205 OMR 79.0

$385 MX$7,072

-46.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$642 OMR 247

$1,713 MX$31.5K

-62.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 OMR 147

$1,108 MX$20.4K

-65.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,981 OMR 763

$4,016 MX$73.7K

-50.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,240 OMR 477

$6,247 MX$114.7K

-80.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,771 OMR 682

$758 MX$13.9K

133.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.58

11.45

-60.00%

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

Last update for Salalah: October 6, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Salalah

$229 21.6%

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2% 13.5% $31

Eating Out

Salalah

$226 21.3%

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6% 9.9% $22

Accommodation & Living

Salalah

$205 19.3%

Playa del Carmen

$385 31.4% 87.7% $180

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Salalah

$202 19%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2% 32.2% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Salalah

$74 6.9%

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3% 55.1% $41

Getting Around

Salalah

$69 6.6%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2% 25.1% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Salalah

$55 5.2%

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1% 35.9% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $251 in Salalah versus $986 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 134% higher in Salalah, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26.00 in Salalah versus $45.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $229 vs $260 – making Salalah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇴🇲 Salalah

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

14:41 2:41 PM

05:41 5:41 AM

9 h behind Salalah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

178,469

149,923

💱 Currency

Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 OMR = 2.6 USD

1 OMR = 2.32 EUR

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to OMR – Omani Rial Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇴🇲 Omani Rial (ر.ع.)

Omani Rial exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.385 OMR (1 OMR = 2.6 USD). 1 EUR = 0.431 OMR (1 OMR = 2.32 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

USD to OMR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Salalah Playa del Carmen 14,060 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Salalah
Playa del Carmen

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

Salalah vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 15%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,589 per month in Salalah and $1,823 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Salalah, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,059 in Salalah and $1,215 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 15%.

Public transport costs about 101% less in Salalah. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Salalah, where all-in costs run around $1,059, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,215. In Salalah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Salalah – 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 Salalah. 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.