Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sohar and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,215 a month against $1,403 in Sohar, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

69

Cost of Living Index in Sohar
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Sohar Living Index
60

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

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Sohar

🇴🇲 Oman

$1,403

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,215

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sohar 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 Sohar and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,403 per month in Sohar vs $1,215 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Sohar $1,403
Playa del Carmen $1,215

A couple spends around $2,068 per month in Sohar vs $2,144 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Sohar $2,068
Playa del Carmen $2,144

A family of three spends $2,734 per month in Sohar vs $3,072 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Sohar $2,734
Playa del Carmen $3,072

Sohar costs about 15% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Sohar sits 5% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.48 OMR 2.50

$10.97 MX$201

-40.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.49 OMR 7.89

$44.85 MX$823

-54.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.19 OMR 3.54

$11.92 MX$219

-22.90%

Cappuccino

$4.77 OMR 1.84

$3.80 MX$69.9

25.53%

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

$0.64 OMR 0.25

$1.31 MX$24.08

-51.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 OMR 0.11

$0.86 MX$15.72

-67.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.24 OMR 5.10

$3.21 MX$59.0

312.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$14.46 OMR 5.57

$5.01 MX$92.0

188.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 OMR 0.81

$1.46 MX$26.77

44.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 OMR 0.43

$2.33 MX$42.72

-52.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.23 OMR 1.24

$1.44 MX$26.48

124.31%

Eggs

$2.74 OMR 1.05

$2.46 MX$45.20

11.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.31 OMR 5.12

$7.70 MX$141

72.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.30 OMR 3.58

$7.89 MX$145

17.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.55 OMR 5.60

$12.80 MX$235

13.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 OMR 1.24

$2.92 MX$53.6

10.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 OMR 0.84

$1.42 MX$26.11

54.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 OMR 0.96

$2.57 MX$47.10

-3.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.22 OMR 0.47

$2.14 MX$39.24

-42.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 OMR 0.67

$1.95 MX$35.75

-10.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 OMR 0.69

$1.94 MX$35.55

-7.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 OMR 0.66

$1.15 MX$21.13

47.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 OMR 0.35

$1.22 MX$22.42

-26.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.83 OMR 2.25

$4.38 MX$80.3

33.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$25.80 OMR 9.93

$9.85 MX$181

161.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.79 OMR 1.46

$1.54 MX$28.23

146.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.71 OMR 3.35

$2.72 MX$49.86

220.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.63 OMR 1.01

$0.52 MX$9.64

405.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.1 OMR 19.65

$27.42 MX$503

86.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 OMR 1.23

$4.91 MX$90.2

-35.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 OMR 0.61

$3.52 MX$64.7

-55.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.21 OMR 3.93

$5.69 MX$104

79.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 OMR 0.23

$1.54 MX$28.27

-61.04%

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

$18.4K OMR 7,101

$21.2K MX$389.9K

-13.16%

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

$20.3K OMR 7,830

$24.5K MX$449.6K

-16.95%

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

$102 OMR 39.41

$83.6 MX$1,535

22.41%

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

$29.06 OMR 11.19

$24.03 MX$441

20.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$90.2 OMR 34.72

$29.33 MX$539

207.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 OMR 19.02

$64.9 MX$1,191

-23.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.46 MX$541

Cinema Ticket

$11.56 OMR 4.45

$5.09 MX$93.4

127.11%

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

$303 OMR 117

$208 MX$3,813

45.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,070 OMR 2,722

$4,045 MX$74.3K

74.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.1 OMR 19.30

$44.55 MX$818

12.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.95 OMR 16.92

$42.06 MX$772

4.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.4 OMR 30.18

$75.5 MX$1,387

3.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.23 OMR 17.80

$91.4 MX$1,678

-49.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 OMR 194

$986 MX$18.1K

-49.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$378 OMR 146

$385 MX$7,072

-1.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 OMR 319

$1,713 MX$31.5K

-51.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 OMR 256

$1,108 MX$20.4K

-40.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,178 OMR 454

$4,016 MX$73.7K

-70.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$765 OMR 295

$6,247 MX$114.7K

-87.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,514 OMR 968

$758 MX$13.9K

231.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.33

11.45

-44.72%

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

Last update for Sohar: October 4, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sohar

$378 26.5%

Playa del Carmen

$385 31.4% 1.9% $7.1

Groceries & Markets

Sohar

$346 24.3%

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2% 24.8% $86

Eating Out

Sohar

$235 16.5%

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6% 13.4% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sohar

$222 15.6%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2% 38.2% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Sohar

$98 6.9%

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3% 15.9% $16

Getting Around

Sohar

$73 5.1%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2% 28.4% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Sohar

$73 5.1%

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1% 3.5% $2.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $503 in Sohar 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 232% higher in Sohar, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Sohar versus $45.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $346 in Sohar vs $260 in Playa del Carmen – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇴🇲 Sohar

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

09:36 9:36 AM

00:36 12:36 AM

9 h behind Sohar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

221,605

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 = 0.432 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 = 20.59 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

USD to OMR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sohar Playa del Carmen 13,660 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Sohar
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

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

Yes – Sohar is pricier by about 15%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,104 per month in Sohar 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 Playa del Carmen, 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 $1,403 in Sohar and $1,215 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 15%.

Public transport costs about 86% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,215, than in Sohar at $1,403. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sohar it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – 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 Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sohar makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.