Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Fallujah and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Fallujah and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $928 in Al Fallujah versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,408 in Al Fallujah versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,889 in Al Fallujah versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Al Fallujah costs roughly 27% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Al Fallujah 31% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.35 IQD 7,001

$11.87 MX$204

-54.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.88 IQD 47.0K

$42.90 MX$736

-16.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.61 IQD 9,966

$10.65 MX$183

-28.54%

Cappuccino

$3.07 IQD 4,020

$3.45 MX$59.2

-11.01%

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

$0.36 IQD 477

$1.50 MX$25.81

-76.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.19 IQD 246

$0.95 MX$16.28

-80.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 IQD 4,445

$3.03 MX$51.9

11.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 IQD 3,729

$4.61 MX$79.1

-38.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 IQD 1,785

$1.38 MX$23.61

-1.45%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 IQD 1,043

$1.85 MX$31.70

-56.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 IQD 2,175

$1.61 MX$27.65

3.11%

Eggs

$1.78 IQD 2,336

$2.59 MX$44.51

-31.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.54 IQD 5,947

$8.26 MX$142

-45.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.90 IQD 6,422

$8.37 MX$144

-41.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.26 IQD 18.7K

$10.66 MX$183

33.77%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 IQD 1,608

$2.63 MX$45.12

-53.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 IQD 1,530

$1.49 MX$25.53

-21.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.06 IQD 1,388

$1.92 MX$32.94

-44.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.73 IQD 956

$2.09 MX$35.81

-65.07%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 IQD 836

$1.86 MX$31.88

-65.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 IQD 878

$2.26 MX$38.81

-70.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 IQD 884

$1.06 MX$18.23

-35.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 IQD 878

$1.09 MX$18.67

-38.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.13 IQD 2,789

$4.15 MX$71.2

-48.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.46 IQD 17.6K

$10.39 MX$178

29.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 IQD 2,434

$1.72 MX$29.59

8.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 IQD 2,843

$2.61 MX$44.85

-16.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 IQD 474

$0.54 MX$9.30

-33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.19 IQD 40.8K

$26.94 MX$462

15.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.75 IQD 4,913

$3.13 MX$53.7

19.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 IQD 2,029

$2.51 MX$43.09

-38.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 IQD 10.1K

$3.15 MX$54.1

145.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.53 IQD 689

$1.27 MX$21.88

-58.27%

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

$19.7K IQD 25.8M

$30.4K MX$521.3K

-35.13%

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

$20.3K IQD 26.5M

$23.6K MX$404.5K

-14.05%

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

$179 IQD 234.3K

$83.0 MX$1,425

115.55%

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

$26.20 IQD 34.3K

$22.71 MX$390

15.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.33 IQD 52.8K

$29.46 MX$506

36.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.46 IQD 49.1K

$51.0 MX$875

-26.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.70 IQD 21.9K

$18.33 MX$315

-8.89%

Cinema Ticket

$7.70 IQD 10.1K

$4.93 MX$84.5

56.19%

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

$167 IQD 218.7K

$197 MX$3,386

-15.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,548 IQD 4.6M

$5,280 MX$90.6K

-32.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.50 IQD 37.3K

$36.90 MX$633

-22.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.82 IQD 40.4K

$39.89 MX$685

-22.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.0 IQD 85.1K

$80.0 MX$1,373

-18.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$43.45 IQD 56.9K

$89.5 MX$1,536

-51.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$247 IQD 323.5K

$956 MX$16.4K

-74.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$177 IQD 231.1K

$477 MX$8,189

-63.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$574 IQD 751.7K

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-65.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$347 IQD 454.4K

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-71.67%

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 %)

5.67

11.42

-50.35%

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

Last update for Al Fallujah: June 8, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $247 in Al Fallujah and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $36.00 in Al Fallujah vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $192 vs $250 per month, with Al Fallujah cheaper across the board.

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

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

Al Fallujah wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Al Fallujah the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,391 in Al Fallujah and $1,906 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $247 in Al Fallujah versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $167 in Al Fallujah versus $197 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $928 in Al Fallujah versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Al Fallujah but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Al Fallujah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Al Fallujah delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $928 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Al Fallujah hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Al Fallujah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.