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: $925 in Al Fallujah versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,379 in Al Fallujah versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,833 in Al Fallujah versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Al Fallujah costs roughly 28% 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 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.50 IQD 7,207

$11.94 MX$209

-53.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.07 IQD 47.3K

$42.75 MX$748

-15.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.71 IQD 10.1K

$10.59 MX$185

-27.20%

Cappuccino

$2.98 IQD 3,904

$3.62 MX$63.4

-17.68%

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

$0.39 IQD 514

$1.47 MX$25.69

-73.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 IQD 214

$0.94 MX$16.51

-82.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.46 IQD 4,527

$3.09 MX$54.1

11.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 IQD 3,686

$4.46 MX$78.0

-37.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 IQD 1,730

$1.43 MX$24.94

-7.69%

White Bread (500g)

$0.77 IQD 1,008

$1.88 MX$32.97

-59.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 IQD 2,155

$1.63 MX$28.50

0.61%

Eggs

$1.80 IQD 2,361

$2.64 MX$46.26

-31.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 IQD 5,879

$8.21 MX$144

-45.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.80 IQD 6,283

$8.29 MX$145

-42.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.86 IQD 18.2K

$11.10 MX$194

24.86%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 IQD 1,657

$2.65 MX$46.40

-52.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 IQD 1,581

$1.50 MX$26.26

-19.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.01 IQD 1,327

$1.99 MX$34.79

-49.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.74 IQD 964

$2.08 MX$36.33

-64.42%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 IQD 893

$1.79 MX$31.29

-62.01%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 IQD 838

$2.18 MX$38.09

-70.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 IQD 887

$1.08 MX$18.84

-37.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 IQD 852

$1.04 MX$18.15

-37.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.08 IQD 2,724

$3.97 MX$69.5

-47.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.34 IQD 17.5K

$10.20 MX$179

30.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 IQD 2,385

$1.73 MX$30.22

5.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 IQD 2,814

$2.50 MX$43.71

-14.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 IQD 473

$0.52 MX$9.07

-30.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.93 IQD 40.5K

$26.97 MX$472

14.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.76 IQD 4,928

$3.14 MX$55.0

19.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 IQD 2,028

$2.40 MX$42.04

-35.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.45 IQD 9,764

$3.09 MX$54.0

141.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.53 IQD 693

$1.27 MX$22.28

-58.27%

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

$19.9K IQD 26.1M

$30.9K MX$540.4K

-35.47%

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

$19.6K IQD 25.6M

$23.3K MX$408.0K

-16.06%

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

$180 IQD 235.4K

$82.0 MX$1,435

119.13%

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

$25.68 IQD 33.6K

$22.45 MX$393

14.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.08 IQD 52.5K

$29.66 MX$519

35.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.26 IQD 47.5K

$51.9 MX$908

-30.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.68 IQD 21.8K

$18.67 MX$327

-10.66%

Cinema Ticket

$7.46 IQD 9,776

$4.97 MX$87.0

50.10%

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

$164 IQD 215.3K

$198 MX$3,462

-16.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,582 IQD 4.7M

$5,273 MX$92.3K

-32.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.67 IQD 37.6K

$36.34 MX$636

-21.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.29 IQD 39.7K

$40.05 MX$701

-24.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.1 IQD 85.3K

$79.9 MX$1,398

-18.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.69 IQD 55.9K

$88.9 MX$1,555

-51.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$242 IQD 316.9K

$963 MX$16.9K

-74.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$177 IQD 232.3K

$465 MX$8,133

-61.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$587 IQD 769.4K

$1,596 MX$27.9K

-63.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$338 IQD 443.2K

$1,209 MX$21.2K

-72.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $242 in Al Fallujah and $963 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 $189 vs $251 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 39% 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 $1,387 in Al Fallujah and $1,930 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: $242 in Al Fallujah versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $164 in Al Fallujah versus $198 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 33% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $925 in Al Fallujah versus $1,287 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 $925 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 39% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.