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: $712 in Al Fallujah versus $1,239 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,055 in Al Fallujah versus $2,168 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,397 in Al Fallujah versus $3,096 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Al Fallujah costs roughly 43% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Al Fallujah 47% lower, Playa del Carmen 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.81 IQD 6,298

$11.17 MX$203

-56.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.50 IQD 45.2K

$44.61 MX$810

-22.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.60 IQD 9,950

$11.91 MX$216

-36.19%

Cappuccino

$3.19 IQD 4,176

$3.81 MX$69.3

-16.27%

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

$0.37 IQD 484

$1.38 MX$24.97

-73.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 IQD 312

$0.80 MX$14.46

-70.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.72 IQD 4,865

$3.12 MX$56.6

19.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 IQD 4,887

$4.97 MX$90.2

-24.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 IQD 1,366

$1.51 MX$27.42

-31.13%

White Bread (500g)

$0.77 IQD 1,013

$2.25 MX$40.77

-65.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 IQD 2,072

$1.51 MX$27.35

4.64%

Eggs

$1.86 IQD 2,434

$2.46 MX$44.73

-24.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.81 IQD 4,993

$7.50 MX$136

-49.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.80 IQD 6,283

$8.07 MX$146

-40.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.60 IQD 19.1K

$13.08 MX$238

11.62%

Apples (1kg)

$1.17 IQD 1,535

$2.83 MX$51.5

-58.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 IQD 1,444

$1.47 MX$26.78

-25.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 IQD 1,344

$2.69 MX$48.90

-61.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.79 IQD 1,036

$2.08 MX$37.75

-62.02%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 IQD 873

$1.96 MX$35.52

-65.82%

Onion (1kg)

$0.65 IQD 846

$2.01 MX$36.51

-67.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 IQD 837

$1.21 MX$21.97

-47.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 IQD 864

$1.23 MX$22.34

-46.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.79 IQD 2,350

$4.46 MX$81.0

-59.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.53 IQD 17.7K

$9.98 MX$181

35.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 IQD 2,904

$1.63 MX$29.62

36.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 IQD 2,861

$2.80 MX$50.8

-22.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.58 MX$10.50

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.28 MX$514

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 IQD 3,079

$4.85 MX$88.1

-51.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 IQD 1,961

$3.50 MX$63.5

-57.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.85 IQD 10.3K

$5.65 MX$103

38.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.62 IQD 814

$1.46 MX$26.43

-57.53%

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

$19.0K IQD 24.8M

$21.4K MX$388.4K

-11.31%

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

$18.9K IQD 24.8M

$24.0K MX$435.6K

-21.07%

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

$211 IQD 276.3K

$86.3 MX$1,568

144.40%

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

$21.72 IQD 28.4K

$23.96 MX$435

-9.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.22 IQD 54.0K

$28.93 MX$525

42.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.6 MX$1,174

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.07 MX$528

Cinema Ticket

$10.56 IQD 13.8K

$5.13 MX$93.1

105.85%

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

$167 IQD 218.7K

$211 MX$3,838

-20.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,523 IQD 4.6M

$4,045 MX$73.4K

-12.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.18 IQD 38.2K

$44.23 MX$803

-34.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.70 IQD 49.4K

$43.35 MX$787

-13.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 IQD 97.3K

$76.9 MX$1,396

-3.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.05 IQD 61.6K

$88.4 MX$1,605

-46.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$996 MX$18.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 MX$6,874

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,767 MX$32.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,127 MX$20.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,010 MX$72.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,392 MX$116.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$768 MX$14.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.12

11.45

-64.02%

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

Last update for Al Fallujah: September 28, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $35.00 in Al Fallujah vs $45.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $263 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 74% 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 $1,068 in Al Fallujah and $1,859 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.

Childcare runs $167 in Al Fallujah versus $211 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Al Fallujah – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $45.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $712 in Al Fallujah versus $1,239 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 $712 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 74% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.