Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Hillah and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Hillah: $693 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Al Hillah
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Al Hillah Living Index
58

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

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Al Hillah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$693

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $693 per month in Al Hillah vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Al Hillah $693
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,067 per month in Al Hillah vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Al Hillah $1,067
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,442 per month in Al Hillah vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Al Hillah $1,442
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Al Hillah is about 42% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Al Hillah and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Al Hillah 49% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.69 IQD 7,083

$10.92 MX$205

-57.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.52 IQD 40.1K

$43.37 MX$815

-38.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.51 IQD 8,326

$11.78 MX$221

-53.23%

Cappuccino

$2.69 IQD 4,068

$3.81 MX$71.6

-29.40%

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

$0.34 IQD 519

$1.28 MX$24.10

-73.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 IQD 309

$0.78 MX$14.71

-74.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.73 IQD 4,121

$3.17 MX$59.5

-13.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 IQD 5,063

$4.93 MX$92.7

-32.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 IQD 1,463

$1.41 MX$26.43

-31.21%

White Bread (500g)

$0.64 IQD 963

$2.22 MX$41.66

-71.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 IQD 2,080

$1.42 MX$26.64

-2.82%

Eggs

$1.54 IQD 2,330

$2.52 MX$47.41

-38.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.36 IQD 5,083

$7.26 MX$137

-53.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.01 IQD 6,065

$7.70 MX$145

-47.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.29 IQD 18.6K

$12.69 MX$239

-3.15%

Apples (1kg)

$0.96 IQD 1,450

$2.78 MX$52.3

-65.47%

Banana (1kg)

$0.95 IQD 1,443

$1.37 MX$25.71

-30.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.90 IQD 1,367

$2.55 MX$47.94

-64.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 IQD 1,032

$2.12 MX$39.90

-67.92%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 IQD 883

$1.94 MX$36.43

-70.10%

Onion (1kg)

$0.60 IQD 912

$1.89 MX$35.44

-68.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 IQD 786

$1.15 MX$21.55

-54.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 IQD 780

$1.18 MX$22.16

-55.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.66 IQD 2,515

$4.30 MX$80.7

-61.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.71 IQD 17.7K

$9.95 MX$187

17.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 IQD 2,876

$1.58 MX$29.76

20.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 IQD 2,966

$2.67 MX$50.2

-26.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 IQD 518

$0.55 MX$10.40

-38.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.0 IQD 83.1K

$26.62 MX$500

106.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 IQD 2,968

$4.97 MX$93.4

-60.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 IQD 1,939

$3.33 MX$62.6

-61.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 IQD 4,506

$5.36 MX$101

-44.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.50 IQD 757

$1.44 MX$27.14

-65.28%

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

$14.8K IQD 22.4M

$20.7K MX$388.4K

-28.20%

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

$16.6K IQD 25.1M

$23.5K MX$441.0K

-29.26%

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

$65.1 IQD 98.3K

$84.8 MX$1,594

-23.26%

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

$13.34 IQD 20.2K

$23.41 MX$440

-43.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.35 IQD 50.4K

$28.66 MX$539

16.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.62 IQD 29.7K

$57.1 MX$1,072

-65.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.36 IQD 24.7K

$28.91 MX$543

-43.41%

Cinema Ticket

$6.44 IQD 9,724

$5.14 MX$96.6

25.29%

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

$81.2 IQD 122.6K

$207 MX$3,882

-60.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$664 IQD 1.0M

$3,927 MX$73.8K

-83.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.98 IQD 28.7K

$43.35 MX$815

-56.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.34 IQD 32.2K

$41.44 MX$779

-48.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$57.8 IQD 87.4K

$74.2 MX$1,394

-22.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.36 IQD 64.0K

$89.3 MX$1,677

-52.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$245 IQD 369.5K

$980 MX$18.4K

-75.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$151 IQD 228.6K

$381 MX$7,157

-60.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$436 IQD 659.1K

$1,708 MX$32.1K

-74.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$258 IQD 389.8K

$1,075 MX$20.2K

-76.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,477 IQD 2.2M

$3,943 MX$74.1K

-62.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$483 IQD 729.4K

$6,158 MX$115.7K

-92.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$436 IQD 659.3K

$735 MX$13.8K

-40.60%

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 Hillah: October 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Al Hillah

$160 23.2%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 58.8% $94

Accommodation & Living

Al Hillah

$151 21.8%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 152% $230

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al Hillah

$112 16.1%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 22.4% $25

Eating Out

Al Hillah

$109 15.7%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 85.9% $93

Getting Around

Al Hillah

$65 9.4%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 22.1% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Al Hillah

$63 9.1%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 76.7% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Al Hillah

$32 4.7%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 107% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $245 in Al Hillah versus $980 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 68% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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 $27 in Al Hillah versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $160 vs $255 – making Al Hillah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Al Hillah

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

14:11 2:11 PM

06:11 6:11 AM

8 h behind Al Hillah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,729,666

149,923

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to IQD – Iraqi Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇶 Iraqi Dinar (ع.د)

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,686 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to IQD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Al Hillah Playa del Carmen 12,180 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Al Hillah
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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 74%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,039 per month in Al Hillah and $1,806 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 Al Hillah, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $245 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Public transport costs about 52% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $81 per month in Al Hillah and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Al Hillah, where all-in costs run around $693, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Al Hillah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Al Hillah – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Al Hillah. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.