Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Kazimiyah and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Kazimiyah: $668 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Al Kazimiyah
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Al Kazimiyah 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 Kazimiyah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$668

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $668 in Al Kazimiyah versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Al Kazimiyah $668
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,012 in Al Kazimiyah versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Al Kazimiyah $1,012
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,356 in Al Kazimiyah versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Al Kazimiyah $1,356
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Al Kazimiyah costs roughly 45% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Al Kazimiyah 51% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.17 IQD 6,294

$10.92 MX$205

-61.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.25 IQD 29.1K

$43.37 MX$814

-55.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.11 IQD 10.7K

$11.78 MX$221

-39.64%

Cappuccino

$2.19 IQD 3,313

$3.81 MX$71.5

-42.52%

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

$0.37 IQD 564

$1.28 MX$24.07

-71.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 IQD 296

$0.78 MX$14.70

-74.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.54 IQD 5,343

$3.17 MX$59.5

11.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 IQD 4,264

$4.93 MX$92.7

-42.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 IQD 1,303

$1.41 MX$26.40

-39.01%

White Bread (500g)

$0.62 IQD 931

$2.22 MX$41.62

-72.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 IQD 2,328

$1.42 MX$26.61

8.45%

Eggs

$1.46 IQD 2,205

$2.52 MX$47.36

-42.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.38 IQD 6,614

$7.26 MX$136

-39.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.58 IQD 5,402

$7.70 MX$144

-53.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 IQD 19.7K

$12.69 MX$238

2.84%

Apples (1kg)

$1.10 IQD 1,656

$2.78 MX$52.3

-60.43%

Banana (1kg)

$0.86 IQD 1,296

$1.37 MX$25.68

-37.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.97 IQD 1,459

$2.55 MX$47.89

-61.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.62 IQD 934

$2.12 MX$39.86

-70.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.59 IQD 893

$1.94 MX$36.39

-69.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.65 IQD 977

$1.89 MX$35.41

-65.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 IQD 932

$1.15 MX$21.53

-46.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 IQD 792

$1.18 MX$22.13

-55.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.46 IQD 2,207

$4.30 MX$80.6

-66.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.06 IQD 18.2K

$9.95 MX$187

21.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 IQD 2,415

$1.58 MX$29.73

1.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 IQD 2,487

$2.67 MX$50.1

-38.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 IQD 570

$0.55 MX$10.39

-30.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 IQD 2,979

$4.97 MX$93.3

-60.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 IQD 1,804

$3.33 MX$62.5

-64.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 IQD 9,014

$5.36 MX$101

11.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 IQD 968

$1.44 MX$27.11

-55.56%

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

$18.1K IQD 27.4M

$20.7K MX$388.0K

-12.32%

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

$19.1K IQD 28.8M

$23.5K MX$440.5K

-18.72%

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

$81.9 IQD 123.8K

$84.8 MX$1,592

-3.38%

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

$11.68 IQD 17.6K

$23.41 MX$439

-50.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.31 IQD 38.2K

$28.66 MX$538

-11.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.65 IQD 59.9K

$57.1 MX$1,071

-30.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$8.96 IQD 13.5K

$5.14 MX$96.5

74.32%

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

$152 IQD 229.6K

$207 MX$3,878

-26.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,394 IQD 3.6M

$3,927 MX$73.7K

-39.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.57 IQD 34.1K

$43.35 MX$814

-47.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.79 IQD 34.4K

$41.44 MX$778

-45.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.3 IQD 80.6K

$74.2 MX$1,393

-28.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$32.17 IQD 48.6K

$89.3 MX$1,676

-63.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$234 IQD 354.1K

$980 MX$18.4K

-76.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$154 IQD 233.4K

$381 MX$7,150

-59.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$322 IQD 486.0K

$1,708 MX$32.1K

-81.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 IQD 444.6K

$1,075 MX$20.2K

-72.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$984 IQD 1.5M

$3,943 MX$74.0K

-75.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$564 IQD 852.3K

$6,158 MX$115.6K

-90.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

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 Kazimiyah: October 24, 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 Kazimiyah

$162 24.2%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 57.5% $93

Accommodation & Living

Al Kazimiyah

$154 23.1%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 147% $226

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al Kazimiyah

$119 17.8%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 15.1% $18

Eating Out

Al Kazimiyah

$107 16%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 89.9% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Al Kazimiyah

$59 8.8%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 89.7% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Al Kazimiyah

$58 8.6%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 16.9% $9.7

Getting Around

Al Kazimiyah

$9.5 * 1.4%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 434% $41

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $234 in Al Kazimiyah and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $19 in Al Kazimiyah vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $162 vs $255 per month, with Al Kazimiyah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Al Kazimiyah

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

09:28 9:28 AM

01:28 1:28 AM

8 h behind Al Kazimiyah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.91 EUR

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.76 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 October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,692 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.91 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 21.02 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

USD to IQD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Al Kazimiyah Playa del Carmen 12,100 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Al Kazimiyah is about 45% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,001 in Al Kazimiyah and $1,806 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: $234 in Al Kazimiyah versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $152 in Al Kazimiyah versus $207 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 Kazimiyah – a meal for two runs $19 versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $668 in Al Kazimiyah versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Al Kazimiyah but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Al Kazimiyah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.