Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-musayyib and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-musayyib and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $887 in Al-musayyib versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,338 in Al-musayyib versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,789 in Al-musayyib versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Al-musayyib costs roughly 30% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Al-musayyib 33% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.49 IQD 7,189

$11.72 MX$204

-53.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.28 IQD 47.5K

$41.89 MX$731

-13.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 IQD 9,792

$10.51 MX$183

-28.83%

Cappuccino

$2.99 IQD 3,911

$3.59 MX$62.6

-16.71%

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

$0.37 IQD 483

$1.51 MX$26.32

-75.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.19 IQD 244

$0.92 MX$15.97

-79.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 IQD 4,488

$2.96 MX$51.6

15.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 IQD 3,683

$4.41 MX$77.0

-36.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 IQD 1,538

$1.40 MX$24.36

-16.43%

White Bread (500g)

$0.84 IQD 1,104

$1.88 MX$32.88

-55.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 IQD 1,975

$1.56 MX$27.20

-3.21%

Eggs

$1.49 IQD 1,956

$2.61 MX$45.52

-42.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.54 IQD 5,947

$8.32 MX$145

-45.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.74 IQD 4,897

$8.35 MX$146

-55.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.28 IQD 14.8K

$10.86 MX$189

3.87%

Apples (1kg)

$1.18 IQD 1,543

$2.71 MX$47.33

-56.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.13 IQD 1,479

$1.51 MX$26.27

-25.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.01 IQD 1,326

$1.87 MX$32.69

-45.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.58 IQD 764

$2.19 MX$38.21

-73.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.59 IQD 773

$1.86 MX$32.41

-68.28%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 IQD 771

$2.23 MX$38.92

-73.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 IQD 712

$1.07 MX$18.64

-49.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.37 IQD 481

$1.09 MX$18.95

-66.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.05 IQD 2,685

$4.19 MX$73.1

-51.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.81 IQD 18.1K

$10.43 MX$182

32.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 IQD 2,301

$1.66 MX$28.92

6.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 IQD 2,721

$2.61 MX$45.58

-20.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 IQD 479

$0.54 MX$9.45

-31.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.47 IQD 41.2K

$26.16 MX$456

20.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.91 IQD 5,122

$3.08 MX$53.7

26.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 IQD 1,996

$2.40 MX$41.96

-36.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.61 IQD 9,960

$3.13 MX$54.6

143.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.58 IQD 755

$1.31 MX$22.88

-55.73%

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

$19.9K IQD 26.1M

$29.8K MX$520.1K

-33.10%

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

$20.0K IQD 26.1M

$23.3K MX$407.0K

-14.40%

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

$180 IQD 235.5K

$81.3 MX$1,418

121.24%

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

$25.74 IQD 33.7K

$22.56 MX$394

14.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.78 IQD 53.4K

$30.05 MX$524

35.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.66 IQD 48.0K

$52.9 MX$923

-30.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.60 IQD 21.7K

$18.39 MX$321

-9.73%

Cinema Ticket

$7.63 IQD 9,992

$4.92 MX$85.9

55.08%

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

$167 IQD 218.1K

$201 MX$3,504

-17.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,566 IQD 4.7M

$5,175 MX$90.3K

-31.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.32 IQD 37.1K

$35.92 MX$627

-21.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.26 IQD 39.6K

$40.13 MX$700

-24.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.4 IQD 84.3K

$79.7 MX$1,391

-19.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.85 IQD 56.1K

$86.5 MX$1,509

-50.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$241 IQD 315.4K

$978 MX$17.1K

-75.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$180 IQD 236.1K

$470 MX$8,210

-61.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$583 IQD 763.9K

$1,651 MX$28.8K

-64.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$342 IQD 448.0K

$1,203 MX$21.0K

-71.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$115.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.8K

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-musayyib: July 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $241 in Al-musayyib and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $36.00 in Al-musayyib vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $168 vs $252 per month, with Al-musayyib 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-musayyib vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al-musayyib and Playa del Carmen differ by about 42% in total monthly costs ($887 vs $1,260 including rent). Al-musayyib is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,330 in Al-musayyib and $1,890 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: $241 in Al-musayyib versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $167 in Al-musayyib versus $201 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 50% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $887 in Al-musayyib versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Al-musayyib but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Al-musayyib 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.

Expats usually find Al-musayyib gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.