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: $893 in Al-musayyib versus $1,262 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,334 in Al-musayyib versus $2,158 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,774 in Al-musayyib versus $3,054 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Al-musayyib costs roughly 29% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Al-musayyib 34% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.24 IQD 6,867

$11.61 MX$201

-54.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.84 IQD 48.2K

$42.75 MX$742

-13.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.55 IQD 9,883

$10.60 MX$184

-28.77%

Cappuccino

$3.00 IQD 3,928

$3.59 MX$62.3

-16.43%

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

$0.37 IQD 483

$1.45 MX$25.21

-74.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 IQD 270

$0.90 MX$15.58

-76.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.45 IQD 4,520

$3.03 MX$52.6

13.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 IQD 3,742

$4.56 MX$79.2

-37.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 IQD 1,479

$1.45 MX$25.20

-22.07%

White Bread (500g)

$0.84 IQD 1,096

$1.83 MX$31.72

-54.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 IQD 2,059

$1.61 MX$27.92

-2.48%

Eggs

$1.50 IQD 1,967

$2.54 MX$44.05

-40.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 IQD 5,742

$8.54 MX$148

-48.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.94 IQD 5,163

$8.47 MX$147

-53.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.34 IQD 14.9K

$10.86 MX$189

4.42%

Apples (1kg)

$1.12 IQD 1,469

$2.73 MX$47.37

-58.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.13 IQD 1,477

$1.49 MX$25.91

-24.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.00 IQD 1,313

$1.94 MX$33.73

-48.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 IQD 731

$2.16 MX$37.57

-74.07%

Potato (1kg)

$0.59 IQD 777

$1.85 MX$32.05

-68.11%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 IQD 709

$2.19 MX$38.00

-75.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 IQD 716

$1.07 MX$18.62

-48.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.37 IQD 481

$1.08 MX$18.81

-65.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.07 IQD 2,710

$4.06 MX$70.5

-49.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.83 IQD 18.1K

$10.46 MX$182

32.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 IQD 2,302

$1.65 MX$28.71

6.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 IQD 2,826

$2.55 MX$44.23

-15.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 IQD 519

$0.56 MX$9.65

-28.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.34 IQD 41.0K

$26.20 MX$455

19.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.76 IQD 4,918

$3.14 MX$54.5

19.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 IQD 2,012

$2.37 MX$41.17

-35.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.47 IQD 9,779

$3.24 MX$56.2

130.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.57 IQD 746

$1.31 MX$22.81

-56.49%

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

$19.8K IQD 25.9M

$30.5K MX$530.2K

-35.23%

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

$19.5K IQD 25.6M

$23.8K MX$413.6K

-17.95%

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

$179 IQD 234.4K

$83.1 MX$1,443

115.37%

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

$25.66 IQD 33.6K

$22.15 MX$385

15.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.85 IQD 52.2K

$29.37 MX$510

35.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.77 IQD 48.1K

$51.2 MX$889

-28.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.96 IQD 22.2K

$18.69 MX$324

-9.26%

Cinema Ticket

$7.79 IQD 10.2K

$4.89 MX$84.9

59.30%

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

$166 IQD 217.5K

$199 MX$3,449

-16.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,525 IQD 4.6M

$5,207 MX$90.4K

-32.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.04 IQD 36.7K

$35.93 MX$624

-21.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.67 IQD 40.2K

$39.39 MX$684

-22.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.7 IQD 83.5K

$80.3 MX$1,394

-20.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$43.71 IQD 57.2K

$87.6 MX$1,520

-50.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$244 IQD 319.5K

$963 MX$16.7K

-74.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$178 IQD 232.6K

$482 MX$8,370

-63.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$585 IQD 765.6K

$1,645 MX$28.6K

-64.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$339 IQD 444.0K

$1,192 MX$20.7K

-71.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,957 MX$68.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,513 MX$113.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$726 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-musayyib: April 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $244 in Al-musayyib and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $37 in Al-musayyib vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $168 vs $253 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 41% in total monthly costs ($893 vs $1,262 including rent). Al-musayyib is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,340 in Al-musayyib and $1,894 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: $244 in Al-musayyib versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $166 in Al-musayyib versus $199 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 $893 in Al-musayyib versus $1,262 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 41% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.