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: $878 in Al-musayyib versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,356 in Al-musayyib versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,834 in Al-musayyib versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Al-musayyib costs roughly 31% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Al-musayyib 35% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.26 IQD 6,889

$11.87 MX$205

-55.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.65 IQD 48.0K

$42.90 MX$740

-14.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.51 IQD 9,828

$10.65 MX$184

-29.48%

Cappuccino

$3.11 IQD 4,077

$3.45 MX$59.4

-9.86%

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

$0.36 IQD 475

$1.50 MX$25.93

-76.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 IQD 263

$0.95 MX$16.36

-78.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.45 IQD 4,518

$3.03 MX$52.2

13.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 IQD 3,856

$4.61 MX$79.5

-36.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 IQD 1,490

$1.38 MX$23.72

-17.39%

White Bread (500g)

$0.83 IQD 1,093

$1.85 MX$31.85

-55.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 IQD 2,061

$1.61 MX$27.77

-2.48%

Eggs

$1.57 IQD 2,059

$2.59 MX$44.71

-39.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.60 IQD 6,023

$8.26 MX$142

-44.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.87 IQD 5,071

$8.37 MX$144

-53.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.67 IQD 15.3K

$10.66 MX$184

9.47%

Apples (1kg)

$1.14 IQD 1,486

$2.63 MX$45.33

-56.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 IQD 1,461

$1.49 MX$25.65

-24.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.05 IQD 1,370

$1.92 MX$33.10

-45.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.58 IQD 760

$2.09 MX$35.97

-72.25%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 IQD 838

$1.86 MX$32.02

-65.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 IQD 769

$2.26 MX$38.99

-73.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 IQD 784

$1.06 MX$18.32

-43.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.37 IQD 480

$1.09 MX$18.75

-66.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.13 IQD 2,786

$4.15 MX$71.5

-48.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.34 IQD 17.5K

$10.39 MX$179

28.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 IQD 2,326

$1.72 MX$29.73

3.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 IQD 2,747

$2.61 MX$45.05

-19.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 IQD 516

$0.54 MX$9.34

-27.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.23 IQD 40.9K

$26.94 MX$465

15.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.90 IQD 5,103

$3.13 MX$53.9

24.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 IQD 1,933

$2.51 MX$43.29

-41.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.57 IQD 9,907

$3.15 MX$54.3

140.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.53 IQD 699

$1.27 MX$21.98

-58.27%

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

$19.8K IQD 25.9M

$30.4K MX$523.7K

-34.97%

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

$20.0K IQD 26.2M

$23.6K MX$406.3K

-15.07%

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

$179 IQD 234.1K

$83.0 MX$1,431

115.36%

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

$26.36 IQD 34.5K

$22.71 MX$392

16.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.27 IQD 52.7K

$29.46 MX$508

36.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.09 IQD 48.6K

$51.0 MX$879

-27.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.54 IQD 21.7K

$18.33 MX$316

-9.77%

Cinema Ticket

$7.51 IQD 9,840

$4.93 MX$84.9

52.33%

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

$166 IQD 217.7K

$197 MX$3,402

-15.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,586 IQD 4.7M

$5,280 MX$91.0K

-32.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.39 IQD 37.2K

$36.90 MX$636

-23.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.81 IQD 40.3K

$39.89 MX$688

-22.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.8 IQD 83.6K

$80.0 MX$1,380

-20.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$43.33 IQD 56.7K

$89.5 MX$1,543

-51.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$244 IQD 319.6K

$956 MX$16.5K

-74.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$176 IQD 229.9K

$477 MX$8,226

-63.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$575 IQD 752.9K

$1,646 MX$28.4K

-65.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$341 IQD 446.8K

$1,225 MX$21.1K

-72.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$111.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.5K

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $244 in Al-musayyib and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $37.00 in Al-musayyib vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $170 vs $250 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 45% in total monthly costs ($878 vs $1,271 including rent). Al-musayyib is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,317 in Al-musayyib and $1,906 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 $956 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 $197 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 47% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $878 in Al-musayyib versus $1,271 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 45% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.