Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between An Najaf and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in An Najaf: $565 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

27

Cost of Living Index in An Najaf
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An Najaf Living Index
58

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

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An Najaf

🇮🇶 Iraq

$565

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $565 per month in An Najaf vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

An Najaf $565
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $854 per month in An Najaf vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

An Najaf $854
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,143 per month in An Najaf vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

An Najaf $1,143
Playa del Carmen $2,959

An Najaf is about 53% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both An Najaf and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – An Najaf 58% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.88 IQD 5,856

$10.92 MX$204

-64.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.70 IQD 29.8K

$43.37 MX$808

-54.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.32 IQD 6,528

$11.78 MX$220

-63.33%

Cappuccino

$2.26 IQD 3,416

$3.81 MX$71.0

-40.68%

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

$0.39 IQD 582

$1.28 MX$23.90

-69.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 IQD 333

$0.78 MX$14.59

-71.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 IQD 4,923

$3.17 MX$59.0

2.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 IQD 3,055

$4.93 MX$92.0

-59.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 IQD 1,367

$1.41 MX$26.22

-36.17%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 IQD 1,023

$2.22 MX$41.33

-69.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 IQD 1,972

$1.42 MX$26.42

-7.75%

Eggs

$1.68 IQD 2,542

$2.52 MX$47.03

-33.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.28 IQD 4,951

$7.26 MX$135

-54.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 IQD 5,187

$7.70 MX$143

-55.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.56 IQD 14.5K

$12.69 MX$237

-24.67%

Apples (1kg)

$0.97 IQD 1,458

$2.78 MX$51.9

-65.11%

Banana (1kg)

$0.91 IQD 1,375

$1.37 MX$25.50

-33.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.94 IQD 1,425

$2.55 MX$47.55

-63.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 IQD 1,029

$2.12 MX$39.58

-67.92%

Potato (1kg)

$0.56 IQD 841

$1.94 MX$36.13

-71.13%

Onion (1kg)

$0.61 IQD 919

$1.89 MX$35.16

-67.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 IQD 877

$1.15 MX$21.37

-49.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 IQD 743

$1.18 MX$21.98

-58.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.63 IQD 2,462

$4.30 MX$80.1

-62.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.93 IQD 18.0K

$9.95 MX$185

19.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 IQD 2,919

$1.58 MX$29.52

22.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 IQD 2,892

$2.67 MX$49.79

-28.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 IQD 462

$0.55 MX$10.31

-43.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 IQD 1,974

$4.97 MX$92.6

-73.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 IQD 1,975

$3.33 MX$62.1

-60.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 IQD 8,132

$5.36 MX$99.8

0.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.41 IQD 625

$1.44 MX$26.92

-71.53%

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

$12.1K IQD 18.4M

$20.7K MX$385.2K

-41.22%

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

$16.9K IQD 25.5M

$23.5K MX$437.4K

-28.12%

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

$34.87 IQD 52.7K

$84.8 MX$1,581

-58.87%

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

$14.80 IQD 22.4K

$23.41 MX$436

-36.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.39 IQD 50.5K

$28.66 MX$534

16.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.35 IQD 38.3K

$57.1 MX$1,063

-55.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$8.44 IQD 12.7K

$5.14 MX$95.8

64.20%

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

$147 IQD 222.0K

$207 MX$3,851

-28.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$797 IQD 1.2M

$3,927 MX$73.2K

-79.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.04 IQD 22.7K

$43.35 MX$808

-65.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.28 IQD 35.2K

$41.44 MX$772

-43.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.3 IQD 91.2K

$74.2 MX$1,383

-18.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.51 IQD 62.7K

$89.3 MX$1,664

-53.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$234 IQD 353.4K

$980 MX$18.3K

-76.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$125 IQD 188.4K

$381 MX$7,099

-67.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$311 IQD 469.6K

$1,708 MX$31.8K

-81.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$189 IQD 286.0K

$1,075 MX$20.0K

-82.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,097 IQD 1.7M

$3,943 MX$73.5K

-72.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$445 IQD 672.6K

$6,158 MX$114.8K

-92.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$670 IQD 1.0M

$735 MX$13.7K

-8.74%

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 An Najaf: October 27, 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

An Najaf

$149 26.4%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 70.6% $105

Accommodation & Living

An Najaf

$125 22.1%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 205% $256

Eating Out

An Najaf

$94 16.6%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 116% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

An Najaf

$83 14.7%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 64.8% $54

Clothing & Footwear

An Najaf

$63 11.2%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 77.1% $49

Sport & Entertainment

An Najaf

$42 7.5%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 59.5% $25

Getting Around

An Najaf

$9.1 * 1.6%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 457% $41

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $234 in An Najaf 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 10% 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 $20 in An Najaf versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $149 vs $255 – making An Najaf the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇶 An Najaf

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

19:54 7:54 PM

11:54 11:54 AM

8 h behind An Najaf

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,221,248

149,923

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.95 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,682 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.95 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

USD to IQD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

An Najaf Playa del Carmen 12,210 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

An Najaf
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

An Najaf vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 113% more than An Najaf, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $848 per month in An Najaf 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 An Najaf, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $234 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $565 in An Najaf and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a gap of about 113%.

Kindergarten costs $147 per month in An Najaf 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 $800 monthly budget goes further in An Najaf, where all-in costs run around $565, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In An Najaf it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward An Najaf – 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 An Najaf. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.