Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between 'aqrah and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in 'aqrah: $661 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in 'aqrah
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'aqrah Living Index
59

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

Jump to prices

'aqrah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$661

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $661 in 'aqrah versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen.

'aqrah $661
Playa del Carmen $1,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,015 in 'aqrah versus $2,113 in Playa del Carmen.

'aqrah $1,015
Playa del Carmen $2,113

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,369 in 'aqrah versus $3,016 in Playa del Carmen.

'aqrah $1,369
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Living in 'aqrah 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: 'aqrah 51% lower, Playa del Carmen 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.62 IQD 5,467

$10.76 MX$198

-66.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.82 IQD 33.0K

$43.03 MX$792

-49.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.82 IQD 10.3K

$11.79 MX$217

-42.15%

Cappuccino

$2.38 IQD 3,602

$3.87 MX$71.1

-38.50%

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

$0.32 IQD 485

$1.37 MX$25.18

-76.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.18 IQD 273

$0.84 MX$15.38

-78.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.11 IQD 4,706

$3.10 MX$57.0

0.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 IQD 3,945

$5.07 MX$93.2

-48.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 IQD 1,416

$1.44 MX$26.43

-34.72%

White Bread (500g)

$0.72 IQD 1,086

$2.23 MX$41.05

-67.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 IQD 2,205

$1.47 MX$27.05

-0.68%

Eggs

$1.70 IQD 2,573

$2.53 MX$46.51

-32.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.48 IQD 5,252

$7.30 MX$134

-52.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.16 IQD 6,291

$7.86 MX$145

-47.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.31 IQD 20.1K

$12.79 MX$235

4.07%

Apples (1kg)

$0.92 IQD 1,383

$2.90 MX$53.4

-68.28%

Banana (1kg)

$0.91 IQD 1,375

$1.44 MX$26.41

-36.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.77 IQD 1,161

$2.55 MX$46.87

-69.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.66 IQD 990

$2.06 MX$37.86

-67.96%

Potato (1kg)

$0.54 IQD 809

$2.00 MX$36.81

-73.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 IQD 965

$2.01 MX$36.91

-68.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.51 IQD 776

$1.19 MX$21.92

-57.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 IQD 756

$1.26 MX$23.12

-60.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.57 IQD 2,368

$4.40 MX$81.0

-64.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.92 IQD 16.5K

$9.59 MX$176

13.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 IQD 2,003

$1.59 MX$29.29

-16.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 IQD 2,800

$2.81 MX$51.7

-34.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.45 IQD 679

$0.57 MX$10.42

-21.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.50 IQD 26.4K

$27.82 MX$512

-37.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.89 IQD 2,859

$4.98 MX$91.7

-62.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 IQD 2,099

$3.50 MX$64.4

-60.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.15 IQD 7,788

$5.40 MX$99.4

-4.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.48 IQD 727

$1.47 MX$26.96

-67.35%

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

$16.9K IQD 25.5M

$21.0K MX$386.1K

-19.53%

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

$19.4K IQD 29.3M

$23.9K MX$439.9K

-18.89%

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

$80.2 IQD 121.1K

$84.2 MX$1,549

-4.82%

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

$13.58 IQD 20.5K

$23.99 MX$441

-43.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.25 IQD 41.2K

$29.02 MX$534

-6.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.01 IQD 55.9K

$63.0 MX$1,159

-41.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.14 MX$536

Cinema Ticket

$8.39 IQD 12.7K

$4.94 MX$90.9

69.84%

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

$142 IQD 213.9K

$204 MX$3,746

-30.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,656 IQD 4.0M

$3,941 MX$72.5K

-32.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.08 IQD 33.4K

$43.60 MX$802

-49.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.85 IQD 36.0K

$43.12 MX$793

-44.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$47.26 IQD 71.4K

$75.8 MX$1,394

-37.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$31.06 IQD 46.9K

$88.6 MX$1,630

-64.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$184 IQD 277.8K

$1,008 MX$18.6K

-81.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$141 IQD 213.2K

$374 MX$6,881

-62.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$358 IQD 541.4K

$1,708 MX$31.4K

-79.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$278 IQD 419.4K

$1,106 MX$20.4K

-74.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$779 IQD 1.2M

$3,944 MX$72.6K

-80.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$642 IQD 970.8K

$6,169 MX$113.5K

-89.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$754 MX$13.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.33

11.45

-70.92%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for 'aqrah: October 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

'aqrah

$160 24.2%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 61.6% $99

Accommodation & Living

'aqrah

$141 21.4%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 165% $233

Monthly Utilities & Internet

'aqrah

$121 18.3%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 13.4% $16

Eating Out

'aqrah

$101 15.3%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 101% $101

Clothing & Footwear

'aqrah

$56 8.5%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 102% $57

Sport & Entertainment

'aqrah

$54 8.1%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 35.5% $19

Getting Around

'aqrah

$28 4.3%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 86.8% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $184 in 'aqrah and $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $22.00 in 'aqrah vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $160 vs $258 per month, with 'aqrah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 'aqrah

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

01:53 1:53 AM

17:53 5:53 PM

8 h behind 'aqrah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

68,100

149,923

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.88 EUR

100 MXN = 5.44 USD

100 MXN = 4.83 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 16, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,701 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.88 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 18.4 MXN (100 MXN = 5.44 USD). 1 EUR = 20.72 MXN (100 MXN = 4.83 EUR).

USD to IQD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

'aqrah Playa del Carmen 11,820 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

'aqrah
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

'aqrah vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

'aqrah wins on cost – living expenses run 83% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making 'aqrah the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $991 in 'aqrah and $1,816 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: $184 in 'aqrah versus $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $661 per month in 'aqrah versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen – a 83% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in 'aqrah runs roughly 59% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $661 in 'aqrah versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in 'aqrah but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes 'aqrah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but 'aqrah delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $661 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes 'aqrah hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, 'aqrah and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find 'aqrah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.