Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Az Zubayr and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Az Zubayr: $656 a month against $1,204 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 Az Zubayr
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Az Zubayr Living Index
58

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

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Az Zubayr

🇮🇶 Iraq

$656

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $656 in Az Zubayr versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Az Zubayr $656
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,021 in Az Zubayr versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Az Zubayr $1,021
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,387 in Az Zubayr versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Az Zubayr $1,387
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Az Zubayr costs roughly 46% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Az Zubayr 52% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.37 IQD 6,602

$10.92 MX$205

-59.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.52 IQD 29.5K

$43.37 MX$814

-54.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.58 IQD 8,436

$11.78 MX$221

-52.63%

Cappuccino

$2.65 IQD 4,001

$3.81 MX$71.5

-30.45%

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

$0.33 IQD 497

$1.28 MX$24.07

-74.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 IQD 297

$0.78 MX$14.70

-74.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 IQD 5,107

$3.17 MX$59.5

6.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 IQD 3,447

$4.93 MX$92.7

-53.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 IQD 1,513

$1.41 MX$26.40

-29.08%

White Bread (500g)

$0.76 IQD 1,152

$2.22 MX$41.62

-65.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 IQD 2,399

$1.42 MX$26.61

11.97%

Eggs

$1.46 IQD 2,203

$2.52 MX$47.36

-42.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.38 IQD 6,621

$7.26 MX$136

-39.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 IQD 5,189

$7.70 MX$144

-55.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.09 IQD 18.3K

$12.69 MX$238

-4.73%

Apples (1kg)

$1.07 IQD 1,623

$2.78 MX$52.3

-61.51%

Banana (1kg)

$0.99 IQD 1,502

$1.37 MX$25.68

-27.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 IQD 1,561

$2.55 MX$47.89

-59.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.66 IQD 994

$2.12 MX$39.86

-68.87%

Potato (1kg)

$0.57 IQD 855

$1.94 MX$36.39

-70.62%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 IQD 1,012

$1.89 MX$35.41

-64.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 IQD 852

$1.15 MX$21.53

-51.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 IQD 671

$1.18 MX$22.13

-62.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.47 IQD 2,225

$4.30 MX$80.6

-65.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.27 IQD 17.0K

$9.95 MX$187

13.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 IQD 2,149

$1.58 MX$29.73

-10.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 IQD 2,450

$2.67 MX$50.1

-39.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 IQD 479

$0.55 MX$10.39

-41.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 IQD 2,543

$4.97 MX$93.3

-66.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 IQD 1,698

$3.33 MX$62.5

-66.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 IQD 8,146

$5.36 MX$101

0.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.53 IQD 803

$1.44 MX$27.11

-63.19%

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

$15.9K IQD 24.0M

$20.7K MX$388.0K

-23.21%

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

$16.5K IQD 24.9M

$23.5K MX$440.5K

-29.81%

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

$94.9 IQD 143.4K

$84.8 MX$1,592

11.90%

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

$11.70 IQD 17.7K

$23.41 MX$439

-50.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.28 IQD 41.2K

$28.66 MX$538

-4.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.31 IQD 59.4K

$57.1 MX$1,071

-31.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$7.83 IQD 11.8K

$5.14 MX$96.5

52.33%

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

$137 IQD 206.7K

$207 MX$3,878

-33.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,772 IQD 4.2M

$3,927 MX$73.7K

-29.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.27 IQD 27.6K

$43.35 MX$814

-57.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.75 IQD 32.9K

$41.44 MX$778

-47.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.7 IQD 81.2K

$74.2 MX$1,393

-27.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.29 IQD 59.4K

$89.3 MX$1,676

-55.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$200 IQD 302.7K

$980 MX$18.4K

-79.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$133 IQD 200.3K

$381 MX$7,150

-65.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$418 IQD 631.5K

$1,708 MX$32.1K

-75.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$315 IQD 476.0K

$1,075 MX$20.2K

-70.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$833 IQD 1.3M

$3,943 MX$74.0K

-78.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$479 IQD 723.6K

$6,158 MX$115.6K

-92.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

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 Az Zubayr: 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

Az Zubayr

$159 24.2%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 60.6% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Az Zubayr

$134 20.4%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 2.2% $3

Accommodation & Living

Az Zubayr

$133 20.2%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 187% $248

Eating Out

Az Zubayr

$107 16.3%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 89.1% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Az Zubayr

$60 9.1%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 86.6% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Az Zubayr

$55 8.4%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 22.5% $12

Getting Around

Az Zubayr

$8.6 * 1.3%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 489% $42

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $200 in Az Zubayr and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $20 in Az Zubayr vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $159 vs $255 per month, with Az Zubayr cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Az Zubayr

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

01:21 1:21 AM

17:21 5:21 PM

8 h behind Az Zubayr

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

370,000

149,923

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,687 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to IQD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Az Zubayr Playa del Carmen 12,560 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Az Zubayr
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

Az Zubayr vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $656 in Az Zubayr and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, so Az Zubayr is about 46% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $983 in Az Zubayr and $1,806 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: $200 in Az Zubayr versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 61% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $656 per month in Az Zubayr versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – Az Zubayr is about 46% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $656 in Az Zubayr versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Az Zubayr but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Az Zubayr 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.