Cost of Living Comparison Between Baghdad and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Baghdad and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,148 in Baghdad versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,708 in Baghdad versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,269 in Baghdad versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Baghdad costs roughly 11% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baghdad 16% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.81 IQD 6,302

$11.71 MX$199

-58.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.76 IQD 44.2K

$46.59 MX$792

-27.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.68 IQD 10.1K

$11.65 MX$198

-34.08%

Cappuccino

$3.07 IQD 4,018

$4.09 MX$69.6

-24.94%

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

$0.40 IQD 520

$1.37 MX$23.35

-70.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 IQD 342

$0.83 MX$14.17

-68.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.89 IQD 5,091

$3.35 MX$57.0

16.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 IQD 4,906

$6.91 MX$117

-45.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 IQD 1,424

$1.73 MX$29.35

-36.99%

White Bread (500g)

$0.83 IQD 1,091

$2.26 MX$38.41

-63.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 IQD 2,005

$1.77 MX$30.07

-13.56%

Eggs

$1.89 IQD 2,473

$2.73 MX$46.43

-30.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.80 IQD 4,971

$9.18 MX$156

-58.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.58 IQD 5,992

$8.92 MX$152

-48.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.59 IQD 19.1K

$12.60 MX$214

15.79%

Apples (1kg)

$1.14 IQD 1,492

$3.02 MX$51.3

-62.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 IQD 1,399

$1.57 MX$26.69

-31.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.06 IQD 1,391

$2.13 MX$36.12

-50.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.74 IQD 971

$2.26 MX$38.48

-67.26%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 IQD 860

$2.00 MX$34.05

-67.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 IQD 843

$2.06 MX$35.08

-68.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 IQD 827

$1.18 MX$20.05

-46.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 IQD 920

$1.20 MX$20.46

-41.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.83 IQD 2,400

$4.63 MX$78.8

-60.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.65 IQD 17.9K

$10.69 MX$182

27.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 IQD 2,890

$1.62 MX$27.52

36.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 IQD 2,861

$2.88 MX$48.96

-24.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 IQD 854

$0.57 MX$9.74

14.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.62 IQD 29.6K

$29.83 MX$507

-24.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.32 IQD 3,037

$5.45 MX$92.6

-57.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 IQD 2,025

$3.70 MX$63.0

-58.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.79 IQD 10.2K

$5.98 MX$102

30.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.61 IQD 801

$1.55 MX$26.40

-60.65%

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

$19.0K IQD 24.9M

$22.3K MX$379.4K

-14.71%

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

$19.2K IQD 25.1M

$25.9K MX$441.0K

-26.18%

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

$213 IQD 278.8K

$89.1 MX$1,515

138.91%

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

$20.99 IQD 27.5K

$25.04 MX$426

-16.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.26 IQD 55.3K

$31.50 MX$535

34.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.87 IQD 61.4K

$67.8 MX$1,152

-30.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.00 IQD 28.8K

$28.92 MX$491

-23.93%

Cinema Ticket

$10.57 IQD 13.8K

$5.05 MX$85.8

109.31%

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

$165 IQD 216.6K

$225 MX$3,823

-26.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,462 IQD 4.5M

$4,222 MX$71.8K

-18.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.18 IQD 39.5K

$47.44 MX$806

-36.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.06 IQD 49.8K

$44.98 MX$764

-15.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.9 IQD 95.5K

$82.0 MX$1,393

-11.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.63 IQD 62.4K

$92.1 MX$1,565

-48.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$575 IQD 753.1K

$1,069 MX$18.2K

-46.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$350 IQD 457.9K

$405 MX$6,888

-13.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$959 IQD 1.3M

$1,935 MX$32.9K

-50.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$687 IQD 899.8K

$1,301 MX$22.1K

-47.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,743 IQD 6.2M

$3,995 MX$67.9K

18.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,576 IQD 2.1M

$6,626 MX$112.6K

-76.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$604 IQD 791.2K

$749 MX$12.7K

-19.31%

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 Baghdad: August 30, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $575 in Baghdad and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 24% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $34.00 in Baghdad vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $277 per month, with Baghdad 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

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

Baghdad wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Baghdad the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 24% lower in Playa del Carmen. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $575 in Baghdad versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Baghdad runs roughly 32% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $165 in Baghdad versus $225 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,148 in Baghdad versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Baghdad but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Baghdad the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Baghdad delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,148 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Baghdad hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Baghdad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.