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: $1,054 in Baghdad versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,592 in Baghdad versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,130 in Baghdad versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Baghdad costs roughly 19% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baghdad 21% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.48 IQD 7,181

$11.73 MX$203

-53.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.97 IQD 48.4K

$41.62 MX$720

-11.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.57 IQD 9,909

$10.64 MX$184

-28.85%

Cappuccino

$3.06 IQD 4,003

$3.52 MX$60.9

-13.07%

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

$0.40 IQD 518

$1.51 MX$26.12

-73.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.18 IQD 242

$0.97 MX$16.84

-81.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 IQD 4,485

$2.95 MX$51.0

15.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 IQD 3,853

$4.45 MX$77.0

-33.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 IQD 1,726

$1.38 MX$23.93

-4.35%

White Bread (500g)

$0.78 IQD 1,017

$1.89 MX$32.72

-58.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 IQD 2,166

$1.64 MX$28.32

0.61%

Eggs

$1.79 IQD 2,350

$2.51 MX$43.34

-28.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 IQD 5,763

$8.34 MX$144

-47.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.07 IQD 6,636

$8.34 MX$144

-39.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.34 IQD 18.8K

$10.73 MX$186

33.64%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 IQD 1,612

$2.60 MX$45.04

-52.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 IQD 1,530

$1.46 MX$25.20

-19.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.01 IQD 1,329

$1.90 MX$32.87

-46.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.70 IQD 922

$2.08 MX$35.91

-66.35%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 IQD 911

$1.78 MX$30.71

-60.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 IQD 835

$2.19 MX$37.80

-70.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 IQD 822

$1.04 MX$17.99

-39.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 IQD 871

$1.08 MX$18.62

-38.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.11 IQD 2,765

$4.08 MX$70.6

-48.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 IQD 17.5K

$10.32 MX$178

29.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 IQD 2,301

$1.71 MX$29.61

2.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 IQD 2,815

$2.58 MX$44.54

-16.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 IQD 1,027

$0.51 MX$8.81

52.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.60 IQD 37.4K

$26.46 MX$458

8.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.88 IQD 5,087

$3.26 MX$56.4

19.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 IQD 1,923

$2.49 MX$43.09

-40.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.85 IQD 10.3K

$3.25 MX$56.2

141.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.56 IQD 737

$1.31 MX$22.61

-57.25%

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

$20.3K IQD 26.6M

$30.3K MX$523.7K

-32.91%

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

$19.9K IQD 26.1M

$23.4K MX$405.3K

-15.06%

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

$181 IQD 237.4K

$82.9 MX$1,433

118.75%

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

$25.40 IQD 33.3K

$22.22 MX$384

14.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.16 IQD 52.6K

$29.34 MX$507

36.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.29 IQD 54.1K

$51.6 MX$893

-20.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.43 IQD 24.1K

$18.32 MX$317

0.60%

Cinema Ticket

$7.82 IQD 10.2K

$5.07 MX$87.6

54.24%

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

$163 IQD 213.2K

$201 MX$3,473

-18.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,573 IQD 4.7M

$5,212 MX$90.1K

-31.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.57 IQD 37.4K

$36.92 MX$639

-22.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.72 IQD 40.2K

$39.79 MX$688

-22.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.4 IQD 83.0K

$78.5 MX$1,357

-19.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$43.53 IQD 57.0K

$87.1 MX$1,506

-50.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$540 IQD 707.6K

$973 MX$16.8K

-44.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$321 IQD 420.5K

$468 MX$8,090

-31.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$818 IQD 1.1M

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-50.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$580 IQD 759.9K

$1,221 MX$21.1K

-52.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,034 IQD 5.3M

$3,946 MX$68.3K

2.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,617 IQD 2.1M

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-75.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$642 IQD 841.2K

$664 MX$11.5K

-3.24%

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 Baghdad: May 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $540 in Baghdad and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 3% 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: $37.00 in Baghdad vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $191 vs $249 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 23% 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, Playa del Carmen earns 3% less. 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: $540 in Baghdad versus $973 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 8% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $163 in Baghdad versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,054 in Baghdad versus $1,297 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 $1,054 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 23% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.