Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baghdad and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Baghdad: $1,001 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. The total is higher in Playa del Carmen despite lower rent and utilities.

49

Cost of Living Index in Baghdad
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Baghdad Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Baghdad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$1,001

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,001 in Baghdad versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen.

Baghdad $1,001
Playa del Carmen $1,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,472 in Baghdad versus $2,113 in Playa del Carmen.

Baghdad $1,472
Playa del Carmen $2,113

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,943 in Baghdad versus $3,016 in Playa del Carmen.

Baghdad $1,943
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Living in Baghdad costs roughly 17% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baghdad 26% lower, Playa del Carmen 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.27 IQD 6,445

$10.76 MX$199

-60.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.18 IQD 44.1K

$43.03 MX$795

-32.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.77 IQD 10.2K

$11.79 MX$218

-42.58%

Cappuccino

$2.65 IQD 4,003

$3.87 MX$71.4

-31.52%

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

$0.35 IQD 530

$1.37 MX$25.29

-74.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 IQD 302

$0.84 MX$15.44

-76.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 IQD 4,927

$3.10 MX$57.3

5.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 IQD 4,868

$5.07 MX$93.6

-36.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 IQD 1,466

$1.44 MX$26.55

-32.64%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 IQD 1,097

$2.23 MX$41.23

-67.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 IQD 2,003

$1.47 MX$27.17

-9.52%

Eggs

$1.68 IQD 2,534

$2.53 MX$46.71

-33.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.25 IQD 4,912

$7.30 MX$135

-55.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 IQD 6,192

$7.86 MX$145

-47.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.41 IQD 18.8K

$12.79 MX$236

-2.97%

Apples (1kg)

$1.01 IQD 1,523

$2.90 MX$53.6

-65.17%

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 IQD 1,487

$1.44 MX$26.53

-31.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.96 IQD 1,444

$2.55 MX$47.07

-62.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.69 IQD 1,045

$2.06 MX$38.03

-66.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.56 IQD 842

$2.00 MX$36.97

-72.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.57 IQD 855

$2.01 MX$37.07

-71.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 IQD 806

$1.19 MX$22.02

-55.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 IQD 943

$1.26 MX$23.23

-50.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.68 IQD 2,534

$4.40 MX$81.4

-61.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.61 IQD 17.5K

$9.59 MX$177

21.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 IQD 2,863

$1.59 MX$29.41

18.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 IQD 2,876

$2.81 MX$51.9

-32.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 IQD 858

$0.57 MX$10.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.12 IQD 30.4K

$27.82 MX$514

-27.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.01 IQD 3,038

$4.98 MX$92.1

-59.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 IQD 2,029

$3.50 MX$64.6

-61.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.54 IQD 9,887

$5.40 MX$99.8

21.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.54 IQD 810

$1.47 MX$27.08

-63.27%

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

$16.3K IQD 24.6M

$21.0K MX$387.8K

-22.30%

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

$16.6K IQD 25.1M

$23.9K MX$441.8K

-30.63%

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

$189 IQD 285.6K

$84.2 MX$1,556

124.44%

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

$17.44 IQD 26.4K

$23.99 MX$443

-27.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.40 IQD 55.0K

$29.02 MX$536

25.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.49 IQD 62.7K

$63.0 MX$1,164

-34.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.51 IQD 28.0K

$29.14 MX$539

-36.48%

Cinema Ticket

$9.64 IQD 14.6K

$4.94 MX$91.3

95.14%

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

$145 IQD 218.9K

$204 MX$3,763

-28.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,046 IQD 4.6M

$3,941 MX$72.8K

-22.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.78 IQD 37.4K

$43.60 MX$806

-43.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.66 IQD 43.3K

$43.12 MX$797

-33.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.8 IQD 90.4K

$75.8 MX$1,400

-21.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.64 IQD 62.9K

$88.6 MX$1,637

-53.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$513 IQD 774.7K

$1,008 MX$18.6K

-49.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 IQD 485.8K

$374 MX$6,911

-14.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$881 IQD 1.3M

$1,708 MX$31.6K

-48.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$595 IQD 899.0K

$1,106 MX$20.4K

-46.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,336 IQD 6.6M

$3,944 MX$72.9K

9.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,443 IQD 2.2M

$6,169 MX$114.0K

-76.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$499 IQD 753.9K

$754 MX$13.9K

-33.85%

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: October 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baghdad

$322 32.1%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 16.3% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baghdad

$243 24.3%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 43.5% $106

Groceries & Markets

Baghdad

$164 16.4%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 58% $95

Eating Out

Baghdad

$111 11.1%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 81.9% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Baghdad

$70 7%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 62.1% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Baghdad

$61 6.1%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 19.9% $12

Getting Around

Baghdad

$31 3.1%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 68.9% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $513 in Baghdad and $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 51% 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: $29.00 in Baghdad vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $164 vs $258 per month, with Baghdad cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Baghdad

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

16:57 4:57 PM

08:57 8:57 AM

8 h behind Baghdad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,216,040 Capital

149,923

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.78 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to IQD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Baghdad Playa del Carmen 12,110 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Baghdad
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

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

Baghdad wins on cost – living expenses run 21% 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 51% 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: $513 in Baghdad versus $1,008 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 38% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $145 in Baghdad versus $204 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,001 in Baghdad versus $1,210 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 $1,001 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 21% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.