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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $739 in Basra versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,368 in Basra versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,996 in Basra versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Basra costs roughly 41% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Basra 45% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.79 IQD 4,959

$11.99 MX$210

-68.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.30 IQD 33.1K

$41.78 MX$733

-39.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.74 IQD 8,831

$10.75 MX$189

-37.30%

Cappuccino

$2.03 IQD 2,656

$3.50 MX$61.3

-42.00%

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

$0.47 IQD 612

$1.45 MX$25.41

-67.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 IQD 452

$0.88 MX$15.52

-60.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.72 IQD 4,866

$2.95 MX$51.7

26.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 IQD 3,391

$4.51 MX$79.1

-42.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 IQD 1,608

$1.43 MX$25.12

-13.99%

White Bread (500g)

$0.70 IQD 922

$1.84 MX$32.23

-61.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 IQD 1,906

$1.57 MX$27.51

-7.01%

Eggs

$1.88 IQD 2,467

$2.51 MX$44.06

-25.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 IQD 10.8K

$8.28 MX$145

-0.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.93 IQD 9,071

$8.43 MX$148

-17.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.13 IQD 17.2K

$10.68 MX$187

22.94%

Apples (1kg)

$1.05 IQD 1,370

$2.61 MX$45.76

-59.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 IQD 1,756

$1.44 MX$25.22

-6.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.00 IQD 1,316

$1.96 MX$34.41

-48.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.59 IQD 774

$2.09 MX$36.74

-71.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 IQD 894

$1.85 MX$32.47

-63.24%

Onion (1kg)

$0.60 IQD 789

$2.17 MX$38.02

-72.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.78 IQD 1,022

$1.03 MX$18.09

-24.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 IQD 542

$1.07 MX$18.84

-61.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.95 IQD 2,559

$4.10 MX$72.0

-52.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.18 IQD 17.3K

$10.17 MX$178

29.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 IQD 3,957

$1.68 MX$29.38

79.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 IQD 5,139

$2.53 MX$44.31

54.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 IQD 479

$0.51 MX$8.93

-27.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.11 IQD 30.3K

$26.04 MX$457

-11.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.28 IQD 2,992

$3.23 MX$56.7

-29.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 IQD 2,957

$2.41 MX$42.19

-6.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.93 IQD 9,071

$3.23 MX$56.6

114.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.56 IQD 732

$1.32 MX$23.17

-57.58%

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

$13.1K IQD 17.2M

$29.7K MX$520.9K

-55.76%

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

$22.6K IQD 29.6M

$23.7K MX$415.0K

-4.42%

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

$56.7 IQD 74.2K

$82.0 MX$1,439

-30.89%

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

$25.66 IQD 33.6K

$22.95 MX$403

11.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.60 IQD 50.5K

$30.11 MX$528

28.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.33 IQD 47.6K

$52.0 MX$912

-30.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.54 IQD 20.4K

$18.53 MX$325

-16.14%

Cinema Ticket

$7.82 IQD 10.2K

$4.98 MX$87.3

57.03%

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

$98.0 IQD 128.3K

$197 MX$3,463

-50.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,807 IQD 5.0M

$5,336 MX$93.6K

-28.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.66 IQD 55.9K

$35.60 MX$624

19.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.58 IQD 27.0K

$40.33 MX$707

-48.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 IQD 91.9K

$78.8 MX$1,381

-10.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.08 IQD 53.8K

$88.9 MX$1,560

-53.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$445 IQD 582.7K

$947 MX$16.6K

-53.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$136 IQD 178.0K

$474 MX$8,314

-71.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 IQD 1.2M

$1,644 MX$28.8K

-44.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 IQD 851.8K

$1,211 MX$21.2K

-46.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,605 IQD 2.1M

$4,056 MX$71.1K

-60.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$783 IQD 1.0M

$6,470 MX$113.5K

-87.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$752 IQD 985.3K

$654 MX$11.5K

15.06%

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 Basra: July 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $445 in Basra and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basra pays 15% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $25.00 in Basra vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $212 vs $249 per month, with Basra 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

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

Basra and Playa del Carmen differ by about 70% in total monthly costs ($739 vs $1,256 including rent). Basra is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 15% higher in Basra, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $445 in Basra versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Basra – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $739 in Basra versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Basra but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Basra 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.

Expats usually find Basra gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.