Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Duhok and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Duhok: $608 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Duhok
Learn more

Duhok Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Duhok

🇮🇶 Iraq

$608

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $608 in Duhok versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Duhok $608
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $978 in Duhok versus $2,102 in Playa del Carmen.

Duhok $978
Playa del Carmen $2,102

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,349 in Duhok versus $3,000 in Playa del Carmen.

Duhok $1,349
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Living in Duhok costs roughly 50% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Duhok 55% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.38 IQD 5,111

$10.86 MX$201

-68.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.59 IQD 25.1K

$44.21 MX$817

-62.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.40 IQD 11.2K

$11.76 MX$217

-37.07%

Cappuccino

$2.43 IQD 3,665

$3.68 MX$68.0

-33.97%

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

$0.32 IQD 481

$1.34 MX$24.79

-76.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.19 IQD 294

$0.82 MX$15.24

-76.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 IQD 2,550

$3.06 MX$56.6

-44.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 IQD 2,932

$4.94 MX$91.2

-60.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 IQD 1,680

$1.47 MX$27.17

-24.49%

White Bread (500g)

$0.67 IQD 1,016

$2.22 MX$40.95

-69.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 IQD 2,232

$1.48 MX$27.32

Eggs

$1.58 IQD 2,391

$2.49 MX$45.99

-36.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.87 IQD 7,359

$7.52 MX$139

-35.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.96 IQD 4,478

$7.96 MX$147

-62.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.95 IQD 16.6K

$12.57 MX$232

-12.89%

Apples (1kg)

$0.99 IQD 1,489

$2.78 MX$51.3

-64.39%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 IQD 1,461

$1.43 MX$26.37

-32.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.75 IQD 1,136

$2.62 MX$48.37

-71.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 IQD 959

$2.14 MX$39.49

-70.56%

Potato (1kg)

$0.61 IQD 919

$2.02 MX$37.38

-69.80%

Onion (1kg)

$0.62 IQD 940

$1.99 MX$36.74

-68.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 IQD 926

$1.14 MX$21.01

-46.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 IQD 787

$1.20 MX$22.18

-56.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.73 IQD 2,609

$4.26 MX$78.7

-59.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.97 IQD 16.6K

$10.02 MX$185

9.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 IQD 2,121

$1.54 MX$28.41

-9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 IQD 2,700

$2.66 MX$49.17

-32.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 IQD 459

$0.53 MX$9.73

-43.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.64 IQD 23.6K

$27.51 MX$508

-43.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 IQD 2,420

$4.90 MX$90.6

-67.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 IQD 1,945

$3.43 MX$63.5

-62.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.52 IQD 8,343

$5.38 MX$99.4

2.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.54 IQD 819

$1.45 MX$26.76

-62.76%

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

$16.6K IQD 25.1M

$21.2K MX$391.0K

-21.46%

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

$17.1K IQD 25.9M

$23.0K MX$425.3K

-25.67%

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

$87.3 IQD 131.8K

$85.4 MX$1,577

2.21%

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

$8.86 IQD 13.4K

$23.46 MX$434

-62.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.83 IQD 36.0K

$28.43 MX$525

-16.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.1 IQD 75.7K

$62.2 MX$1,149

-19.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 IQD 40.1K

$28.68 MX$530

-7.43%

Cinema Ticket

$7.52 IQD 11.4K

$5.10 MX$94.3

47.45%

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

$106 IQD 160.6K

$201 MX$3,715

-47.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,727 IQD 4.1M

$3,947 MX$72.9K

-30.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.02 IQD 15.1K

$44.39 MX$820

-77.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.32 IQD 30.7K

$41.35 MX$764

-50.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$30.27 IQD 45.7K

$72.7 MX$1,344

-58.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$19.60 IQD 29.6K

$89.6 MX$1,656

-78.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$157 IQD 237.0K

$979 MX$18.1K

-83.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$116 IQD 174.7K

$373 MX$6,887

-68.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$329 IQD 496.7K

$1,681 MX$31.1K

-80.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$324 IQD 489.1K

$1,095 MX$20.2K

-70.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$445 IQD 671.8K

$3,949 MX$73.0K

-88.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$362 IQD 547.1K

$6,137 MX$113.4K

-94.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$415 IQD 627.4K

$738 MX$13.6K

-43.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.53

11.45

-77.90%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Duhok: October 18, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Duhok

$154 25.3%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 68.2% $105

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Duhok

$120 19.7%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 14.4% $17

Accommodation & Living

Duhok

$116 19%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 222% $257

Eating Out

Duhok

$93 15.3%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 116% $107

Sport & Entertainment

Duhok

$65 10.7%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 11.1% $7.2

Clothing & Footwear

Duhok

$36 5.9%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 209% $76

Getting Around

Duhok

$25 4.1%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 108% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $157 in Duhok and $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 78% 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: $17.00 in Duhok vs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $154 vs $258 per month, with Duhok cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Duhok

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

00:35 12:35 AM

16:35 4:35 PM

8 h behind Duhok

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,900

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 23, 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 23, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to IQD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Duhok Playa del Carmen 11,750 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Duhok
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

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

Duhok and Playa del Carmen differ by about 98% in total monthly costs ($608 vs $1,204 including rent). Duhok is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 78% 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: $157 in Duhok versus $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $106 in Duhok versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 68% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $608 in Duhok versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Duhok but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Duhok 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.

Safety-wise, Duhok and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Duhok gentler on the wallet – expenses run 98% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.