Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Erbil and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Erbil: $960 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Erbil
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Erbil Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Erbil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$960

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $960 per month in Erbil vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Erbil $960
Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $1,439 per month in Erbil vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Erbil $1,439
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,918 per month in Erbil vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Erbil $1,918
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Erbil is about 20% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Erbil and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Erbil 29% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.65 IQD 10.1K

$10.67 MX$198

-37.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.28 IQD 56.3K

$43.80 MX$813

-14.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.27 IQD 11.0K

$11.79 MX$219

-38.34%

Cappuccino

$3.25 IQD 4,914

$3.79 MX$70.3

-14.25%

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

$0.89 IQD 1,350

$1.30 MX$24.07

-31.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 IQD 545

$0.83 MX$15.47

-56.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.76 IQD 8,706

$3.15 MX$58.4

82.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 IQD 6,834

$4.93 MX$91.6

-8.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 IQD 1,587

$1.41 MX$26.14

-25.53%

White Bread (500g)

$0.64 IQD 970

$2.20 MX$40.75

-70.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 IQD 2,180

$1.47 MX$27.33

-2.04%

Eggs

$1.52 IQD 2,298

$2.50 MX$46.34

-39.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.04 IQD 10.6K

$7.29 MX$135

-3.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 IQD 6,661

$7.95 MX$148

-44.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 IQD 19.1K

$12.86 MX$239

-1.71%

Apples (1kg)

$0.99 IQD 1,501

$2.90 MX$53.8

-65.86%

Banana (1kg)

$0.99 IQD 1,493

$1.38 MX$25.67

-28.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.07 IQD 1,612

$2.49 MX$46.23

-57.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.69 IQD 1,050

$2.03 MX$37.67

-66.01%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 IQD 972

$2.02 MX$37.58

-68.32%

Onion (1kg)

$0.57 IQD 865

$1.90 MX$35.32

-70.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 IQD 998

$1.14 MX$21.24

-42.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 IQD 770

$1.24 MX$22.99

-58.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.12 IQD 3,209

$4.27 MX$79.3

-50.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.56 IQD 16.0K

$9.81 MX$182

7.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 IQD 2,209

$1.59 MX$29.43

-8.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 IQD 2,750

$2.75 MX$51.0

-33.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 IQD 759

$0.51 MX$9.56

-1.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.67 IQD 59.9K

$27.39 MX$508

44.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 IQD 2,520

$4.76 MX$88.4

-64.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 IQD 2,325

$3.25 MX$60.3

-52.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.48 IQD 8,286

$5.39 MX$100

1.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.58 IQD 884

$1.53 MX$28.36

-62.09%

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

$16.7K IQD 25.3M

$21.2K MX$393.7K

-21.10%

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

$17.0K IQD 25.7M

$23.3K MX$431.7K

-26.81%

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

$116 IQD 174.8K

$83.5 MX$1,549

38.53%

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

$11.96 IQD 18.1K

$23.19 MX$430

-48.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.50 IQD 37.0K

$27.61 MX$512

-11.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.0 IQD 86.1K

$56.4 MX$1,047

0.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.43 IQD 20.3K

$28.19 MX$523

-52.36%

Cinema Ticket

$9.99 IQD 15.1K

$5.00 MX$92.8

99.80%

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

$297 IQD 448.2K

$207 MX$3,843

43.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,080 IQD 6.2M

$5,231 MX$97.1K

-22.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.29 IQD 39.7K

$43.45 MX$806

-39.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.72 IQD 58.5K

$42.54 MX$789

-8.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.8 IQD 91.8K

$72.8 MX$1,350

-16.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.8 IQD 88.9K

$88.4 MX$1,640

-33.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$441 IQD 666.1K

$995 MX$18.5K

-55.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$268 IQD 404.7K

$382 MX$7,097

-29.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$696 IQD 1.1M

$1,674 MX$31.1K

-58.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$414 IQD 626.0K

$1,081 MX$20.1K

-61.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,047 IQD 1.6M

$3,909 MX$72.5K

-73.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$600 IQD 906.7K

$6,138 MX$113.9K

-90.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$514 IQD 776.4K

$832 MX$15.4K

-38.26%

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 Erbil: November 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Erbil

$268 27.9%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8% 42.8% $115

Groceries & Markets

Erbil

$172 18%

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4% 49.3% $85

Eating Out

Erbil

$157 16.3%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7% 27.6% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Erbil

$152 15.8%

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2% 11.7% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Erbil

$83 8.7%

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3% 33.9% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Erbil

$77 8%

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5% 13.7% $11

Getting Around

Erbil

$51 5.3%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 1.2% $0.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $441 in Erbil versus $995 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 62% higher in Playa del Carmen. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Erbil versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $172 vs $257 – making Erbil the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Erbil

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

01:16 1:16 AM

17:16 5:16 PM

8 h behind Erbil

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,713,461

149,923

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR

100 MXN = 5.39 USD

100 MXN = 4.8 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 November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,696 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18.56 MXN (100 MXN = 5.39 USD). 1 EUR = 20.83 MXN (100 MXN = 4.8 EUR).

USD to IQD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Erbil Playa del Carmen 11,870 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Erbil
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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 25%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,441 per month in Erbil and $1,804 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Erbil, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $441 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

Groceries cost about 49% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Erbil and $44 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $960 in Erbil to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Erbil. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.