Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ad Diwaniyah

For one person, living is cheaper in Ad Diwaniyah: $570 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index
28

Cost of Living Index in Ad Diwaniyah
Learn more

Ad Diwaniyah Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Ad Diwaniyah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$570

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Ad Diwaniyah

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Ad Diwaniyah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,210 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $570 in Ad Diwaniyah, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,210
Ad Diwaniyah $570

A couple spends around $2,113 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $904 in Ad Diwaniyah, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,113
Ad Diwaniyah $904

A family of three spends $3,016 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,237 in Ad Diwaniyah, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,016
Ad Diwaniyah $1,237

Playa del Carmen costs about 112% more than Ad Diwaniyah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Ad Diwaniyah are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 10% lower, Ad Diwaniyah 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.76 MX$199

$2.83 IQD 4,276

280.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.03 MX$795

$9.77 IQD 14.8K

340.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$218

$4.70 IQD 7,108

150.85%

Cappuccino

$3.87 MX$71.4

$1.69 IQD 2,549

128.99%

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

$1.37 MX$25.29

$0.33 IQD 493

315.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 MX$15.44

$0.20 IQD 302

320.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 MX$57.3

$3.35 IQD 5,066

-7.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 MX$93.6

$3.22 IQD 4,861

57.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.55

$0.95 IQD 1,442

51.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 MX$41.23

$0.65 IQD 980

243.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$1.17 IQD 1,763

25.64%

Eggs

$2.53 MX$46.71

$1.63 IQD 2,469

55.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 MX$135

$3.26 IQD 4,924

123.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 MX$145

$3.33 IQD 5,032

136.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.79 MX$236

$10.13 IQD 15.3K

26.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.6

$0.67 IQD 1,017

332.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.53

$0.65 IQD 977

121.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.07

$0.64 IQD 965

298.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$38.03

$0.64 IQD 974

221.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$36.97

$0.59 IQD 895

238.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.07

$0.56 IQD 852

258.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 MX$22.02

$0.32 IQD 476

271.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$23.23

$0.57 IQD 867

121.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 MX$81.4

$1.63 IQD 2,458

169.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.59 MX$177

$3.33 IQD 5,024

187.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.41

$1.92 IQD 2,895

-17.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 MX$51.9

$1.94 IQD 2,929

44.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$10.47

$0.45 IQD 687

26.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 MX$514

$21.45 IQD 32.4K

29.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 MX$92.1

$2.02 IQD 3,046

146.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 MX$64.6

$0.84 IQD 1,269

316.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 MX$99.8

$6.68 IQD 10.1K

-19.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.08

$0.31 IQD 475

374.19%

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

$21.0K MX$387.8K

$16.5K IQD 25.0M

26.89%

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

$23.9K MX$441.8K

$16.4K IQD 24.8M

45.88%

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

$84.2 MX$1,556

$32.58 IQD 49.2K

158.47%

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

$23.99 MX$443

$14.58 IQD 22.0K

64.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.02 MX$536

$32.98 IQD 49.8K

-12.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.0 MX$1,164

$37.85 IQD 57.2K

66.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.14 MX$539

$6.75 IQD 10.2K

331.70%

Cinema Ticket

$4.94 MX$91.3

$6.64 IQD 10.0K

-25.60%

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

$204 MX$3,763

$66.5 IQD 100.4K

206.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,941 MX$72.8K

$2,972 IQD 4.5M

32.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.60 MX$806

$25.11 IQD 37.9K

73.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.12 MX$797

$27.75 IQD 41.9K

55.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.8 MX$1,400

$59.9 IQD 90.6K

26.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 MX$1,637

$42.57 IQD 64.3K

108.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 MX$18.6K

$175 IQD 263.9K

477.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 MX$6,911

$129 IQD 194.6K

190.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.6K

$375 IQD 566.2K

355.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 MX$20.4K

$317 IQD 478.5K

249.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,944 MX$72.9K

$814 IQD 1.2M

384.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,169 MX$114.0K

$632 IQD 954.8K

876.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$754 MX$13.9K

$328 IQD 495.6K

129.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.12

177.91%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Last update for Ad Diwaniyah: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9%

Ad Diwaniyah

$129 22.6% 65.6% $245

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4%

Ad Diwaniyah

$128 22.5% 50.4% $130

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7%

Ad Diwaniyah

$82 14.4% 59.3% $120

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3%

Ad Diwaniyah

$80 14.1% 41.6% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3%

Ad Diwaniyah

$70 12.3% 38.1% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$73 6%

Ad Diwaniyah

$51 9% 29.8% $22

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3%

Ad Diwaniyah

$29 5.2% 43.9% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,008 in Playa del Carmen versus $175 in Ad Diwaniyah. 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 130% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $10.00 in Ad Diwaniyah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $128 – making Ad Diwaniyah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇮🇶 Ad Diwaniyah

🕒 Local time

12:28 12:28 PM

20:28 8:28 PM

8 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

650,927

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

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).

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).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Ad Diwaniyah 12,250 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Ad Diwaniyah

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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 112%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,816 per month in Playa del Carmen and $855 in Ad Diwaniyah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ad Diwaniyah, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $204 per month in Playa del Carmen and $66.5 in Ad Diwaniyah. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 102% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ad Diwaniyah, where all-in costs run around $570, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,210. In Ad Diwaniyah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ad Diwaniyah – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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