Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Al-'amarah

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-'amarah: $662 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Al-'amarah
Learn more

Al-'amarah Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Al-'amarah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$662

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Al-'amarah

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 Al-'amarah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,210 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $662 in Al-'amarah, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,210
Al-'amarah $662

A couple spends around $2,113 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,031 in Al-'amarah, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,113
Al-'amarah $1,031

A family of three spends $3,016 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,400 in Al-'amarah, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,016
Al-'amarah $1,400

Playa del Carmen costs about 83% more than Al-'amarah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Al-'amarah are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 10% lower, Al-'amarah 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.76 MX$199

$3.93 IQD 5,936

173.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.03 MX$795

$21.93 IQD 33.1K

96.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$218

$6.22 IQD 9,391

89.55%

Cappuccino

$3.87 MX$71.4

$2.08 IQD 3,146

86.06%

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

$1.37 MX$25.29

$0.33 IQD 502

315.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 MX$15.44

$0.20 IQD 304

320.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 MX$57.3

$3.22 IQD 4,863

-3.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 MX$93.6

$2.90 IQD 4,384

74.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.55

$0.99 IQD 1,501

45.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 MX$41.23

$0.67 IQD 1,006

232.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$1.36 IQD 2,061

8.09%

Eggs

$2.53 MX$46.71

$1.57 IQD 2,368

61.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 MX$135

$3.72 IQD 5,616

96.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 MX$145

$4.21 IQD 6,361

86.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.79 MX$236

$11.50 IQD 17.4K

11.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.6

$0.93 IQD 1,405

211.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.53

$0.93 IQD 1,411

54.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.07

$0.90 IQD 1,362

183.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$38.03

$0.61 IQD 921

237.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$36.97

$0.56 IQD 846

257.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.07

$0.61 IQD 924

229.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 MX$22.02

$0.52 IQD 782

128.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$23.23

$0.51 IQD 770

147.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 MX$81.4

$1.83 IQD 2,765

140.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.59 MX$177

$12.08 IQD 18.3K

-20.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.41

$1.60 IQD 2,412

-0.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 MX$51.9

$1.78 IQD 2,683

57.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$10.47

$0.45 IQD 680

26.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 MX$514

$19.17 IQD 29.0K

45.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 MX$92.1

$1.81 IQD 2,734

175.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 MX$64.6

$1.13 IQD 1,712

209.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 MX$99.8

$5.76 IQD 8,707

-6.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.08

$0.54 IQD 813

172.22%

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

$21.0K MX$387.8K

$16.4K IQD 24.8M

27.68%

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

$23.9K MX$441.8K

$15.1K IQD 22.8M

58.19%

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

$84.2 MX$1,556

$96.2 IQD 145.4K

-12.47%

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

$23.99 MX$443

$13.00 IQD 19.7K

84.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.02 MX$536

$24.03 IQD 36.3K

20.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.0 MX$1,164

$37.10 IQD 56.1K

69.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.14 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$4.94 MX$91.3

$8.87 IQD 13.4K

-44.31%

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

$204 MX$3,763

$153 IQD 231.6K

32.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,941 MX$72.8K

$2,868 IQD 4.3M

37.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.60 MX$806

$22.93 IQD 34.6K

90.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.12 MX$797

$21.34 IQD 32.2K

102.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.8 MX$1,400

$51.9 IQD 78.4K

46.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 MX$1,637

$34.23 IQD 51.7K

158.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 MX$18.6K

$178 IQD 268.4K

467.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 MX$6,911

$129 IQD 195.4K

189.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.6K

$371 IQD 561.0K

360.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 MX$20.4K

$298 IQD 449.9K

271.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,944 MX$72.9K

$717 IQD 1.1M

450.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,169 MX$114.0K

$573 IQD 865.9K

976.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$754 MX$13.9K

$435 IQD 657.8K

73.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

3.33

243.84%

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 Al-'amarah: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9%

Al-'amarah

$129 19.5% 65.4% $245

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4%

Al-'amarah

$159 24% 38.6% $100

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7%

Al-'amarah

$99 15% 51% $103

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3%

Al-'amarah

$133 20.1% 2.9% $4

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3%

Al-'amarah

$59 8.9% 48.1% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$73 6%

Al-'amarah

$55 8.3% 24.8% $18

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3%

Al-'amarah

$28 4.3% 45.9% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,008 in Playa del Carmen versus $178 in Al-'amarah. 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 73% 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 $22.00 in Al-'amarah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $159 – making Al-'amarah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇮🇶 Al-'amarah

🕒 Local time

12:28 12:28 PM

20:28 8:28 PM

8 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

511,542

💱 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 Al-'amarah 12,410 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Al-'amarah

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 Al-'amarah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 83%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,816 per month in Playa del Carmen and $993 in Al-'amarah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 63% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $22.00 in Al-'amarah. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Al-'amarah, where all-in costs run around $662, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,210. In Al-'amarah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Al-'amarah. 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.