Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Al Fallujah Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Al Fallujah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $925 in Al Fallujah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,379 in Al Fallujah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,833 in Al Fallujah.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 39% more expensive than Al Fallujah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Al Fallujah 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$5.50 IQD 7,207

117.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$36.07 IQD 47.3K

18.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$7.71 IQD 10.1K

37.35%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$2.98 IQD 3,904

21.48%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.39 IQD 514

276.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.16 IQD 214

487.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$3.46 IQD 4,527

-10.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.81 IQD 3,686

58.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.32 IQD 1,730

8.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$0.77 IQD 1,008

144.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.64 IQD 2,155

-0.61%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$1.80 IQD 2,361

46.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$4.49 IQD 5,879

82.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$4.80 IQD 6,283

72.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$13.86 IQD 18.2K

-19.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$1.26 IQD 1,657

110.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.21 IQD 1,581

23.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.01 IQD 1,327

97.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$0.74 IQD 964

181.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$0.68 IQD 893

163.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$0.64 IQD 838

240.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.68 IQD 887

58.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.65 IQD 852

60.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$2.08 IQD 2,724

90.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$13.34 IQD 17.5K

-23.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.82 IQD 2,385

-4.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.15 IQD 2,814

16.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.36 IQD 473

44.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$30.93 IQD 40.5K

-12.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$3.76 IQD 4,928

-16.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$1.55 IQD 2,028

54.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$7.45 IQD 9,764

-58.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$0.53 IQD 693

139.62%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$19.9K IQD 26.1M

54.97%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$19.6K IQD 25.6M

19.13%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$180 IQD 235.4K

-54.37%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$25.68 IQD 33.6K

-12.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$40.08 IQD 52.5K

-26.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$36.26 IQD 47.5K

43.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$16.68 IQD 21.8K

11.93%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$7.46 IQD 9,776

-33.38%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$164 IQD 215.3K

20.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$3,582 IQD 4.7M

47.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$28.67 IQD 37.6K

26.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$30.29 IQD 39.7K

32.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$65.1 IQD 85.3K

22.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$42.69 IQD 55.9K

108.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$242 IQD 316.9K

298.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$177 IQD 232.3K

162.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$587 IQD 769.4K

171.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$338 IQD 443.2K

257.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.67

101.41%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Al Fallujah: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $242 in Al Fallujah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $36.00 in Al Fallujah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $189 per month, with Al Fallujah 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

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

Al Fallujah wins on cost – living expenses run 39% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Al Fallujah the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,930 in Playa del Carmen and $1,387 in Al Fallujah to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $242 in Al Fallujah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $164 in Al Fallujah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $925 in Al Fallujah versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Al Fallujah but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Al Fallujah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Al Fallujah delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $925 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Al Fallujah hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Al Fallujah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.