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: $1,330 in Playa del Carmen versus $726 in Al Fallujah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,336 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,074 in Al Fallujah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,341 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,421 in Al Fallujah.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 83% more expensive than in Al Fallujah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Al Fallujah 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.02 MX$221

$4.68 IQD 6,133

178.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.25 MX$784

$38.91 IQD 51.0K

18.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.59 MX$213

$7.64 IQD 10.0K

64.79%

Cappuccino

$4.00 MX$67.9

$3.35 IQD 4,387

19.40%

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

$1.42 MX$24.08

$0.39 IQD 512

264.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 MX$13.73

$0.24 IQD 314

237.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 MX$51.7

$3.92 IQD 5,138

-22.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 MX$116

$3.76 IQD 4,922

81.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.04

$1.09 IQD 1,433

56.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$37.62

$0.78 IQD 1,020

184.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.13

$1.57 IQD 2,051

9.55%

Eggs

$2.71 MX$45.99

$1.88 IQD 2,458

44.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.37 MX$159

$3.89 IQD 5,093

140.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 MX$150

$4.75 IQD 6,222

86.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 MX$217

$14.57 IQD 19.1K

-12.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 MX$53.0

$1.11 IQD 1,449

181.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.24

$1.05 IQD 1,371

47.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.51

$1.00 IQD 1,305

115.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 MX$39.89

$0.75 IQD 979

213.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$34.23

$0.71 IQD 924

184.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.67

$0.70 IQD 912

184.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.09

$0.66 IQD 870

87.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$20.21

$0.70 IQD 920

70.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 MX$78.8

$1.87 IQD 2,447

148.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 MX$177

$13.66 IQD 17.9K

-23.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$26.82

$2.24 IQD 2,929

-29.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 MX$49.48

$2.16 IQD 2,828

35.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.53

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.76 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.32 MX$90.2

$2.33 IQD 3,052

128.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.72 MX$63.0

$1.55 IQD 2,025

140.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.9

$7.54 IQD 9,874

-23.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.27

$0.66 IQD 870

134.85%

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

$22.4K MX$379.1K

$19.3K IQD 25.3M

15.65%

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

$25.6K MX$433.3K

$19.3K IQD 25.2M

32.79%

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

$89.3 MX$1,513

$218 IQD 285.5K

-59.05%

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

$23.30 MX$395

$21.11 IQD 27.6K

10.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.72 MX$538

$42.19 IQD 55.3K

-24.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,165

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.40 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$5.06 MX$85.7

$10.81 IQD 14.2K

-53.19%

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

$222 MX$3,765

$169 IQD 221.6K

31.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,293 MX$72.7K

$3,414 IQD 4.5M

25.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.21 MX$783

$31.52 IQD 41.3K

46.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.43 MX$753

$39.33 IQD 51.5K

12.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 MX$1,618

$75.2 IQD 98.5K

26.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.5 MX$1,568

$49.72 IQD 65.1K

86.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 MX$6,663

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,988 MX$33.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 MX$22.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,037 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,627 MX$112.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$747 MX$12.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

4.12

181.55%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 18, 2026

Last update for Al Fallujah: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $46.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $39.00 in Al Fallujah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 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 83% 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 $1,995 in Playa del Carmen and $1,090 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.

Childcare runs $222 in Playa del Carmen versus $169 in Al Fallujah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Al Fallujah – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $46.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $726 in Al Fallujah versus $1,330 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 $726 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 83% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.