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: $1,239 in Playa del Carmen versus $712 in Al Fallujah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,168 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,055 in Al Fallujah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,096 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,397 in Al Fallujah.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 74% more expensive than in Al Fallujah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 8% lower, Al Fallujah 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.17 MX$203

$4.81 IQD 6,298

132.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.61 MX$810

$34.50 IQD 45.2K

29.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.91 MX$216

$7.60 IQD 9,950

56.71%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$69.3

$3.19 IQD 4,176

19.44%

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

$1.38 MX$24.97

$0.37 IQD 484

272.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 MX$14.46

$0.24 IQD 312

233.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$56.6

$3.72 IQD 4,865

-16.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.97 MX$90.2

$3.73 IQD 4,887

33.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$27.42

$1.04 IQD 1,366

45.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 MX$40.77

$0.77 IQD 1,013

192.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 MX$27.35

$1.58 IQD 2,072

-4.43%

Eggs

$2.46 MX$44.73

$1.86 IQD 2,434

32.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.50 MX$136

$3.81 IQD 4,993

96.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.07 MX$146

$4.80 IQD 6,283

68.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.08 MX$238

$14.60 IQD 19.1K

-10.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 MX$51.5

$1.17 IQD 1,535

141.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 MX$26.78

$1.10 IQD 1,444

33.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 MX$48.90

$1.03 IQD 1,344

161.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$37.75

$0.79 IQD 1,036

163.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 MX$35.52

$0.67 IQD 873

192.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$36.51

$0.65 IQD 846

209.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 MX$21.97

$0.64 IQD 837

89.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 MX$22.34

$0.66 IQD 864

86.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.46 MX$81.0

$1.79 IQD 2,350

149.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.98 MX$181

$13.53 IQD 17.7K

-26.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 MX$29.62

$2.22 IQD 2,904

-26.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 MX$50.8

$2.18 IQD 2,861

28.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.58 MX$10.50

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.28 MX$514

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.85 MX$88.1

$2.35 IQD 3,079

106.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 MX$63.5

$1.50 IQD 1,961

133.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.65 MX$103

$7.85 IQD 10.3K

-28.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$26.43

$0.62 IQD 814

135.48%

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

$21.4K MX$388.4K

$19.0K IQD 24.8M

12.75%

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

$24.0K MX$435.6K

$18.9K IQD 24.8M

26.69%

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

$86.3 MX$1,568

$211 IQD 276.3K

-59.08%

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

$23.96 MX$435

$21.72 IQD 28.4K

10.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.93 MX$525

$41.22 IQD 54.0K

-29.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.6 MX$1,174

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.07 MX$528

Cinema Ticket

$5.13 MX$93.1

$10.56 IQD 13.8K

-51.42%

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

$211 MX$3,838

$167 IQD 218.7K

26.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,045 MX$73.4K

$3,523 IQD 4.6M

14.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.23 MX$803

$29.18 IQD 38.2K

51.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.35 MX$787

$37.70 IQD 49.4K

14.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.9 MX$1,396

$74.3 IQD 97.3K

3.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,605

$47.05 IQD 61.6K

87.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$996 MX$18.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 MX$6,874

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,767 MX$32.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,127 MX$20.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,010 MX$72.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,392 MX$116.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$768 MX$14.0K

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: September 27, 2026

Last update for Al Fallujah: September 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $45.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $35.00 in Al Fallujah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $263 vs $188 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 74% 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 $1,859 in Playa del Carmen and $1,068 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 $211 in Playa del Carmen versus $167 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 $35.00 versus $45.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $712 in Al Fallujah versus $1,239 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 $712 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 74% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.