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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $928 in Al Fallujah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,408 in Al Fallujah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,889 in Al Fallujah.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 37% more expensive than Al Fallujah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Al Fallujah 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$5.35 IQD 7,001

121.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$35.88 IQD 47.0K

19.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$7.61 IQD 9,966

39.95%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$3.07 IQD 4,020

12.38%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.36 IQD 477

316.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.19 IQD 246

400.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$3.39 IQD 4,445

-10.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.85 IQD 3,729

61.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.36 IQD 1,785

1.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.80 IQD 1,043

131.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.66 IQD 2,175

-3.01%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.78 IQD 2,336

45.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$4.54 IQD 5,947

81.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$4.90 IQD 6,422

70.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$14.26 IQD 18.7K

-25.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.23 IQD 1,608

113.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.17 IQD 1,530

27.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.06 IQD 1,388

81.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$0.73 IQD 956

186.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.64 IQD 836

190.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.67 IQD 878

237.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.68 IQD 884

55.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.67 IQD 878

62.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.13 IQD 2,789

94.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$13.46 IQD 17.6K

-22.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.86 IQD 2,434

-7.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.17 IQD 2,843

20.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.36 IQD 474

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$31.19 IQD 40.8K

-13.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$3.75 IQD 4,913

-16.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.55 IQD 2,029

61.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$7.74 IQD 10.1K

-59.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.53 IQD 689

139.62%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$19.7K IQD 25.8M

54.16%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$20.3K IQD 26.5M

16.35%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$179 IQD 234.3K

-53.61%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$26.20 IQD 34.3K

-13.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$40.33 IQD 52.8K

-26.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$37.46 IQD 49.1K

36.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$16.70 IQD 21.9K

9.76%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$7.70 IQD 10.1K

-35.97%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$167 IQD 218.7K

18.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$3,548 IQD 4.6M

48.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$28.50 IQD 37.3K

29.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$30.82 IQD 40.4K

29.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$65.0 IQD 85.1K

23.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$43.45 IQD 56.9K

105.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$247 IQD 323.5K

287.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$177 IQD 231.1K

170.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$574 IQD 751.7K

186.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$347 IQD 454.4K

252.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Al Fallujah: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $247 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 $250 vs $192 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 37% 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 $1,906 in Playa del Carmen and $1,391 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $247 in Al Fallujah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $928 in Al Fallujah versus $1,271 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 $928 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 37% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.