Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Al Hillah

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Hillah: $693 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Al Hillah
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Al Hillah Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Al Hillah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$693

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Hillah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $693 in Al Hillah, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Al Hillah $693

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,067 in Al Hillah, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Al Hillah $1,067

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,442 in Al Hillah, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Al Hillah $1,442

Playa del Carmen costs about 74% more than Al Hillah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Al Hillah are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Al Hillah 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$4.69 IQD 7,083

132.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$813

$26.52 IQD 40.1K

63.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$5.51 IQD 8,326

113.79%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.4

$2.69 IQD 4,068

41.64%

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

$1.28 MX$24.03

$0.34 IQD 519

276.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.67

$0.20 IQD 309

290.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.3

$2.73 IQD 4,121

16.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.5

$3.35 IQD 5,063

47.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.35

$0.97 IQD 1,463

45.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.54

$0.64 IQD 963

246.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.56

$1.38 IQD 2,080

2.90%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.27

$1.54 IQD 2,330

63.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

$3.36 IQD 5,083

116.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

$4.01 IQD 6,065

92.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

$12.29 IQD 18.6K

3.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.2

$0.96 IQD 1,450

189.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.64

$0.95 IQD 1,443

44.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.80

$0.90 IQD 1,367

183.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.78

$0.68 IQD 1,032

211.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.32

$0.58 IQD 883

234.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.34

$0.60 IQD 912

215.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.49

$0.52 IQD 786

121.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.09

$0.52 IQD 780

126.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.5

$1.66 IQD 2,515

159.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$186

$11.71 IQD 17.7K

-15.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.67

$1.90 IQD 2,876

-16.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

$1.96 IQD 2,966

36.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.37

$0.34 IQD 518

61.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$499

$55.0 IQD 83.1K

-51.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.1

$1.96 IQD 2,968

153.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.4

$1.28 IQD 1,939

160.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$100

$2.98 IQD 4,506

79.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.06

$0.50 IQD 757

188.00%

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

$20.7K MX$387.3K

$14.8K IQD 22.4M

39.27%

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

$23.5K MX$439.7K

$16.6K IQD 25.1M

41.36%

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

$84.8 MX$1,589

$65.1 IQD 98.3K

30.31%

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

$23.41 MX$439

$13.34 IQD 20.2K

75.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$537

$33.35 IQD 50.4K

-14.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,069

$19.62 IQD 29.7K

190.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$542

$16.36 IQD 24.7K

76.71%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.3

$6.44 IQD 9,724

-20.19%

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

$207 MX$3,871

$81.2 IQD 122.6K

154.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.6K

$664 IQD 1.0M

491.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$812

$18.98 IQD 28.7K

128.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$777

$21.34 IQD 32.2K

94.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,390

$57.8 IQD 87.4K

28.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,672

$42.36 IQD 64.0K

110.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$245 IQD 369.5K

300.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,136

$151 IQD 228.6K

151.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.0K

$436 IQD 659.1K

291.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.1K

$258 IQD 389.8K

316.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.9K

$1,477 IQD 2.2M

167.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.4K

$483 IQD 729.4K

1175.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$436 IQD 659.3K

68.35%

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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Al Hillah: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Al Hillah

$151 21.8% 60.3% $230

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Al Hillah

$160 23.2% 37% $94

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Al Hillah

$109 15.7% 46.2% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Al Hillah

$112 16.1% 18.3% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Al Hillah

$63 9.1% 43.4% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Al Hillah

$32 4.7% 51.7% $35

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Al Hillah

$65 9.4% 28.4% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $245 in Al Hillah. 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 68% 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 in Playa del Carmen versus $27 in Al Hillah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $160 – making Al Hillah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇮🇶 Al Hillah

🕒 Local time

09:35 9:35 AM

17:35 5:35 PM

8 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

1,729,666

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.93 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,686 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Al Hillah 12,180 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Al Hillah

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 Hillah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 74%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,039 in Al Hillah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Al Hillah, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $245 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Public transport costs about 52% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $81 in Al Hillah. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Al Hillah, where all-in costs run around $693, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Al Hillah 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 Hillah – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Al Hillah. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.