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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $810 in Al Hillah, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,264 in Al Hillah, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,718 in Al Hillah, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 55% more than Al Hillah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Al Hillah are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Al Hillah 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$210

$5.45 IQD 7,132

120.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$733

$31.09 IQD 40.7K

34.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$189

$6.12 IQD 8,019

75.65%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$61.3

$3.06 IQD 4,005

14.38%

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

$1.45 MX$25.41

$0.40 IQD 518

262.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.52

$0.18 IQD 242

388.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.7

$2.93 IQD 3,833

0.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$79.1

$2.90 IQD 3,793

55.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.12

$1.37 IQD 1,800

4.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.23

$0.74 IQD 963

148.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.51

$1.65 IQD 2,156

-4.85%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$44.06

$1.80 IQD 2,359

39.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$145

$4.49 IQD 5,874

84.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$148

$4.80 IQD 6,290

75.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

$14.01 IQD 18.3K

-23.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.76

$1.23 IQD 1,607

112.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.22

$1.19 IQD 1,564

21.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.41

$1.04 IQD 1,368

88.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.74

$0.69 IQD 899

202.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.47

$0.66 IQD 863

180.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$38.02

$0.63 IQD 820

244.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.09

$0.59 IQD 778

74.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.84

$0.55 IQD 721

94.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$72.0

$1.90 IQD 2,485

115.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

$13.82 IQD 18.1K

-26.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.38

$1.84 IQD 2,415

-8.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.31

$2.17 IQD 2,840

16.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.93

$0.40 IQD 520

27.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$457

$65.4 IQD 85.6K

-60.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.7

$2.36 IQD 3,092

36.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.19

$1.55 IQD 2,031

55.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$3.37 IQD 4,414

-4.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.17

$0.54 IQD 703

144.44%

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

$29.7K MX$520.9K

$17.4K IQD 22.8M

70.46%

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

$23.7K MX$415.0K

$20.3K IQD 26.5M

16.73%

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

$82.0 MX$1,439

$75.8 IQD 99.3K

8.15%

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

$22.95 MX$403

$15.12 IQD 19.8K

51.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$528

$39.00 IQD 51.1K

-22.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$912

$23.41 IQD 30.7K

122.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$325

$19.19 IQD 25.1K

-3.44%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$87.3

$7.77 IQD 10.2K

-35.91%

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

$197 MX$3,463

$95.6 IQD 125.2K

106.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.6K

$779 IQD 1.0M

584.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$624

$27.22 IQD 35.6K

30.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$707

$27.73 IQD 36.3K

45.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,381

$61.6 IQD 80.7K

27.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,560

$43.71 IQD 57.2K

103.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

$364 IQD 476.8K

160.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,314

$196 IQD 256.8K

141.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.8K

$667 IQD 874.0K

146.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

$313 IQD 410.0K

286.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$71.1K

$1,746 IQD 2.3M

132.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.5K

$545 IQD 713.5K

1087.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.5K

$517 IQD 677.5K

26.38%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Al Hillah: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $364 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 26% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $31.00 in Al Hillah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $189 – making Al Hillah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 55%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,215 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 151% less in Al Hillah. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $95.6 in Al Hillah. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Al Hillah, where all-in costs run around $810, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. 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, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.