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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $679 in Al Kufah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,052 in Al Kufah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,425 in Al Kufah.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 90% more expensive than Al Kufah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Al Kufah 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$5.28 IQD 6,919

126.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$35.99 IQD 47.1K

18.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$7.69 IQD 10.1K

37.71%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$3.11 IQD 4,079

16.40%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.39 IQD 516

276.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.20 IQD 262

370.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$3.35 IQD 4,392

-7.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.95 IQD 3,861

51.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.11 IQD 1,457

28.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$0.61 IQD 794

208.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.64 IQD 2,151

-0.61%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$1.78 IQD 2,334

48.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$2.32 IQD 3,035

253.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$3.04 IQD 3,983

172.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$9.75 IQD 12.8K

13.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$0.52 IQD 686

409.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$0.99 IQD 1,291

51.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$0.67 IQD 882

197.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$0.49 IQD 643

324.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$0.38 IQD 492

371.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$0.31 IQD 403

603.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.66 IQD 867

63.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.45 IQD 586

131.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$2.01 IQD 2,634

97.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$13.79 IQD 18.1K

-26.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.80 IQD 2,353

-3.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.08 IQD 2,720

20.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.35 IQD 458

48.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$30.80 IQD 40.3K

-12.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$2.36 IQD 3,090

33.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$1.54 IQD 2,021

55.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$7.63 IQD 9,993

-59.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$0.54 IQD 711

135.19%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$19.8K IQD 26.0M

55.90%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$19.8K IQD 26.0M

17.47%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$40.64 IQD 53.2K

101.80%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$25.83 IQD 33.8K

-13.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$22.68 IQD 29.7K

30.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$25.24 IQD 33.1K

105.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$16.58 IQD 21.7K

12.61%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$7.46 IQD 9,772

-33.38%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$88.3 IQD 115.7K

123.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$2,403 IQD 3.1M

119.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$21.19 IQD 27.8K

71.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$30.53 IQD 40.0K

31.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$19.61 IQD 25.7K

307.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$28.02 IQD 36.7K

217.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$214 IQD 280.2K

350.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$181 IQD 237.3K

156.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$432 IQD 566.5K

269.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$287 IQD 376.6K

320.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$3,265 IQD 4.3M

20.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,674 IQD 2.2M

285.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$768 IQD 1.0M

-6.24%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Al Kufah: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $214 in Al Kufah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Kufah pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $36.00 in Al Kufah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $146 per month, with Al Kufah 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 Kufah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al Kufah is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 90% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Al Kufah earns 7% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $214 in Al Kufah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Al Kufah – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $679 in Al Kufah – a 90% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $679 in Al Kufah versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Al Kufah but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Al Kufah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Al Kufah is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Al Kufah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 90% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.