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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $671 in Al Kufah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,041 in Al Kufah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,411 in Al Kufah.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 89% more expensive than Al Kufah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Al Kufah 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$5.45 IQD 7,133

117.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$36.38 IQD 47.6K

17.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$7.60 IQD 9,956

40.13%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.94 IQD 3,856

17.35%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.40 IQD 519

275.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.18 IQD 233

427.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$3.52 IQD 4,604

-13.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.89 IQD 3,784

59.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.11 IQD 1,459

24.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.66 IQD 865

180.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.65 IQD 2,166

-2.42%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.71 IQD 2,236

51.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$2.22 IQD 2,910

272.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$3.03 IQD 3,963

176.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$10.21 IQD 13.4K

4.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$0.49 IQD 637

436.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$0.96 IQD 1,261

55.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$0.68 IQD 891

182.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$0.46 IQD 607

354.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.40 IQD 530

365.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.34 IQD 439

564.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.63 IQD 824

68.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.45 IQD 586

142.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.03 IQD 2,662

104.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$13.53 IQD 17.7K

-23.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.76 IQD 2,310

-2.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.11 IQD 2,759

23.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.37 IQD 489

45.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$31.49 IQD 41.2K

-14.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$2.32 IQD 3,041

34.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.54 IQD 2,018

62.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$7.47 IQD 9,783

-57.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.53 IQD 697

139.62%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$20.3K IQD 26.6M

49.72%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$20.3K IQD 26.6M

16.23%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$40.56 IQD 53.1K

104.64%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$26.38 IQD 34.5K

-13.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$23.19 IQD 30.4K

27.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$26.04 IQD 34.1K

95.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$17.05 IQD 22.3K

7.51%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$7.62 IQD 9,982

-35.30%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$86.3 IQD 113.0K

128.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$2,370 IQD 3.1M

122.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$21.20 IQD 27.8K

74.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$29.55 IQD 38.7K

34.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$20.10 IQD 26.3K

298.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$27.59 IQD 36.1K

224.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$213 IQD 278.8K

349.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$175 IQD 229.4K

172.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$427 IQD 558.7K

285.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$295 IQD 386.1K

315.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$3,258 IQD 4.3M

20.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,677 IQD 2.2M

285.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$769 IQD 1.0M

-13.24%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Al Kufah: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $213 in Al Kufah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Kufah pays 15% 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 $250 vs $147 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 89% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Al Kufah earns 15% 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $213 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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $671 in Al Kufah – a 89% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $671 in Al Kufah versus $1,271 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 89% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.