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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $724 in Al Kut, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,142 in Al Kut, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,559 in Al Kut, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 74% more than Al Kut, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Al Kut are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Al Kut 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$4.06 IQD 5,320

188.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$24.97 IQD 32.7K

67.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$6.69 IQD 8,763

57.10%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$2.59 IQD 3,394

38.61%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.37 IQD 480

308.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.20 IQD 256

360.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$2.97 IQD 3,891

-0.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$2.95 IQD 3,865

49.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.32 IQD 1,727

6.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.84 IQD 1,101

123.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.48 IQD 1,942

5.41%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$1.54 IQD 2,017

69.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$4.61 IQD 6,042

80.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$3.49 IQD 4,567

139.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$13.29 IQD 17.4K

-18.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$0.84 IQD 1,098

222.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.01 IQD 1,317

49.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$0.82 IQD 1,069

128.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$0.73 IQD 962

200.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$0.66 IQD 862

181.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$0.66 IQD 867

237.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.63 IQD 824

69.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.53 IQD 689

105.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$1.86 IQD 2,429

125.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.79 IQD 2,344

-7.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.07 IQD 2,711

26.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.39 IQD 511

38.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$31.59 IQD 41.4K

-17.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$2.29 IQD 2,996

34.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$1.55 IQD 2,034

54.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$6.16 IQD 8,067

-49.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$0.58 IQD 756

125.86%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$19.1K IQD 25.1M

55.66%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$20.2K IQD 26.4M

15.56%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$76.0 IQD 99.5K

6.95%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$17.86 IQD 23.4K

26.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$34.28 IQD 44.9K

-12.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$37.26 IQD 48.8K

42.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$16.97 IQD 22.2K

8.37%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$7.87 IQD 10.3K

-37.48%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$155 IQD 202.4K

29.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$3,292 IQD 4.3M

57.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$27.28 IQD 35.7K

31.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$25.40 IQD 33.3K

57.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$62.0 IQD 81.2K

28.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$41.87 IQD 54.8K

106.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$247 IQD 323.6K

295.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$176 IQD 230.5K

167.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$575 IQD 753.5K

186.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$338 IQD 442.8K

255.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$981 IQD 1.3M

303.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$497 IQD 650.5K

1230.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

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 27, 2026

Last update for Al Kut: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $247 in Al Kut. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $25.00 in Al Kut. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $147 – making Al Kut 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 Kut: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, $724 in Al Kut – roughly 74% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,086 in Al Kut. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Al Kut, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 71% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $25.00 in Al Kut. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Al Kut, where all-in costs run around $724, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. In Al Kut it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $724 in Al Kut to $1,260 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Al Kut. 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.