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 $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $719 in Al Kut, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,124 in Al Kut, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,530 in Al Kut, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 79% 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 4% lower, Al Kut 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$3.94 IQD 5,165

203.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$25.03 IQD 32.8K

70.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$6.76 IQD 8,853

56.66%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$2.63 IQD 3,452

37.64%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.39 IQD 512

276.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.21 IQD 281

347.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$2.93 IQD 3,844

5.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.94 IQD 3,847

51.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.33 IQD 1,738

7.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$0.84 IQD 1,096

123.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.49 IQD 1,956

9.40%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$1.59 IQD 2,081

66.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$4.56 IQD 5,978

80.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$3.58 IQD 4,690

131.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$13.25 IQD 17.4K

-16.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$0.84 IQD 1,102

215.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.00 IQD 1,315

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$0.85 IQD 1,109

134.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$0.75 IQD 985

177.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$0.69 IQD 902

159.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$0.62 IQD 811

251.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.67 IQD 880

61.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.56 IQD 736

85.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$1.88 IQD 2,460

111.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.76 IQD 2,310

-1.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.15 IQD 2,813

16.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.37 IQD 480

40.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$31.33 IQD 41.0K

-13.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$2.24 IQD 2,932

40.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$1.52 IQD 1,994

57.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$5.87 IQD 7,690

-47.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$0.53 IQD 700

139.62%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$19.2K IQD 25.1M

60.99%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$19.8K IQD 25.9M

17.77%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$76.2 IQD 99.8K

7.68%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$17.76 IQD 23.3K

26.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$35.11 IQD 46.0K

-15.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$36.97 IQD 48.4K

40.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$17.06 IQD 22.4K

9.44%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$7.61 IQD 9,975

-34.69%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$152 IQD 199.6K

29.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$3,254 IQD 4.3M

62.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$27.30 IQD 35.8K

33.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$24.98 IQD 32.7K

60.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$61.9 IQD 81.0K

29.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$40.65 IQD 53.3K

118.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$241 IQD 315.7K

299.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$179 IQD 234.1K

160.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$569 IQD 745.4K

180.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$346 IQD 452.6K

249.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$990 IQD 1.3M

298.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$509 IQD 666.6K

1167.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

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 Kut: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $241 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $25.00 in Al Kut. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $149 – 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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, $719 in Al Kut – roughly 79% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,078 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 69% 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 $43.00 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 $719, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. 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 $719 in Al Kut to $1,287 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.