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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $734 in Al Kut, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,139 in Al Kut, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,544 in Al Kut, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 73% 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 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$3.99 IQD 5,220

197.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$24.40 IQD 32.0K

75.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$7.00 IQD 9,169

52.14%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.63 IQD 3,448

31.18%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.37 IQD 484

305.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.20 IQD 259

375.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.93 IQD 3,838

3.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.93 IQD 3,831

57.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.37 IQD 1,800

0.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.78 IQD 1,025

137.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.56 IQD 2,038

3.21%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.58 IQD 2,071

63.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$4.38 IQD 5,733

88.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$3.48 IQD 4,561

140.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$12.91 IQD 16.9K

-17.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$0.86 IQD 1,133

205.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.00 IQD 1,309

49.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$0.87 IQD 1,136

120.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$0.69 IQD 898

202.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.64 IQD 838

190.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.64 IQD 835

253.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.62 IQD 818

70.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.53 IQD 693

105.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$1.86 IQD 2,432

123.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.83 IQD 2,403

-6.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.08 IQD 2,726

25.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.36 IQD 473

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$31.30 IQD 41.0K

-13.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$2.36 IQD 3,093

32.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.53 IQD 2,000

64.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$6.08 IQD 7,963

-48.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.54 IQD 704

135.19%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$19.5K IQD 25.5M

55.89%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$19.9K IQD 26.0M

18.63%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$75.8 IQD 99.2K

9.56%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$17.77 IQD 23.3K

27.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$35.04 IQD 45.9K

-15.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$36.49 IQD 47.8K

39.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$16.52 IQD 21.6K

10.96%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$7.53 IQD 9,859

-34.53%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$150 IQD 196.5K

31.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$3,222 IQD 4.2M

63.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$26.59 IQD 34.8K

38.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$25.69 IQD 33.6K

55.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$61.7 IQD 80.8K

29.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$41.02 IQD 53.7K

118.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$246 IQD 321.5K

289.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$179 IQD 234.8K

166.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$576 IQD 753.7K

185.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$344 IQD 450.2K

256.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$996 IQD 1.3M

293.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$497 IQD 650.9K

1199.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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 Kut: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $246 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 $24.00 in Al Kut. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $146 – 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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, $734 in Al Kut – roughly 73% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,101 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $24.00 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 $734, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. 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 $734 in Al Kut to $1,271 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.