Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Al-musayyib Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Al-musayyib

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $887 in Al-musayyib.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,338 in Al-musayyib.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,789 in Al-musayyib.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 42% more expensive than in Al-musayyib, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Al-musayyib 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$204

$5.49 IQD 7,189

113.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$731

$36.28 IQD 47.5K

15.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$183

$7.48 IQD 9,792

40.51%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.6

$2.99 IQD 3,911

20.07%

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

$1.51 MX$26.32

$0.37 IQD 483

308.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.97

$0.19 IQD 244

384.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.6

$3.43 IQD 4,488

-13.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$77.0

$2.81 IQD 3,683

56.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.36

$1.17 IQD 1,538

19.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.88

$0.84 IQD 1,104

123.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.20

$1.51 IQD 1,975

3.31%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.52

$1.49 IQD 1,956

75.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$145

$4.54 IQD 5,947

83.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$146

$3.74 IQD 4,897

123.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$189

$11.28 IQD 14.8K

-3.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$47.33

$1.18 IQD 1,543

129.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.27

$1.13 IQD 1,479

33.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.69

$1.01 IQD 1,326

85.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.21

$0.58 IQD 764

277.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.41

$0.59 IQD 773

215.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.92

$0.59 IQD 771

277.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.64

$0.54 IQD 712

98.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.95

$0.37 IQD 481

194.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$73.1

$2.05 IQD 2,685

104.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$182

$13.81 IQD 18.1K

-24.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.92

$1.76 IQD 2,301

-5.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.58

$2.08 IQD 2,721

25.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.45

$0.37 IQD 479

45.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$456

$31.47 IQD 41.2K

-16.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.7

$3.91 IQD 5,122

-21.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.96

$1.52 IQD 1,996

57.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.6

$7.61 IQD 9,960

-58.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.88

$0.58 IQD 755

125.86%

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

$29.8K MX$520.1K

$19.9K IQD 26.1M

49.48%

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

$23.3K MX$407.0K

$20.0K IQD 26.1M

16.82%

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

$81.3 MX$1,418

$180 IQD 235.5K

-54.80%

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

$22.56 MX$394

$25.74 IQD 33.7K

-12.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$524

$40.78 IQD 53.4K

-26.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$923

$36.66 IQD 48.0K

44.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$321

$16.60 IQD 21.7K

10.78%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.9

$7.63 IQD 9,992

-35.52%

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

$201 MX$3,504

$167 IQD 218.1K

20.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$90.3K

$3,566 IQD 4.7M

45.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$627

$28.32 IQD 37.1K

26.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$700

$30.26 IQD 39.6K

32.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,391

$64.4 IQD 84.3K

23.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,509

$42.85 IQD 56.1K

101.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$17.1K

$241 IQD 315.4K

306.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,210

$180 IQD 236.1K

160.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.8K

$583 IQD 763.9K

183.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$21.0K

$342 IQD 448.0K

251.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$115.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.8K

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-musayyib: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $241 in Al-musayyib. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $36.00 in Al-musayyib for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $168 per month, with Al-musayyib 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-musayyib: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Al-musayyib differ by about 42% in total monthly costs ($1,260 vs $887 including rent). Al-musayyib is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,890 in Playa del Carmen and $1,330 in Al-musayyib to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $241 in Al-musayyib. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $167 in Al-musayyib. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $887 in Al-musayyib versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Al-musayyib but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Al-musayyib the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Al-musayyib gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.