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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $878 in Al-musayyib.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,356 in Al-musayyib.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,834 in Al-musayyib.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 45% more expensive than Al-musayyib, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Al-musayyib 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$205

$5.26 IQD 6,889

125.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$740

$36.65 IQD 48.0K

17.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$184

$7.51 IQD 9,828

41.81%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.4

$3.11 IQD 4,077

10.93%

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

$1.50 MX$25.93

$0.36 IQD 475

316.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.36

$0.20 IQD 263

375.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.2

$3.45 IQD 4,518

-12.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.5

$2.94 IQD 3,856

56.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.72

$1.14 IQD 1,490

21.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.85

$0.83 IQD 1,093

122.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.77

$1.57 IQD 2,061

2.55%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.71

$1.57 IQD 2,059

64.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$4.60 IQD 6,023

79.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$3.87 IQD 5,071

116.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$184

$11.67 IQD 15.3K

-8.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.33

$1.14 IQD 1,486

130.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.65

$1.12 IQD 1,461

33.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$33.10

$1.05 IQD 1,370

82.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.97

$0.58 IQD 760

260.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.02

$0.64 IQD 838

190.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.99

$0.59 IQD 769

283.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.32

$0.60 IQD 784

76.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.75

$0.37 IQD 480

194.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.5

$2.13 IQD 2,786

94.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$179

$13.34 IQD 17.5K

-22.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.73

$1.78 IQD 2,326

-3.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.05

$2.10 IQD 2,747

24.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.34

$0.39 IQD 516

38.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$465

$31.23 IQD 40.9K

-13.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.9

$3.90 IQD 5,103

-19.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.29

$1.48 IQD 1,933

69.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.3

$7.57 IQD 9,907

-58.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.98

$0.53 IQD 699

139.62%

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

$30.4K MX$523.7K

$19.8K IQD 25.9M

53.77%

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

$23.6K MX$406.3K

$20.0K IQD 26.2M

17.75%

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

$83.0 MX$1,431

$179 IQD 234.1K

-53.57%

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

$22.71 MX$392

$26.36 IQD 34.5K

-13.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$508

$40.27 IQD 52.7K

-26.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$879

$37.09 IQD 48.6K

37.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$316

$16.54 IQD 21.7K

10.82%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.9

$7.51 IQD 9,840

-34.35%

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

$197 MX$3,402

$166 IQD 217.7K

18.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$91.0K

$3,586 IQD 4.7M

47.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$636

$28.39 IQD 37.2K

29.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$688

$30.81 IQD 40.3K

29.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,380

$63.8 IQD 83.6K

25.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,543

$43.33 IQD 56.7K

106.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.5K

$244 IQD 319.6K

291.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,226

$176 IQD 229.9K

171.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.4K

$575 IQD 752.9K

186.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.1K

$341 IQD 446.8K

258.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$111.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.5K

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-musayyib: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $244 in Al-musayyib. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $37.00 in Al-musayyib for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $170 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 45% in total monthly costs ($1,271 vs $878 including rent). Al-musayyib is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,906 in Playa del Carmen and $1,317 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $244 in Al-musayyib. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $166 in Al-musayyib. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $878 in Al-musayyib versus $1,271 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 45% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.