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: $1,262 in Playa del Carmen versus $893 in Al-musayyib.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,158 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,334 in Al-musayyib.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,054 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,774 in Al-musayyib.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 41% more expensive than Al-musayyib, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Al-musayyib 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.61 MX$201

$5.24 IQD 6,867

121.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$742

$36.84 IQD 48.2K

16.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.60 MX$184

$7.55 IQD 9,883

40.40%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.3

$3.00 IQD 3,928

19.67%

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

$1.45 MX$25.21

$0.37 IQD 483

291.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MX$15.58

$0.21 IQD 270

328.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.6

$3.45 IQD 4,520

-12.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 MX$79.2

$2.86 IQD 3,742

59.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$25.20

$1.13 IQD 1,479

28.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$31.72

$0.84 IQD 1,096

117.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.92

$1.57 IQD 2,059

2.55%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.05

$1.50 IQD 1,967

69.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.54 MX$148

$4.39 IQD 5,742

94.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.47 MX$147

$3.94 IQD 5,163

114.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$189

$11.34 IQD 14.9K

-4.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.37

$1.12 IQD 1,469

143.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.91

$1.13 IQD 1,477

31.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 MX$33.73

$1.00 IQD 1,313

94.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.57

$0.56 IQD 731

285.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.05

$0.59 IQD 777

213.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.00

$0.54 IQD 709

305.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.62

$0.55 IQD 716

94.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.81

$0.37 IQD 481

191.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 MX$70.5

$2.07 IQD 2,710

96.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.46 MX$182

$13.83 IQD 18.1K

-24.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 MX$28.71

$1.76 IQD 2,302

-6.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 MX$44.23

$2.16 IQD 2,826

18.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.65

$0.40 IQD 519

40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.20 MX$455

$31.34 IQD 41.0K

-16.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.5

$3.76 IQD 4,918

-16.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 MX$41.17

$1.54 IQD 2,012

53.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.2

$7.47 IQD 9,779

-56.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.81

$0.57 IQD 746

129.82%

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

$30.5K MX$530.2K

$19.8K IQD 25.9M

54.39%

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

$23.8K MX$413.6K

$19.5K IQD 25.6M

21.88%

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

$83.1 MX$1,443

$179 IQD 234.4K

-53.57%

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

$22.15 MX$385

$25.66 IQD 33.6K

-13.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.37 MX$510

$39.85 IQD 52.2K

-26.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 MX$889

$36.77 IQD 48.1K

39.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 MX$324

$16.96 IQD 22.2K

10.20%

Cinema Ticket

$4.89 MX$84.9

$7.79 IQD 10.2K

-37.23%

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

$199 MX$3,449

$166 IQD 217.5K

19.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,207 MX$90.4K

$3,525 IQD 4.6M

47.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$624

$28.04 IQD 36.7K

28.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.39 MX$684

$30.67 IQD 40.2K

28.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.3 MX$1,394

$63.7 IQD 83.5K

25.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.6 MX$1,520

$43.71 IQD 57.2K

100.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.7K

$244 IQD 319.5K

294.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 MX$8,370

$178 IQD 232.6K

171.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,645 MX$28.6K

$585 IQD 765.6K

181.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 MX$20.7K

$339 IQD 444.0K

251.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,957 MX$68.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,513 MX$113.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$726 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 12, 2026

Last update for Al-musayyib: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $244 in Al-musayyib. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $37 in Al-musayyib for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $253 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 41% in total monthly costs ($1,262 vs $893 including rent). Al-musayyib is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,894 in Playa del Carmen and $1,340 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: $963 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 $199 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 50% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $893 in Al-musayyib versus $1,262 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 41% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.