Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and An Nasiriyah

For one person, living is cheaper in An Nasiriyah: $731 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in An Nasiriyah
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An Nasiriyah Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

An Nasiriyah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$731

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in An Nasiriyah

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in An Nasiriyah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $731 in An Nasiriyah, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
An Nasiriyah $731

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,024 in An Nasiriyah, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
An Nasiriyah $1,024

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,317 in An Nasiriyah, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
An Nasiriyah $1,317

Playa del Carmen costs about 65% more than An Nasiriyah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and An Nasiriyah are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, An Nasiriyah 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$204

$2.77 IQD 4,188

294.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$10.42 IQD 15.8K

316.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$220

$5.81 IQD 8,777

102.75%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$2.35 IQD 3,547

62.13%

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

$1.28 MX$23.90

$0.34 IQD 518

276.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.59

$0.17 IQD 255

358.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$3.35 IQD 5,055

-5.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.0

$3.38 IQD 5,110

45.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$0.84 IQD 1,271

67.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.33

$0.68 IQD 1,032

226.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.42

$0.86 IQD 1,295

65.12%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.03

$1.61 IQD 2,435

56.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$2.51 IQD 3,797

189.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$3.77 IQD 5,692

104.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$237

$8.48 IQD 12.8K

49.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

$0.95 IQD 1,439

192.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.50

$0.90 IQD 1,365

52.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.55

$0.74 IQD 1,112

244.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.58

$0.37 IQD 560

472.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.13

$0.34 IQD 517

470.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.16

$0.49 IQD 734

285.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.37

$0.48 IQD 724

139.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.98

$0.41 IQD 613

187.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.1

$1.29 IQD 1,943

233.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$11.59 IQD 17.5K

-14.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.52

$1.93 IQD 2,914

-18.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.79

$1.91 IQD 2,882

39.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

$0.24 IQD 360

129.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

$2.02 IQD 3,053

146.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

$1.34 IQD 2,026

148.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

$1.97 IQD 2,970

172.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.92

$0.57 IQD 862

152.63%

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

$20.7K MX$385.2K

$16.3K IQD 24.6M

26.86%

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

$23.5K MX$437.4K

$15.6K IQD 23.6M

50.18%

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

$84.8 MX$1,581

$194 IQD 292.8K

-56.25%

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

$23.41 MX$436

$19.64 IQD 29.7K

19.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

$38.14 IQD 57.6K

-24.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

$16.29 IQD 24.6K

250.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.8

$9.99 IQD 15.1K

-48.55%

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

$207 MX$3,851

$143 IQD 216.4K

44.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

$3,244 IQD 4.9M

21.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

$9.87 IQD 14.9K

339.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

$33.29 IQD 50.3K

24.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,383

$23.55 IQD 35.6K

215.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,664

$33.11 IQD 50.0K

169.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.3K

$239 IQD 361.8K

309.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,099

$158 IQD 238.2K

141.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$320 IQD 482.8K

434.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$320 IQD 484.1K

235.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

$904 IQD 1.4M

335.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.8K

$428 IQD 646.6K

1338.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

$665 IQD 1.0M

10.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.12

177.91%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for An Nasiriyah: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

An Nasiriyah

$158 21.6% 58.6% $223

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

An Nasiriyah

$137 18.8% 46.1% $117

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

An Nasiriyah

$93 12.8% 53.9% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

An Nasiriyah

$252 34.4% 83.8% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

An Nasiriyah

$45 6.2% 59.8% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

An Nasiriyah

$36 5% 46.1% $31

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

An Nasiriyah

$9.7 * 1.3% 80.8% $41

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $239 in An Nasiriyah. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 11% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $10 in An Nasiriyah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $137 – making An Nasiriyah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇮🇶 An Nasiriyah

🕒 Local time

17:15 5:15 PM

01:15 1:15 AM

8 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

745,000

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.95 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,682 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.95 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen An Nasiriyah 12,410 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
An Nasiriyah

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 An Nasiriyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, $731 in An Nasiriyah – An Nasiriyah comes out roughly 39% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,096 in An Nasiriyah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in An Nasiriyah, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $239 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $731 in An Nasiriyah. That makes An Nasiriyah about 39% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $143 in An Nasiriyah. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in An Nasiriyah, where all-in costs run around $731, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In An Nasiriyah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward An Nasiriyah – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with An Nasiriyah. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.