Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and 'aqrah

For one person, living is cheaper in 'aqrah: $661 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in 'aqrah
Learn more

'aqrah Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

'aqrah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$661

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in 'aqrah

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 'aqrah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $661 in 'aqrah.

Playa del Carmen $1,210
'aqrah $661

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,113 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,015 in 'aqrah.

Playa del Carmen $2,113
'aqrah $1,015

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,016 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,369 in 'aqrah.

Playa del Carmen $3,016
'aqrah $1,369

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 83% more expensive than in 'aqrah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 10% lower, 'aqrah 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.76 MX$198

$3.62 IQD 5,467

197.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.03 MX$792

$21.82 IQD 33.0K

97.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$217

$6.82 IQD 10.3K

72.87%

Cappuccino

$3.87 MX$71.1

$2.38 IQD 3,602

62.61%

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

$1.37 MX$25.18

$0.32 IQD 485

328.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 MX$15.38

$0.18 IQD 273

366.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 MX$57.0

$3.11 IQD 4,706

-0.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 MX$93.2

$2.61 IQD 3,945

94.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.43

$0.94 IQD 1,416

53.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 MX$41.05

$0.72 IQD 1,086

209.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.05

$1.46 IQD 2,205

0.68%

Eggs

$2.53 MX$46.51

$1.70 IQD 2,573

48.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 MX$134

$3.48 IQD 5,252

109.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 MX$145

$4.16 IQD 6,291

88.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.79 MX$235

$13.31 IQD 20.1K

-3.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.4

$0.92 IQD 1,383

215.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.41

$0.91 IQD 1,375

58.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$46.87

$0.77 IQD 1,161

231.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$37.86

$0.66 IQD 990

212.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$36.81

$0.54 IQD 809

270.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$36.91

$0.64 IQD 965

214.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 MX$21.92

$0.51 IQD 776

133.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$23.12

$0.50 IQD 756

152.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 MX$81.0

$1.57 IQD 2,368

180.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.59 MX$176

$10.92 IQD 16.5K

-12.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.29

$1.33 IQD 2,003

19.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 MX$51.7

$1.85 IQD 2,800

51.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$10.42

$0.45 IQD 679

26.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 MX$512

$17.50 IQD 26.4K

58.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 MX$91.7

$1.89 IQD 2,859

163.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 MX$64.4

$1.39 IQD 2,099

151.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 MX$99.4

$5.15 IQD 7,788

4.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$26.96

$0.48 IQD 727

206.25%

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

$21.0K MX$386.1K

$16.9K IQD 25.5M

24.26%

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

$23.9K MX$439.9K

$19.4K IQD 29.3M

23.30%

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

$84.2 MX$1,549

$80.2 IQD 121.1K

5.07%

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

$23.99 MX$441

$13.58 IQD 20.5K

76.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.02 MX$534

$27.25 IQD 41.2K

6.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.0 MX$1,159

$37.01 IQD 55.9K

70.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.14 MX$536

Cinema Ticket

$4.94 MX$90.9

$8.39 IQD 12.7K

-41.12%

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

$204 MX$3,746

$142 IQD 213.9K

43.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,941 MX$72.5K

$2,656 IQD 4.0M

48.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.60 MX$802

$22.08 IQD 33.4K

97.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.12 MX$793

$23.85 IQD 36.0K

80.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.8 MX$1,394

$47.26 IQD 71.4K

60.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 MX$1,630

$31.06 IQD 46.9K

185.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 MX$18.6K

$184 IQD 277.8K

448.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 MX$6,881

$141 IQD 213.2K

165.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.4K

$358 IQD 541.4K

376.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 MX$20.4K

$278 IQD 419.4K

298.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,944 MX$72.6K

$779 IQD 1.2M

406.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,169 MX$113.5K

$642 IQD 970.8K

860.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$754 MX$13.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

3.33

243.84%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Last update for 'aqrah: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9%

'aqrah

$141 21.4% 62.3% $233

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4%

'aqrah

$160 24.2% 38.1% $99

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7%

'aqrah

$101 15.3% 50.2% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3%

'aqrah

$121 18.3% 11.8% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3%

'aqrah

$56 8.5% 50.5% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$73 6%

'aqrah

$54 8.1% 26.2% $19

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3%

'aqrah

$28 4.3% 46.5% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,008 in Playa del Carmen and $184 in 'aqrah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $22.00 in 'aqrah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $160 per month, with 'aqrah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇮🇶 'aqrah

🕒 Local time

22:21 10:21 PM

06:21 6:21 AM

8 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

68,100

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.44 USD

100 MXN = 4.83 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.88 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18.4 MXN (100 MXN = 5.44 USD). 1 EUR = 20.72 MXN (100 MXN = 4.83 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,701 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.88 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Playa del Carmen 'aqrah 11,820 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
'aqrah

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 'aqrah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

'aqrah wins on cost – living expenses run 83% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making 'aqrah the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,816 in Playa del Carmen and $991 in 'aqrah 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: $1,008 in Playa del Carmen versus $184 in 'aqrah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,210 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $661 in 'aqrah – a 83% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in 'aqrah runs roughly 59% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $661 in 'aqrah versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in 'aqrah but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes 'aqrah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but 'aqrah delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $661 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes 'aqrah hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and 'aqrah are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find 'aqrah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.