Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ar Ramadi

For one person, living is cheaper in Ar Ramadi: $657 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

58

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

Cost of Living Index in Ar Ramadi
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Ar Ramadi Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Ar Ramadi

🇮🇶 Iraq

$657

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Ar Ramadi

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $657 in Ar Ramadi, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Ar Ramadi $657

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,037 in Ar Ramadi, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Ar Ramadi $1,037

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,416 in Ar Ramadi, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Ar Ramadi $1,416

Playa del Carmen costs about 83% more than Ar Ramadi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Ar Ramadi are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Ar Ramadi 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$4.74 IQD 7,156

130.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$813

$22.71 IQD 34.3K

90.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$5.52 IQD 8,329

113.41%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.4

$2.65 IQD 4,005

43.77%

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

$1.28 MX$24.04

$0.32 IQD 478

300.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.68

$0.20 IQD 297

290.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.4

$3.25 IQD 4,913

-2.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.5

$2.86 IQD 4,323

72.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.37

$1.03 IQD 1,552

36.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.57

$0.79 IQD 1,190

181.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.57

$1.45 IQD 2,192

-2.07%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.30

$1.55 IQD 2,338

62.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

$3.97 IQD 6,001

82.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

$3.52 IQD 5,321

118.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

$11.45 IQD 17.3K

10.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.2

$0.96 IQD 1,447

189.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.65

$0.93 IQD 1,405

47.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.83

$0.95 IQD 1,433

168.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.81

$0.64 IQD 967

231.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.34

$0.55 IQD 830

252.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.36

$0.57 IQD 861

231.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.50

$0.62 IQD 935

85.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.11

$0.50 IQD 754

136.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.5

$1.69 IQD 2,559

154.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$11.33 IQD 17.1K

-12.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.69

$1.51 IQD 2,273

4.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

$1.85 IQD 2,789

44.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.37

$0.32 IQD 488

71.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$499

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.2

$1.65 IQD 2,497

201.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.5

$1.13 IQD 1,701

194.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$100

$6.08 IQD 9,184

-11.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.07

$0.48 IQD 730

200.00%

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

$20.7K MX$387.5K

$19.0K IQD 28.6M

9.02%

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

$23.5K MX$440.0K

$16.0K IQD 24.1M

46.78%

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

$84.8 MX$1,590

$83.3 IQD 125.8K

1.78%

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

$23.41 MX$439

$12.23 IQD 18.5K

91.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$537

$27.20 IQD 41.1K

5.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,070

$41.08 IQD 62.0K

38.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$542

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.4

$10.03 IQD 15.1K

-48.75%

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

$207 MX$3,873

$149 IQD 225.1K

38.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.6K

$2,779 IQD 4.2M

41.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$813

$20.31 IQD 30.7K

113.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$777

$25.65 IQD 38.7K

61.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,391

$63.6 IQD 96.0K

16.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,673

$41.71 IQD 63.0K

113.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$233 IQD 351.5K

320.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,140

$130 IQD 196.2K

193.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.0K

$375 IQD 566.3K

355.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$308 IQD 464.9K

249.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.9K

$807 IQD 1.2M

388.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.5K

$483 IQD 729.7K

1174.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

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 Ar Ramadi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Ar Ramadi

$130 19.8% 65.9% $251

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Ar Ramadi

$157 23.8% 38.5% $98

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Ar Ramadi

$110 16.8% 45.5% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Ar Ramadi

$123 18.7% 10.3% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Ar Ramadi

$68 10.4% 39.1% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Ar Ramadi

$61 9.3% 9.2% $6.2

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Ar Ramadi

$8.6 * 1.3% 83% $42

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 $233 in Ar Ramadi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $23 in Ar Ramadi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $157 – making Ar Ramadi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇮🇶 Ar Ramadi

🕒 Local time

15:25 3:25 PM

23:25 11:25 PM

8 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

223,500

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.79 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.94 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.75 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.9 MXN (100 MXN = 4.79 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1,510 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,683 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.94 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Ar Ramadi 12,030 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Ar Ramadi

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 Ar Ramadi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 83% more than Ar Ramadi, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $986 in Ar Ramadi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ar Ramadi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $233 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $657 in Ar Ramadi. That makes Ar Ramadi about 45% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $149 in Ar Ramadi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Ar Ramadi, where all-in costs run around $657, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Ar Ramadi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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