Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and As Samawah

For one person, living is cheaper in As Samawah: $644 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 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
31

Cost of Living Index in As Samawah
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As Samawah Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

As Samawah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$644

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in As Samawah

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $644 in As Samawah.

Playa del Carmen $1,210
As Samawah $644

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,113 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,050 in As Samawah.

Playa del Carmen $2,113
As Samawah $1,050

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,016 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,456 in As Samawah.

Playa del Carmen $3,016
As Samawah $1,456

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 88% more expensive than in As Samawah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 10% lower, As Samawah 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.76 MX$199

$4.36 IQD 6,593

146.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.03 MX$795

$29.34 IQD 44.3K

46.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$218

$6.51 IQD 9,844

81.11%

Cappuccino

$3.87 MX$71.4

$2.79 IQD 4,215

38.71%

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

$1.37 MX$25.29

$0.31 IQD 474

341.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 MX$15.44

$0.16 IQD 237

425.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 MX$57.3

$3.21 IQD 4,850

-3.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 MX$93.6

$3.39 IQD 5,118

49.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.55

$0.94 IQD 1,422

53.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 MX$41.23

$0.63 IQD 959

253.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$1.35 IQD 2,046

8.89%

Eggs

$2.53 MX$46.71

$1.56 IQD 2,356

62.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 MX$135

$1.29 IQD 1,953

465.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 MX$145

$4.21 IQD 6,360

86.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.79 MX$236

$11.93 IQD 18.0K

7.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.6

$0.97 IQD 1,464

198.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.53

$0.98 IQD 1,482

46.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.07

$0.83 IQD 1,251

207.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$38.03

$0.42 IQD 640

390.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$36.97

$0.51 IQD 776

292.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.07

$0.55 IQD 836

265.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 MX$22.02

$0.55 IQD 826

116.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$23.23

$0.62 IQD 939

103.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 MX$81.4

$1.69 IQD 2,552

160.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.59 MX$177

$6.42 IQD 9,703

49.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.41

$1.89 IQD 2,858

-15.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 MX$51.9

$1.90 IQD 2,875

47.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$10.47

$0.47 IQD 709

21.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 MX$514

$19.97 IQD 30.2K

39.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 MX$92.1

$2.03 IQD 3,070

145.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 MX$64.6

$1.35 IQD 2,034

159.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 MX$99.8

$2.72 IQD 4,106

98.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.08

$0.57 IQD 862

157.89%

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

$21.0K MX$387.8K

$16.5K IQD 25.0M

26.96%

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

$23.9K MX$441.8K

$16.7K IQD 25.2M

43.13%

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

$84.2 MX$1,556

$71.3 IQD 107.8K

18.04%

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

$23.99 MX$443

$16.32 IQD 24.7K

47.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.02 MX$536

$16.39 IQD 24.8K

77.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.0 MX$1,164

$36.23 IQD 54.7K

73.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.14 MX$539

$16.66 IQD 25.2K

74.91%

Cinema Ticket

$4.94 MX$91.3

$7.97 IQD 12.0K

-38.02%

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

$204 MX$3,763

$50.2 IQD 75.9K

305.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,941 MX$72.8K

$1,315 IQD 2.0M

199.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.60 MX$806

$24.56 IQD 37.1K

77.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.12 MX$797

$27.74 IQD 41.9K

55.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.8 MX$1,400

$58.2 IQD 88.0K

30.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 MX$1,637

$41.02 IQD 62.0K

115.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 MX$18.6K

$175 IQD 264.3K

476.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 MX$6,911

$133 IQD 201.6K

180.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.6K

$168 IQD 254.3K

915.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 MX$20.4K

$308 IQD 465.6K

258.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,944 MX$72.9K

$794 IQD 1.2M

396.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,169 MX$114.0K

$623 IQD 942.0K

889.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$754 MX$13.9K

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 10, 2026

Last update for As Samawah: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9%

As Samawah

$133 20.7% 64.3% $241

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4%

As Samawah

$143 22.2% 44.8% $116

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7%

As Samawah

$113 17.5% 44.3% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3%

As Samawah

$104 16.2% 24.2% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3%

As Samawah

$68 10.6% 39.6% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$73 6%

As Samawah

$52 8.1% 28.4% $21

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3%

As Samawah

$31 4.8% 41.8% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,008 in Playa del Carmen and $175 in As Samawah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $29.00 in As Samawah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $143 per month, with As Samawah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇮🇶 As Samawah

🕒 Local time

15:14 3:14 PM

23:14 11:14 PM

8 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

250,000

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 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 = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.78 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Playa del Carmen As Samawah 12,320 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
As Samawah

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 As Samawah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

As Samawah is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 88% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,816 in Playa del Carmen and $966 in As Samawah 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 $175 in As Samawah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in As Samawah runs roughly 39% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $204 in Playa del Carmen versus $50.2 in As Samawah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $644 in As Samawah versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in As Samawah but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes As Samawah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, As Samawah is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find As Samawah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 88% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.