Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Az Zubayr Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Az Zubayr

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $746 in Az Zubayr.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,164 in Az Zubayr.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,582 in Az Zubayr.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 70% more expensive than Az Zubayr, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Az Zubayr 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$3.97 IQD 5,205

198.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$24.81 IQD 32.5K

72.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$6.76 IQD 8,848

57.54%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.63 IQD 3,446

31.18%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.36 IQD 475

316.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.16 IQD 213

493.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.86 IQD 3,745

5.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.93 IQD 3,833

57.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.36 IQD 1,777

1.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.82 IQD 1,076

125.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.64 IQD 2,151

-1.83%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.81 IQD 2,364

43.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$4.42 IQD 5,784

86.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$4.81 IQD 6,292

74.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$13.18 IQD 17.3K

-19.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.14 IQD 1,490

130.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.15 IQD 1,506

29.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.01 IQD 1,323

90.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$0.69 IQD 905

202.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.69 IQD 904

169.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.67 IQD 874

237.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.62 IQD 817

70.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.56 IQD 737

94.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$1.94 IQD 2,534

113.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.80 IQD 2,357

-4.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.14 IQD 2,809

21.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.40 IQD 522

35.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$31.60 IQD 41.4K

-14.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$2.29 IQD 2,996

36.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.47 IQD 1,926

70.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$5.96 IQD 7,804

-47.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.57 IQD 743

122.81%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$19.4K IQD 25.4M

56.34%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$20.1K IQD 26.3M

17.53%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$77.3 IQD 101.3K

7.35%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$17.58 IQD 23.0K

29.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$34.04 IQD 44.6K

-13.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$37.06 IQD 48.5K

37.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$17.12 IQD 22.4K

7.07%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$7.50 IQD 9,822

-34.27%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$153 IQD 200.4K

28.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$3,284 IQD 4.3M

60.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$27.32 IQD 35.8K

35.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$25.03 IQD 32.8K

59.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$61.8 IQD 81.0K

29.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$41.83 IQD 54.8K

113.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$243 IQD 317.6K

294.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$179 IQD 234.4K

166.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$586 IQD 767.7K

180.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$344 IQD 451.1K

255.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Az Zubayr: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $243 in Az Zubayr. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $25.00 in Az Zubayr for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $158 per month, with Az Zubayr 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 Az Zubayr: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Az Zubayr differ by about 70% in total monthly costs ($1,271 vs $746 including rent). Az Zubayr is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,906 in Playa del Carmen and $1,118 in Az Zubayr 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $243 in Az Zubayr. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Az Zubayr – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $746 in Az Zubayr versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Az Zubayr but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Az Zubayr 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 Az Zubayr gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.