Comparación del coste de vida entre Playa del Carmen y Ba'qubah Comparación del coste de vida entre Playa del Carmen y Ba'qubah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $638 in Ba'qubah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $985 in Ba'qubah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,333 in Ba'qubah.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 102% more expensive than Ba'qubah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Ba'qubah 52% lower.

Moneda
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Ba'qubah
Diferencia
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.94 MX$209
$5.03 IQD 6,593
137.38%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$42.75 MX$748
$15.37 IQD 20.1K
178.14%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.59 MX$185
$6.35 IQD 8,318
66.77%
Cappuccino
$3.62 MX$63.4
$1.13 IQD 1,478
220.35%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.47 MX$25.69
$0.48 IQD 628
206.25%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.94 MX$16.51
$0.18 IQD 242
422.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.09 MX$54.1
$1.93 IQD 2,534
60.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.46 MX$78.0
$2.06 IQD 2,697
116.50%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Ba'qubah
Diferencia
Milk (1 liter)
$1.43 MX$24.94
$1.13 IQD 1,485
26.55%
White Bread (500g)
$1.88 MX$32.97
$0.55 IQD 726
241.82%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.63 MX$28.50
$1.12 IQD 1,473
45.54%
Eggs
$2.64 MX$46.26
$1.41 IQD 1,852
87.23%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.21 MX$144
$2.26 IQD 2,964
263.27%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.29 MX$145
$2.52 IQD 3,298
228.97%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.10 MX$194
$10.77 IQD 14.1K
3.06%
Apples (1kg)
$2.65 MX$46.40
$0.92 IQD 1,202
188.04%
Banana (1kg)
$1.50 MX$26.26
$1.13 IQD 1,480
32.74%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.99 MX$34.79
$0.99 IQD 1,291
101.01%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 MX$36.33
$0.60 IQD 782
246.67%
Potato (1kg)
$1.79 MX$31.29
$0.56 IQD 729
219.64%
Onion (1kg)
$2.18 MX$38.09
$0.69 IQD 901
215.94%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.08 MX$18.84
$0.47 IQD 612
129.79%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.04 MX$18.15
$0.21 IQD 281
395.24%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.97 MX$69.5
$2.71 IQD 3,557
46.49%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.20 MX$179
$12.24 IQD 16.0K
-16.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.73 MX$30.22
$1.43 IQD 1,873
20.98%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 MX$43.71
$2.03 IQD 2,655
23.15%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Ba'qubah
Diferencia
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.52 MX$9.07
$0.40 IQD 522
30.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.97 MX$472
$31.61 IQD 41.4K
-14.68%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.14 MX$55.0
$2.37 IQD 3,100
32.49%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.40 MX$42.04
$2.10 IQD 2,751
14.29%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.09 MX$54.0
$5.32 IQD 6,973
-41.92%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.27 MX$22.28
$0.33 IQD 427
284.85%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.9K MX$540.4K
$19.0K IQD 24.9M
62.59%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.3K MX$408.0K
$20.9K IQD 27.4M
11.66%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Ba'qubah
Diferencia
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$82.0 MX$1,435
$59.3 IQD 77.7K
38.27%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.45 MX$393
$17.97 IQD 23.5K
24.93%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.66 MX$519
$27.11 IQD 35.5K
9.41%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Ba'qubah
Diferencia
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.9 MX$908
$18.94 IQD 24.8K
173.86%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.67 MX$327
$16.61 IQD 21.8K
12.40%
Cinema Ticket
$4.97 MX$87.0
$3.82 IQD 4,999
30.10%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Ba'qubah
Diferencia
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$198 MX$3,462
$27.30 IQD 35.8K
624.58%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,273 MX$92.3K
$632 IQD 827.6K
734.68%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Ba'qubah
Diferencia
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$36.34 MX$636
$18.99 IQD 24.9K
91.36%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.05 MX$701
$18.97 IQD 24.9K
111.12%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.9 MX$1,398
$83.8 IQD 109.8K
-4.72%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.9 MX$1,555
$27.25 IQD 35.7K
226.17%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Ba'qubah
Diferencia
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$963 MX$16.9K
$244 IQD 320.3K
294.04%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$465 MX$8,133
$182 IQD 238.6K
155.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,596 MX$27.9K
$570 IQD 746.3K
180.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,209 MX$21.2K
$345 IQD 451.5K
250.73%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,942 MX$69.0K
$768 IQD 1.0M
413.34%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,448 MX$112.8K
$188 IQD 246.7K
3324.91%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Ba'qubah
Diferencia
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$720 MX$12.6K
$730 IQD 956.4K
-1.32%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.42
5.67
101.41%

Los datos de CityCost se basan en IA y aportaciones de usuarios. Puede haber pequeñas variaciones.

Última actualización para Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Última actualización para Ba'qubah: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $244 in Ba'qubah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ba'qubah pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $15.00 in Ba'qubah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $140 per month, with Ba'qubah cheaper across the board.

Comparación de velocidades medias de internet por ciudad (actualizado April 2026)

El gráfico resalta el umbral de precisión para velocidades de internet móvil y fija, actualizado trimestralmente.
Índice del coste de vida para nómadas digitales
Playa del Carmen vs Ba'qubah: Coste de vida - preguntas frecuentes
Is Ba'qubah cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Ba'qubah is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 102% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Playa del Carmen or Ba'qubah?
On paper, Ba'qubah earns 1% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Playa del Carmen and Ba'qubah?
Rent for a central apartment: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $244 in Ba'qubah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Playa del Carmen and Ba'qubah?
Supermarket bills run roughly 79% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is eating out cheaper in Playa del Carmen or Ba'qubah?
Dining out is cheaper in Ba'qubah – a meal for two runs $15.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for Playa del Carmen or Ba'qubah?
At $638 in Ba'qubah versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ba'qubah but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Ba'qubah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Playa del Carmen or Ba'qubah more family-friendly?
For families, Ba'qubah 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Ba'qubah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 102% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Playa del Carmen vs otros destinos: coste de vida comparado

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