Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ba'qubah Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ba'qubah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $643 in Ba'qubah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $991 in Ba'qubah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,339 in Ba'qubah.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 96% more expensive than in Ba'qubah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Ba'qubah 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$5.05 IQD 6,612

132.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$15.29 IQD 20.0K

173.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$6.68 IQD 8,747

57.34%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$1.17 IQD 1,536

206.84%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.52 IQD 687

190.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.17 IQD 224

441.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.88 IQD 2,464

57.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$2.11 IQD 2,766

109.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.13 IQD 1,482

23.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.59 IQD 770

218.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.17 IQD 1,527

33.33%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$1.46 IQD 1,914

78.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$2.29 IQD 2,994

263.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$2.52 IQD 3,298

231.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$10.62 IQD 13.9K

2.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$0.99 IQD 1,297

173.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.12 IQD 1,464

34.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.00 IQD 1,306

87.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$0.55 IQD 719

298.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$0.55 IQD 725

238.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$0.64 IQD 840

248.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.49 IQD 642

118.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.21 IQD 271

419.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$2.72 IQD 3,559

54.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$12.27 IQD 16.1K

-15.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.42 IQD 1,863

16.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.02 IQD 2,650

29.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.39 IQD 517

38.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$30.62 IQD 40.1K

-14.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$2.31 IQD 3,027

33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$2.02 IQD 2,645

18.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$5.30 IQD 6,938

-40.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$0.35 IQD 459

274.29%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$19.5K IQD 25.5M

52.89%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$20.6K IQD 27.0M

12.98%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$57.9 IQD 75.8K

40.45%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$17.57 IQD 23.0K

28.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$27.17 IQD 35.6K

10.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$19.07 IQD 25.0K

177.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$16.70 IQD 21.9K

10.12%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$3.87 IQD 5,073

27.13%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$26.35 IQD 34.5K

662.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$638 IQD 835.4K

711.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$18.85 IQD 24.7K

90.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$18.86 IQD 24.7K

112.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$81.0 IQD 106.1K

-1.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$26.53 IQD 34.7K

225.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$246 IQD 322.7K

296.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$180 IQD 235.3K

161.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$584 IQD 765.3K

182.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$341 IQD 446.9K

252.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$755 IQD 988.8K

423.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$187 IQD 245.2K

3428.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$726 IQD 951.2K

-6.85%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Ba'qubah: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $246 in Ba'qubah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ba'qubah pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $15.00 in Ba'qubah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $141 per month, with Ba'qubah 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 Ba'qubah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ba'qubah is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 96% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 7% lower in Ba'qubah. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $246 in Ba'qubah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 79% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Ba'qubah – a meal for two runs $15.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $643 in Ba'qubah versus $1,260 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.

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.

Expats usually find Ba'qubah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 96% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.