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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $658 in Ba'qubah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $989 in Ba'qubah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,320 in Ba'qubah.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 93% more expensive than Ba'qubah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Ba'qubah 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$4.84 IQD 6,342

145.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$15.44 IQD 20.2K

177.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$6.45 IQD 8,452

65.12%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.16 IQD 1,521

197.41%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.52 IQD 682

188.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.22 IQD 286

331.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.93 IQD 2,523

56.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.13 IQD 2,786

116.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.18 IQD 1,546

16.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.59 IQD 772

213.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.12 IQD 1,461

43.75%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.41 IQD 1,852

83.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$2.23 IQD 2,923

270.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$2.52 IQD 3,297

232.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$10.81 IQD 14.2K

-1.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$0.99 IQD 1,296

165.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.18 IQD 1,542

26.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$0.98 IQD 1,283

95.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$0.55 IQD 721

280.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.55 IQD 714

238.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.65 IQD 846

247.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.46 IQD 606

130.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.17 IQD 216

541.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.62 IQD 3,425

58.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$12.21 IQD 16.0K

-14.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.37 IQD 1,798

25.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.02 IQD 2,649

29.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.40 IQD 518

35.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$31.03 IQD 40.6K

-13.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$2.35 IQD 3,072

33.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$2.12 IQD 2,774

18.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$5.24 IQD 6,865

-39.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.35 IQD 464

262.86%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$19.0K IQD 24.9M

59.64%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$20.4K IQD 26.7M

15.74%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$59.3 IQD 77.6K

40.01%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$17.34 IQD 22.7K

30.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$26.66 IQD 34.9K

10.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$19.45 IQD 25.5K

162.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$16.98 IQD 22.2K

7.95%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$3.85 IQD 5,040

28.05%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$26.46 IQD 34.6K

645.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$638 IQD 835.2K

727.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$18.99 IQD 24.9K

94.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$19.30 IQD 25.3K

106.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$81.1 IQD 106.2K

-1.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$26.36 IQD 34.5K

239.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$245 IQD 321.3K

289.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$181 IQD 236.6K

164.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$573 IQD 750.2K

187.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$350 IQD 458.1K

250.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$772 IQD 1.0M

407.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$193 IQD 252.4K

3251.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$718 IQD 940.5K

-7.14%

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 Ba'qubah: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $245 in Ba'qubah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ba'qubah pays 8% 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 $250 vs $140 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 93% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Ba'qubah earns 8% less. 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $245 in Ba'qubah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 78% 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $658 in Ba'qubah versus $1,271 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 93% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.