Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Baghdad Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Baghdad

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,148 in Baghdad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,708 in Baghdad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,374 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,269 in Baghdad.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 13% more expensive than in Baghdad, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Baghdad 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$199

$4.81 IQD 6,302

143.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$792

$33.76 IQD 44.2K

38.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$198

$7.68 IQD 10.1K

51.69%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.6

$3.07 IQD 4,018

33.22%

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

$1.37 MX$23.35

$0.40 IQD 520

242.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.17

$0.26 IQD 342

219.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$57.0

$3.89 IQD 5,091

-13.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$3.75 IQD 4,906

84.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.35

$1.09 IQD 1,424

58.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.41

$0.83 IQD 1,091

172.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.07

$1.53 IQD 2,005

15.69%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.43

$1.89 IQD 2,473

44.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$156

$3.80 IQD 4,971

141.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$152

$4.58 IQD 5,992

94.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$214

$14.59 IQD 19.1K

-13.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.3

$1.14 IQD 1,492

164.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.69

$1.07 IQD 1,399

46.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.12

$1.06 IQD 1,391

100.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.48

$0.74 IQD 971

205.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.05

$0.66 IQD 860

203.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.08

$0.64 IQD 843

221.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$20.05

$0.63 IQD 827

87.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.46

$0.70 IQD 920

71.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.8

$1.83 IQD 2,400

153.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$182

$13.65 IQD 17.9K

-21.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.52

$2.21 IQD 2,890

-26.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.96

$2.18 IQD 2,861

32.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.74

$0.65 IQD 854

-12.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$507

$22.62 IQD 29.6K

31.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.6

$2.32 IQD 3,037

134.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$63.0

$1.55 IQD 2,025

138.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$102

$7.79 IQD 10.2K

-23.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.40

$0.61 IQD 801

154.10%

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

$22.3K MX$379.4K

$19.0K IQD 24.9M

17.24%

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

$25.9K MX$441.0K

$19.2K IQD 25.1M

35.47%

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

$89.1 MX$1,515

$213 IQD 278.8K

-58.14%

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

$25.04 MX$426

$20.99 IQD 27.5K

19.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$535

$42.26 IQD 55.3K

-25.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,152

$46.87 IQD 61.4K

44.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$491

$22.00 IQD 28.8K

31.45%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.8

$10.57 IQD 13.8K

-52.22%

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

$225 MX$3,823

$165 IQD 216.6K

35.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.8K

$3,462 IQD 4.5M

21.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$806

$30.18 IQD 39.5K

57.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$764

$38.06 IQD 49.8K

18.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,393

$72.9 IQD 95.5K

12.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,565

$47.63 IQD 62.4K

93.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.2K

$575 IQD 753.1K

85.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,888

$350 IQD 457.9K

15.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.9K

$959 IQD 1.3M

101.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.1K

$687 IQD 899.8K

89.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.9K

$4,743 IQD 6.2M

-15.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.6K

$1,576 IQD 2.1M

320.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

$604 IQD 791.2K

23.92%

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: August 29, 2026

Last update for Baghdad: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $575 in Baghdad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 24% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $34.00 in Baghdad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $188 per month, with Baghdad 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 Baghdad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baghdad wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Baghdad the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 24% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $575 in Baghdad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Baghdad runs roughly 32% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $225 in Playa del Carmen versus $165 in Baghdad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,148 in Baghdad versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Baghdad but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Baghdad the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Baghdad delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,148 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Baghdad hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Baghdad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.