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: $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,072 in Baghdad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,189 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,582 in Baghdad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,084 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,092 in Baghdad.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 21% more expensive than in Baghdad, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Baghdad 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$204

$5.33 IQD 6,975

120.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$725

$37.02 IQD 48.5K

12.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$181

$7.72 IQD 10.1K

34.84%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$3.10 IQD 4,056

16.45%

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

$1.46 MX$25.28

$0.40 IQD 520

265.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.17 IQD 228

470.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.8

$3.34 IQD 4,371

-12.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$80.2

$2.82 IQD 3,690

63.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$1.35 IQD 1,771

5.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.98

$0.82 IQD 1,079

131.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.18

$1.65 IQD 2,163

-4.85%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.73

$1.79 IQD 2,341

47.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$146

$4.43 IQD 5,795

90.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$149

$4.89 IQD 6,400

75.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$191

$13.90 IQD 18.2K

-20.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.91

$1.27 IQD 1,660

112.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.15

$1.15 IQD 1,512

31.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.22

$1.06 IQD 1,384

80.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.69

$0.70 IQD 916

210.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.53

$0.70 IQD 916

167.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.76

$0.66 IQD 868

237.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.76

$0.62 IQD 817

74.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$0.66 IQD 860

62.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$72.2

$2.06 IQD 2,697

101.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$179

$13.72 IQD 18.0K

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.20

$1.86 IQD 2,438

-9.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.96

$2.12 IQD 2,773

19.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.61

$0.76 IQD 993

-27.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$456

$28.11 IQD 36.8K

-6.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.5

$3.82 IQD 5,001

-16.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.73

$1.47 IQD 1,926

67.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.5

$7.45 IQD 9,761

-57.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.91

$0.56 IQD 735

135.71%

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

$30.2K MX$523.3K

$20.3K IQD 26.6M

48.31%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$19.7K IQD 25.9M

18.48%

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

$81.4 MX$1,412

$175 IQD 229.5K

-53.59%

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

$22.41 MX$389

$25.51 IQD 33.4K

-12.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$520

$41.13 IQD 53.9K

-27.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$41.38 IQD 54.2K

24.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$319

$18.70 IQD 24.5K

-1.66%

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$89.6

$7.50 IQD 9,825

-31.20%

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

$202 MX$3,501

$168 IQD 219.8K

20.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$92.2K

$3,639 IQD 4.8M

45.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$618

$28.64 IQD 37.5K

24.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$701

$31.05 IQD 40.7K

30.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,365

$65.2 IQD 85.3K

20.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,507

$43.30 IQD 56.7K

100.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.5K

$557 IQD 729.9K

70.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,298

$315 IQD 412.5K

51.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$28.1K

$822 IQD 1.1M

97.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$599 IQD 784.8K

104.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.6K

$3,987 IQD 5.2M

0.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$112.3K

$1,654 IQD 2.2M

291.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.7K

$657 IQD 860.3K

2.42%

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 15, 2026

Last update for Baghdad: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $950 in Playa del Carmen and $557 in Baghdad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 2% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $37.00 in Baghdad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $254 vs $191 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 21% 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 2% 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: $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $557 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 7% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $202 in Playa del Carmen versus $168 in Baghdad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,072 in Baghdad versus $1,294 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 $1,072 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 21% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.