Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Baghdad

For one person, living is cheaper in Baghdad: $1,001 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. The total is higher in Playa del Carmen despite lower rent and utilities.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Baghdad
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Baghdad Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Baghdad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$1,001

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Baghdad

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Baghdad actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,001 in Baghdad.

Playa del Carmen $1,210
Baghdad $1,001

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,113 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,472 in Baghdad.

Playa del Carmen $2,113
Baghdad $1,472

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,016 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,943 in Baghdad.

Playa del Carmen $3,016
Baghdad $1,943

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 21% more expensive than in Baghdad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 10% lower, Baghdad 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.76 MX$199

$4.27 IQD 6,445

151.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.03 MX$795

$29.18 IQD 44.1K

47.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$218

$6.77 IQD 10.2K

74.15%

Cappuccino

$3.87 MX$71.4

$2.65 IQD 4,003

46.04%

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

$1.37 MX$25.29

$0.35 IQD 530

291.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 MX$15.44

$0.20 IQD 302

320.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 MX$57.3

$3.26 IQD 4,927

-4.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 MX$93.6

$3.22 IQD 4,868

57.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.55

$0.97 IQD 1,466

48.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 MX$41.23

$0.73 IQD 1,097

205.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$1.33 IQD 2,003

10.53%

Eggs

$2.53 MX$46.71

$1.68 IQD 2,534

50.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 MX$135

$3.25 IQD 4,912

124.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 MX$145

$4.10 IQD 6,192

91.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.79 MX$236

$12.41 IQD 18.8K

3.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.6

$1.01 IQD 1,523

187.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.53

$0.98 IQD 1,487

46.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.07

$0.96 IQD 1,444

165.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$38.03

$0.69 IQD 1,045

198.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$36.97

$0.56 IQD 842

257.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.07

$0.57 IQD 855

252.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 MX$22.02

$0.53 IQD 806

124.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$23.23

$0.62 IQD 943

103.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 MX$81.4

$1.68 IQD 2,534

161.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.59 MX$177

$11.61 IQD 17.5K

-17.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.41

$1.89 IQD 2,863

-15.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 MX$51.9

$1.90 IQD 2,876

47.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$10.47

$0.57 IQD 858

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 MX$514

$20.12 IQD 30.4K

38.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 MX$92.1

$2.01 IQD 3,038

147.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 MX$64.6

$1.34 IQD 2,029

161.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 MX$99.8

$6.54 IQD 9,887

-17.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.08

$0.54 IQD 810

172.22%

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

$21.0K MX$387.8K

$16.3K IQD 24.6M

28.69%

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

$23.9K MX$441.8K

$16.6K IQD 25.1M

44.16%

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

$84.2 MX$1,556

$189 IQD 285.6K

-55.44%

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

$23.99 MX$443

$17.44 IQD 26.4K

37.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.02 MX$536

$36.40 IQD 55.0K

-20.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.0 MX$1,164

$41.49 IQD 62.7K

51.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.14 MX$539

$18.51 IQD 28.0K

57.43%

Cinema Ticket

$4.94 MX$91.3

$9.64 IQD 14.6K

-48.76%

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

$204 MX$3,763

$145 IQD 218.9K

40.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,941 MX$72.8K

$3,046 IQD 4.6M

29.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.60 MX$806

$24.78 IQD 37.4K

75.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.12 MX$797

$28.66 IQD 43.3K

50.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.8 MX$1,400

$59.8 IQD 90.4K

26.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 MX$1,637

$41.64 IQD 62.9K

112.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 MX$18.6K

$513 IQD 774.7K

96.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 MX$6,911

$322 IQD 485.8K

16.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.6K

$881 IQD 1.3M

93.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 MX$20.4K

$595 IQD 899.0K

85.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,944 MX$72.9K

$4,336 IQD 6.6M

-9.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,169 MX$114.0K

$1,443 IQD 2.2M

327.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$754 MX$13.9K

$499 IQD 753.9K

51.17%

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: October 10, 2026

Last update for Baghdad: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9%

Baghdad

$322 32.1% 14% $52

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4%

Baghdad

$164 16.4% 36.7% $95

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7%

Baghdad

$111 11.1% 45% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3%

Baghdad

$243 24.3% 77% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3%

Baghdad

$70 7% 38.3% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$73 6%

Baghdad

$61 6.1% 16.6% $12

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3%

Baghdad

$31 3.1% 40.8% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,008 in Playa del Carmen and $513 in Baghdad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 51% 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: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $29.00 in Baghdad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $164 per month, with Baghdad cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇮🇶 Baghdad

🕒 Local time

09:58 9:58 AM

17:58 5:58 PM

8 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

7,216,040 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.78 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Baghdad 12,110 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Baghdad

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 51% 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: $1,008 in Playa del Carmen versus $513 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 38% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $204 in Playa del Carmen versus $145 in Baghdad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,001 in Baghdad versus $1,210 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 $1,001 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.