Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Basra

For one person, living is cheaper in Basra: $664 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Basra
Learn more

Basra Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Basra

🇮🇶 Iraq

$664

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Basra actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $664 in Basra.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Basra $664

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,194 in Basra.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Basra $1,194

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,725 in Basra.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Basra $1,725

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 81% more expensive than in Basra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Basra 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$3.88 IQD 5,859

181.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$814

$26.91 IQD 40.7K

61.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$6.70 IQD 10.1K

75.82%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.5

$2.29 IQD 3,462

66.38%

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

$1.28 MX$24.07

$0.38 IQD 568

236.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.70

$0.30 IQD 458

160.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$3.28 IQD 4,951

-3.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$3.67 IQD 5,541

34.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.40

$0.99 IQD 1,502

42.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.62

$0.61 IQD 920

263.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.61

$1.21 IQD 1,833

17.36%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.36

$1.60 IQD 2,417

57.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

$6.32 IQD 9,552

14.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

$5.40 IQD 8,161

42.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

$12.12 IQD 18.3K

4.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$0.84 IQD 1,265

230.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.68

$1.18 IQD 1,784

16.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.89

$0.85 IQD 1,285

200.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.86

$0.55 IQD 834

285.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.39

$0.64 IQD 960

203.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.41

$0.54 IQD 813

250.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.53

$0.80 IQD 1,211

43.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.13

$0.34 IQD 512

247.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.6

$1.80 IQD 2,725

138.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$11.21 IQD 16.9K

-11.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.73

$1.58 IQD 2,383

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

$1.82 IQD 2,755

46.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.39

$0.52 IQD 789

5.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

$16.41 IQD 24.8K

62.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.3

$1.93 IQD 2,923

157.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.5

$1.95 IQD 2,948

70.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$6.34 IQD 9,576

-15.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.11

$0.56 IQD 841

157.14%

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

$20.7K MX$388.0K

$11.4K IQD 17.3M

80.79%

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

$23.5K MX$440.5K

$19.6K IQD 29.7M

19.48%

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

$84.8 MX$1,592

$43.92 IQD 66.4K

93.06%

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

$23.41 MX$439

$22.28 IQD 33.7K

5.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$538

$33.60 IQD 50.8K

-14.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,071

$31.84 IQD 48.1K

79.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

$11.99 IQD 18.1K

141.12%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.5

$6.56 IQD 9,906

-21.65%

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

$207 MX$3,878

$109 IQD 165.2K

88.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.7K

$3,237 IQD 4.9M

21.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$814

$43.57 IQD 65.8K

-0.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$778

$17.35 IQD 26.2K

138.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,393

$68.7 IQD 103.8K

8.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,676

$35.89 IQD 54.2K

148.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$405 IQD 611.7K

141.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,150

$138 IQD 208.3K

176.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$369 IQD 558.1K

362.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$548 IQD 828.2K

96.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.0K

$1,403 IQD 2.1M

181.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.6K

$707 IQD 1.1M

771.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$667 IQD 1.0M

10.18%

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 25, 2026

Last update for Basra: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Basra

$138 20.8% 63.8% $243

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Basra

$171 25.8% 32.8% $84

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Basra

$105 15.8% 48.1% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Basra

$100 15% 27.1% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Basra

$74 11.2% 33.3% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Basra

$45 6.8% 33.2% $22

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Basra

$30 4.6% 40.2% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $980 in Playa del Carmen and $405 in Basra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 10% 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 in Playa del Carmen vs $27 in Basra for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $171 per month, with Basra cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇮🇶 Basra

🕒 Local time

03:03 3:03 AM

11:03 11:03 AM

8 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

2,150,000

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.93 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.95 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,686 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Basra 12,560 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Basra

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 Basra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $664 in Basra, so Basra is about 45% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 10% 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: $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $405 in Basra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Basra – a meal for two runs $27 versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $664 in Basra versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Basra but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Basra the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Basra gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.