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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $957 in Basra.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,450 in Basra.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,944 in Basra.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 32% more expensive than in Basra, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Basra 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$4.51 IQD 5,906

157.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$30.88 IQD 40.4K

52.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$7.42 IQD 9,712

60.11%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$2.55 IQD 3,345

56.08%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$0.44 IQD 571

225.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.34 IQD 445

141.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$3.90 IQD 5,113

-18.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$4.12 IQD 5,398

64.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.12 IQD 1,462

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$0.70 IQD 917

214.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.47 IQD 1,919

16.33%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$1.82 IQD 2,380

50.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$7.53 IQD 9,861

27.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$6.36 IQD 8,333

41.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$14.04 IQD 18.4K

-8.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$0.97 IQD 1,273

197.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.36 IQD 1,776

10.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$0.97 IQD 1,274

121.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$0.65 IQD 856

247.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$0.77 IQD 1,013

157.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$0.65 IQD 856

206.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$0.87 IQD 1,133

41.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.39 IQD 509

207.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$2.08 IQD 2,726

118.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$6.74 IQD 8,823

53.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$3.11 IQD 4,073

-47.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$3.92 IQD 5,135

-26.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.60 IQD 784

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$18.72 IQD 24.5K

53.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$2.36 IQD 3,089

128.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$2.27 IQD 2,967

64.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$7.06 IQD 9,240

-18.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$0.60 IQD 783

156.67%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$13.5K IQD 17.7M

67.16%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$23.2K IQD 30.4M

12.10%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$51.4 IQD 67.3K

77.68%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$25.89 IQD 33.9K

-2.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$39.73 IQD 52.0K

-21.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$36.24 IQD 47.5K

85.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$13.93 IQD 18.2K

108.97%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$7.60 IQD 9,955

-36.05%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$127 IQD 166.6K

75.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$3,881 IQD 5.1M

8.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$49.97 IQD 65.4K

-5.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$20.04 IQD 26.2K

121.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$77.1 IQD 101.0K

3.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$41.43 IQD 54.3K

123.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$477 IQD 624.8K

122.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$346 IQD 453.0K

12.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$853 IQD 1.1M

151.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$626 IQD 819.5K

103.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$1,578 IQD 2.1M

153.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$786 IQD 1.0M

726.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$777 IQD 1.0M

-2.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.67

101.94%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Basra: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $477 in Basra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basra pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $31.00 in Basra for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $197 per month, with Basra 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 Basra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Basra differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($1,266 vs $957 including rent). Basra is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 2% lower in Basra. 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $477 in Basra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% 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 $31.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $957 in Basra versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 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 32% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.