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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $742 in Basra.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,351 in Basra.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,960 in Basra.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 75% more expensive than Basra, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Basra 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$3.81 IQD 4,990

207.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$24.77 IQD 32.4K

68.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$7.02 IQD 9,194

51.57%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$2.06 IQD 2,695

70.87%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$0.44 IQD 572

243.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$0.35 IQD 452

177.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$3.86 IQD 5,061

-23.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$2.70 IQD 3,532

64.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$1.23 IQD 1,607

12.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$0.70 IQD 919

170.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$1.41 IQD 1,850

16.31%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$1.92 IQD 2,512

30.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$8.05 IQD 10.5K

3.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$7.22 IQD 9,457

15.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$13.20 IQD 17.3K

-18.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$1.01 IQD 1,321

157.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$1.42 IQD 1,858

2.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$1.02 IQD 1,331

86.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$0.63 IQD 820

230.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$0.71 IQD 932

150.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$0.57 IQD 744

284.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$0.83 IQD 1,085

25.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$0.41 IQD 541

163.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$1.88 IQD 2,458

117.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$12.76 IQD 16.7K

-19.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$2.97 IQD 3,892

-42.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$3.78 IQD 4,947

-31.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$0.39 IQD 516

30.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

$23.21 IQD 30.4K

14.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$2.31 IQD 3,028

41.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$2.21 IQD 2,891

12.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$6.76 IQD 8,847

-51.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$0.58 IQD 762

125.86%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$13.3K IQD 17.4M

128.25%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$23.2K IQD 30.4M

0.92%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$56.6 IQD 74.1K

46.47%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$25.19 IQD 33.0K

-11.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$38.41 IQD 50.3K

-23.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$37.07 IQD 48.5K

39.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$15.48 IQD 20.3K

18.35%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$7.75 IQD 10.2K

-34.58%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$97.0 IQD 127.0K

107.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$3,772 IQD 4.9M

38.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$41.85 IQD 54.8K

-11.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$20.30 IQD 26.6K

96.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$72.9 IQD 95.4K

7.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$40.68 IQD 53.3K

114.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$455 IQD 595.7K

113.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$133 IQD 174.1K

251.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$918 IQD 1.2M

78.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$671 IQD 878.1K

82.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

$1,581 IQD 2.1M

149.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

$800 IQD 1.0M

711.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$763 IQD 998.7K

-12.95%

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 2, 2026

Last update for Basra: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $455 in Basra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basra pays 15% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $25.00 in Basra for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $213 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 75% in total monthly costs ($1,297 vs $742 including rent). Basra is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Basra earns 15% less. 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $455 in Basra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% 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 $25.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $742 in Basra versus $1,297 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 75% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.