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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $739 in Basra.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,368 in Basra.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,996 in Basra.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 70% more expensive than in Basra, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Basra 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$210

$3.79 IQD 4,959

216.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$733

$25.30 IQD 33.1K

65.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$189

$6.74 IQD 8,831

59.50%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$61.3

$2.03 IQD 2,656

72.41%

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

$1.45 MX$25.41

$0.47 IQD 612

208.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.52

$0.35 IQD 452

151.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.7

$3.72 IQD 4,866

-20.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$79.1

$2.59 IQD 3,391

74.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.12

$1.23 IQD 1,608

16.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.23

$0.70 IQD 922

162.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.51

$1.46 IQD 1,906

7.53%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$44.06

$1.88 IQD 2,467

33.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$145

$8.26 IQD 10.8K

0.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$148

$6.93 IQD 9,071

21.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

$13.13 IQD 17.2K

-18.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.76

$1.05 IQD 1,370

148.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.22

$1.34 IQD 1,756

7.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.41

$1.00 IQD 1,316

96.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.74

$0.59 IQD 774

254.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.47

$0.68 IQD 894

172.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$38.02

$0.60 IQD 789

261.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.09

$0.78 IQD 1,022

32.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.84

$0.41 IQD 542

160.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$72.0

$1.95 IQD 2,559

110.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

$13.18 IQD 17.3K

-22.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.38

$3.02 IQD 3,957

-44.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.31

$3.92 IQD 5,139

-35.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.93

$0.37 IQD 479

37.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$457

$23.11 IQD 30.3K

12.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.7

$2.28 IQD 2,992

41.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.19

$2.26 IQD 2,957

6.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$6.93 IQD 9,071

-53.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.17

$0.56 IQD 732

135.71%

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

$29.7K MX$520.9K

$13.1K IQD 17.2M

126.06%

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

$23.7K MX$415.0K

$22.6K IQD 29.6M

4.62%

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

$82.0 MX$1,439

$56.7 IQD 74.2K

44.69%

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

$22.95 MX$403

$25.66 IQD 33.6K

-10.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$528

$38.60 IQD 50.5K

-21.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$912

$36.33 IQD 47.6K

43.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$325

$15.54 IQD 20.4K

19.24%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$87.3

$7.82 IQD 10.2K

-36.32%

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

$197 MX$3,463

$98.0 IQD 128.3K

101.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.6K

$3,807 IQD 5.0M

40.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$624

$42.66 IQD 55.9K

-16.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$707

$20.58 IQD 27.0K

95.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,381

$70.1 IQD 91.9K

12.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,560

$41.08 IQD 53.8K

116.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

$445 IQD 582.7K

112.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,314

$136 IQD 178.0K

248.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.8K

$908 IQD 1.2M

80.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

$650 IQD 851.8K

86.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$71.1K

$1,605 IQD 2.1M

152.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.5K

$783 IQD 1.0M

725.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.5K

$752 IQD 985.3K

-13.09%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Basra: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $445 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 $212 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 70% in total monthly costs ($1,256 vs $739 including rent). Basra is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 15% 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $445 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 $739 in Basra versus $1,256 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 70% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.