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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $646 in Duhok.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,057 in Duhok.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,468 in Duhok.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 97% more expensive than Duhok, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Duhok 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$207

$3.93 IQD 5,146

202.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$749

$19.45 IQD 25.4K

120.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$186

$6.94 IQD 9,081

53.46%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$60.2

$2.53 IQD 3,311

36.36%

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

$1.50 MX$26.24

$0.42 IQD 555

257.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.56

$0.18 IQD 237

427.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.8

$1.17 IQD 1,532

158.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$80.4

$1.93 IQD 2,524

138.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$24.01

$1.36 IQD 1,783

1.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.86 IQD 1,124

115.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$28.11

$1.57 IQD 2,060

2.55%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$45.26

$1.87 IQD 2,449

38.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$144

$5.24 IQD 6,857

57.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$146

$2.93 IQD 3,826

185.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$186

$12.92 IQD 16.9K

-17.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.89

$1.12 IQD 1,469

134.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.96

$1.20 IQD 1,565

24.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$33.50

$0.82 IQD 1,070

134.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.41

$0.71 IQD 929

194.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.42

$0.70 IQD 919

165.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.47

$0.70 IQD 910

222.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.54

$0.73 IQD 957

45.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.98

$0.56 IQD 732

94.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.4

$1.86 IQD 2,432

123.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$181

$12.62 IQD 16.5K

-17.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$30.09

$1.44 IQD 1,884

19.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.60

$1.97 IQD 2,575

32.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.46

$0.33 IQD 431

63.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$470

$15.86 IQD 20.7K

69.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.6

$2.23 IQD 2,919

40.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.82

$1.54 IQD 2,017

62.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$55.0

$6.08 IQD 7,949

-48.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.25

$0.66 IQD 861

92.42%

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

$30.4K MX$530.1K

$19.0K IQD 24.9M

59.53%

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

$23.6K MX$411.3K

$19.8K IQD 25.9M

19.05%

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

$83.0 MX$1,449

$93.8 IQD 122.7K

-11.53%

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

$22.71 MX$396

$9.64 IQD 12.6K

135.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$514

$29.60 IQD 38.7K

-0.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$890

$51.8 IQD 67.8K

-1.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$320

$16.86 IQD 22.1K

8.72%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$86.0

$7.44 IQD 9,737

-33.74%

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

$197 MX$3,444

$115 IQD 150.0K

72.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$92.1K

$3,332 IQD 4.4M

58.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$644

$10.15 IQD 13.3K

263.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$696

$19.73 IQD 25.8K

102.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,396

$30.07 IQD 39.3K

166.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,561

$19.79 IQD 25.9K

352.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.7K

$180 IQD 235.3K

431.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,327

$124 IQD 162.5K

284.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.7K

$367 IQD 479.6K

348.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.4K

$346 IQD 452.3K

254.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$68.4K

$471 IQD 615.6K

732.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$112.7K

$394 IQD 515.0K

1540.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.6K

$430 IQD 562.4K

55.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

14.33

-20.31%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Duhok: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $180 in Duhok. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 55% 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 $19.00 in Duhok for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $174 per month, with Duhok 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 Duhok: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Duhok differ by about 97% in total monthly costs ($1,271 vs $646 including rent). Duhok is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Playa del Carmen pays 55% more on average, 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $180 in Duhok. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $115 in Duhok. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $646 in Duhok versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Duhok but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Duhok 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.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Duhok are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Duhok gentler on the wallet – expenses run 97% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.