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: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $663 in Duhok.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,064 in Duhok.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,466 in Duhok.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 97% more expensive than in 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

$11.96 MX$203

$3.84 IQD 5,024

211.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$803

$18.93 IQD 24.8K

150.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$8.62 IQD 11.3K

36.31%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$69.9

$2.81 IQD 3,684

46.62%

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

$1.40 MX$23.71

$0.40 IQD 518

250.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.46

$0.21 IQD 269

333.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.3

$1.88 IQD 2,464

70.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$2.35 IQD 3,074

200.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.40

$1.23 IQD 1,611

36.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.43

$0.78 IQD 1,027

175.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.06

$1.76 IQD 2,311

0.57%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.69

$1.85 IQD 2,429

52.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$4.91 IQD 6,436

87.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$156

$3.09 IQD 4,041

198.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$12.88 IQD 16.9K

-1.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$49.99

$1.08 IQD 1,408

173.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.75

$1.11 IQD 1,450

42.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.65

$0.81 IQD 1,065

174.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.03

$0.69 IQD 904

242.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.76

$0.75 IQD 976

165.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.53

$0.69 IQD 901

186.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.01

$0.80 IQD 1,045

55.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.52

$0.59 IQD 772

105.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.0

$1.92 IQD 2,517

139.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$12.55 IQD 16.4K

-16.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.66

$1.64 IQD 2,147

3.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.00

$2.05 IQD 2,686

35.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.21

$0.36 IQD 466

66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$503

$15.53 IQD 20.3K

91.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.7

$1.86 IQD 2,436

181.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.8

$1.43 IQD 1,875

155.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.0

$5.83 IQD 7,629

-0.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.06

$0.67 IQD 879

129.85%

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

$22.8K MX$386.3K

$18.3K IQD 24.0M

24.51%

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

$25.8K MX$437.3K

$20.2K IQD 26.4M

27.98%

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

$90.7 MX$1,536

$92.3 IQD 120.8K

-1.72%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$9.76 IQD 12.8K

158.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$538

$28.23 IQD 37.0K

12.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,165

$53.3 IQD 69.8K

29.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$30.88 IQD 40.4K

-4.89%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.4

$7.55 IQD 9,883

-35.63%

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

$226 MX$3,823

$111 IQD 145.6K

103.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.0K

$3,151 IQD 4.1M

33.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$803

$10.17 IQD 13.3K

365.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$736

$20.16 IQD 26.4K

115.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,359

$30.16 IQD 39.5K

165.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,548

$20.11 IQD 26.3K

354.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$179 IQD 234.5K

506.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,923

$125 IQD 163.7K

226.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.4K

$366 IQD 479.6K

438.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$338 IQD 442.9K

278.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.5K

$477 IQD 625.2K

747.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.6K

$391 IQD 512.6K

1612.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$455 IQD 595.5K

70.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

2.53

352.57%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Duhok: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $179 in Duhok. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 70% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $19.00 in Duhok for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $173 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 ($1,305 vs $663 including rent). Duhok is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 70% 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: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $179 in Duhok. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $226 in Playa del Carmen versus $111 in Duhok. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $663 in Duhok versus $1,305 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.