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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,034 in Erbil, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,548 in Erbil, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,061 in Erbil, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 25% more than Erbil, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Erbil are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Erbil 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$7.72 IQD 10.1K

51.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$22.83 IQD 29.9K

82.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$8.98 IQD 11.8K

18.49%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$3.13 IQD 4,096

12.46%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.49 IQD 640

208.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.20 IQD 261

385.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$2.00 IQD 2,624

47.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$2.14 IQD 2,797

107.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.32 IQD 1,730

4.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$0.84 IQD 1,103

125.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.80 IQD 2,355

-8.89%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$1.98 IQD 2,599

26.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$7.54 IQD 9,879

10.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$4.80 IQD 6,282

73.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$14.29 IQD 18.7K

-24.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$1.14 IQD 1,491

128.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.20 IQD 1,567

21.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$1.19 IQD 1,561

59.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$0.76 IQD 994

173.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$0.70 IQD 918

154.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$0.72 IQD 938

204.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.78 IQD 1,018

33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.53 IQD 688

103.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$2.63 IQD 3,449

55.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$12.55 IQD 16.4K

-17.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.45 IQD 1,899

17.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$2.01 IQD 2,633

28.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.54 IQD 709

-5.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$34.09 IQD 44.6K

-22.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$2.35 IQD 3,084

38.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$2.20 IQD 2,885

13.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$6.87 IQD 8,999

-52.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$0.70 IQD 911

87.14%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$19.1K IQD 25.0M

58.52%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$20.7K IQD 27.1M

13.24%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$102 IQD 134.1K

-19.10%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$17.93 IQD 23.5K

23.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$29.33 IQD 38.4K

0.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$72.7 IQD 95.2K

-29.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$11.77 IQD 15.4K

55.65%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$11.62 IQD 15.2K

-56.37%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$269 IQD 352.1K

-25.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$3,278 IQD 4.3M

58.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$32.74 IQD 42.9K

12.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$48.36 IQD 63.3K

-17.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$81.0 IQD 106.0K

-3.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$76.8 IQD 100.5K

13.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$426 IQD 557.6K

128.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$278 IQD 364.4K

68.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$726 IQD 951.1K

125.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$485 IQD 635.3K

151.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$1,123 IQD 1.5M

251.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$658 IQD 862.2K

886.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$584 IQD 765.0K

13.65%

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 2, 2026

Last update for Erbil: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $426 in Erbil. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 14% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $23.00 in Erbil. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $197 – making Erbil the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Erbil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 25%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,551 in Erbil. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Erbil, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 26% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $23.00 in Erbil. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Erbil, where all-in costs run around $1,034, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. In Erbil it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Erbil – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Erbil. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.