Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Mosul

For one person, living is cheaper in Mosul: $573 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
28

Cost of Living Index in Mosul
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Mosul Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Mosul

🇮🇶 Iraq

$573

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Mosul

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Mosul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $573 in Mosul, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Mosul $573

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $906 in Mosul, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Mosul $906

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,239 in Mosul, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Mosul $1,239

Playa del Carmen costs about 110% more than Mosul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Mosul are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Mosul 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$4.07 IQD 6,154

168.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$814

$16.30 IQD 24.6K

166.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$5.21 IQD 7,870

126.10%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.5

$1.44 IQD 2,171

164.58%

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

$1.28 MX$24.07

$0.37 IQD 552

245.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.70

$0.16 IQD 241

387.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$1.35 IQD 2,045

134.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$1.30 IQD 1,965

279.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.40

$0.72 IQD 1,086

95.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.62

$0.63 IQD 955

252.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.61

$1.09 IQD 1,645

30.28%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.36

$1.35 IQD 2,045

86.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

$3.05 IQD 4,611

138.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

$3.63 IQD 5,481

112.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

$10.20 IQD 15.4K

24.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$0.60 IQD 900

363.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.68

$0.89 IQD 1,347

53.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.89

$0.61 IQD 915

318.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.86

$0.43 IQD 650

393.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.39

$0.41 IQD 617

373.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.41

$0.41 IQD 621

360.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.53

$0.36 IQD 544

219.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.13

$0.52 IQD 785

126.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.6

$1.67 IQD 2,528

157.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$6.47 IQD 9,779

53.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.73

$1.47 IQD 2,222

7.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

$1.67 IQD 2,516

59.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.39

$0.34 IQD 518

61.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

$75.0 IQD 113.4K

-64.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.3

$1.29 IQD 1,954

285.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.5

$1.36 IQD 2,051

144.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$3.99 IQD 6,032

34.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.11

$0.44 IQD 661

227.27%

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

$20.7K MX$388.0K

$15.0K IQD 22.7M

37.85%

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

$23.5K MX$440.5K

$17.3K IQD 26.2M

35.44%

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

$84.8 MX$1,592

$76.1 IQD 115.0K

11.42%

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

$23.41 MX$439

$12.24 IQD 18.5K

91.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$538

$23.78 IQD 35.9K

20.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,071

$20.66 IQD 31.2K

176.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

$22.72 IQD 34.3K

27.24%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.5

$8.09 IQD 12.2K

-36.46%

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

$207 MX$3,878

$172 IQD 259.6K

20.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.7K

$2,729 IQD 4.1M

43.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$814

$10.79 IQD 16.3K

301.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$778

$16.25 IQD 24.6K

155.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,393

$23.17 IQD 35.0K

220.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,676

$22.08 IQD 33.4K

304.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$142 IQD 215.2K

587.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,150

$103 IQD 155.9K

269.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$247 IQD 373.8K

590.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$252 IQD 380.7K

326.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.0K

$730 IQD 1.1M

440.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.6K

$502 IQD 758.5K

1126.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$420 IQD 634.2K

75.00%

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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Mosul: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Mosul

$103 18% 72.9% $278

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Mosul

$127 22.2% 50% $127

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Mosul

$77 13.4% 62% $125

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Mosul

$112 19.6% 18.1% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Mosul

$33 5.7% 70.9% $79

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Mosul

$37 6.4% 45.3% $30

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Mosul

$84 14.7% 67.5% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $142 in Mosul. 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 75% 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 $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $16 in Mosul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $127 – making Mosul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇮🇶 Mosul

🕒 Local time

15:20 3:20 PM

23:20 11:20 PM

8 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

1,683,000

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,687 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Mosul 11,800 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Mosul

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Mosul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, $573 in Mosul – Mosul comes out roughly 52% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $860 in Mosul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mosul, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $142 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $573 in Mosul. That makes Mosul about 52% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 65% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Mosul, where all-in costs run around $573, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Mosul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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