Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zakho and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Zakho: $725 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Zakho
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Zakho Living Index
58

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

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Zakho

🇮🇶 Iraq

$725

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $725 per month in Zakho vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Zakho $725
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,158 per month in Zakho vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Zakho $1,158
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,591 per month in Zakho vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Zakho $1,591
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Zakho is about 40% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Zakho and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Zakho 47% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.18 IQD 6,310

$10.92 MX$205

-61.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.97 IQD 55.9K

$43.37 MX$814

-14.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.14 IQD 10.8K

$11.78 MX$221

-39.39%

Cappuccino

$3.21 IQD 4,856

$3.81 MX$71.5

-15.75%

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

$0.83 IQD 1,256

$1.28 MX$24.07

-35.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 IQD 506

$0.78 MX$14.70

-57.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.65 IQD 8,535

$3.17 MX$59.5

78.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 IQD 5,960

$4.93 MX$92.7

-20.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 IQD 1,669

$1.41 MX$26.40

-21.99%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 IQD 1,023

$2.22 MX$41.62

-69.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 IQD 2,271

$1.42 MX$26.61

5.63%

Eggs

$1.58 IQD 2,382

$2.52 MX$47.36

-37.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.88 IQD 10.4K

$7.26 MX$136

-5.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.26 IQD 6,440

$7.70 MX$144

-44.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 IQD 19.2K

$12.69 MX$238

Apples (1kg)

$0.98 IQD 1,484

$2.78 MX$52.3

-64.75%

Banana (1kg)

$0.94 IQD 1,414

$1.37 MX$25.68

-31.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 IQD 1,536

$2.55 MX$47.89

-60.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.65 IQD 986

$2.12 MX$39.86

-69.34%

Potato (1kg)

$0.61 IQD 920

$1.94 MX$36.39

-68.56%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 IQD 895

$1.89 MX$35.41

-68.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 IQD 926

$1.15 MX$21.53

-46.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 IQD 775

$1.18 MX$22.13

-56.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.18 IQD 3,300

$4.30 MX$80.6

-49.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.80 IQD 16.3K

$9.95 MX$187

8.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 IQD 2,213

$1.58 MX$29.73

-7.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 IQD 2,737

$2.67 MX$50.1

-32.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 IQD 439

$0.55 MX$10.39

-47.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 IQD 2,546

$4.97 MX$93.3

-66.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 IQD 2,440

$3.33 MX$62.5

-51.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.65 IQD 8,531

$5.36 MX$101

5.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 IQD 886

$1.44 MX$27.11

-59.03%

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

$16.5K IQD 24.9M

$20.7K MX$388.0K

-20.33%

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

$17.1K IQD 25.8M

$23.5K MX$440.5K

-27.20%

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

$115 IQD 173.5K

$84.8 MX$1,592

35.42%

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

$12.27 IQD 18.5K

$23.41 MX$439

-47.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.28 IQD 36.7K

$28.66 MX$538

-15.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.56 IQD 59.8K

$57.1 MX$1,071

-30.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 IQD 14.7K

$5.14 MX$96.5

89.69%

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

$298 IQD 450.7K

$207 MX$3,878

44.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,742 IQD 4.1M

$3,927 MX$73.7K

-30.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.56 IQD 40.1K

$43.35 MX$814

-38.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.78 IQD 29.9K

$41.44 MX$778

-52.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$49.59 IQD 74.9K

$74.2 MX$1,393

-33.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.81 IQD 60.1K

$89.3 MX$1,676

-55.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$207 IQD 313.3K

$980 MX$18.4K

-78.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$136 IQD 205.0K

$381 MX$7,150

-64.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$370 IQD 558.5K

$1,708 MX$32.1K

-78.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$319 IQD 482.7K

$1,075 MX$20.2K

-70.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$888 IQD 1.3M

$3,943 MX$74.0K

-77.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$551 IQD 833.0K

$6,158 MX$115.6K

-91.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$660 IQD 997.8K

$735 MX$13.8K

-10.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.53

11.45

-77.90%

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

Last update for Zakho: October 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Zakho

$172 23.8%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 48% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zakho

$151 20.9%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 9.6% $15

Accommodation & Living

Zakho

$136 18.7%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 181% $245

Eating Out

Zakho

$134 18.5%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 50.8% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Zakho

$61 8.4%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 82.9% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Zakho

$59 8.2%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 14% $8.2

Getting Around

Zakho

$11 * 1.5%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 362% $40

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $207 in Zakho versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. 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 11% 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 $37 in Zakho versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $172 vs $255 – making Zakho the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Zakho

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

18:50 6:50 PM

10:50 10:50 AM

8 h behind Zakho

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

197,163

149,923

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to IQD – Iraqi Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇶 Iraqi Dinar (ع.د)

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).

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).

USD to IQD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Zakho Playa del Carmen 11,710 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Zakho
Playa del Carmen

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

Zakho vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 66%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,087 per month in Zakho and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zakho, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $207 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $725 in Zakho and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Zakho about 40% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $298 per month in Zakho and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Zakho, where all-in costs run around $725, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Zakho it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $725 in Zakho to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Zakho. 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.