Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baghdad and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Baghdad: $1,001 a month against $1,567 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Baghdad
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Baghdad Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

Jump to prices

Baghdad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$1,001

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baghdad and in Mexico City

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,001 in Baghdad versus $1,567 in Mexico City.

Baghdad $1,001
Mexico City $1,567

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,472 in Baghdad versus $2,450 in Mexico City.

Baghdad $1,472
Mexico City $2,450

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,943 in Baghdad versus $3,333 in Mexico City.

Baghdad $1,943
Mexico City $3,333

Living in Baghdad costs roughly 36% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Baghdad is 26% below, Mexico City is 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.27 IQD 6,445

$10.75 MX$199

-60.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.18 IQD 44.1K

$50.3 MX$929

-41.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.77 IQD 10.2K

$11.10 MX$205

-39.01%

Cappuccino

$2.65 IQD 4,003

$3.68 MX$68.1

-27.99%

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

$0.35 IQD 530

$1.65 MX$30.42

-78.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 IQD 302

$1.30 MX$24.08

-84.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 IQD 4,927

$3.32 MX$61.3

-1.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 IQD 4,868

$5.54 MX$102

-41.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 IQD 1,466

$1.77 MX$32.68

-45.20%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 IQD 1,097

$3.05 MX$56.4

-76.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 IQD 2,003

$2.01 MX$37.20

-33.83%

Eggs

$1.68 IQD 2,534

$2.77 MX$51.1

-39.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.25 IQD 4,912

$11.91 MX$220

-72.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 IQD 6,192

$9.33 MX$172

-56.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.41 IQD 18.8K

$15.02 MX$278

-17.38%

Apples (1kg)

$1.01 IQD 1,523

$3.08 MX$56.8

-67.21%

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 IQD 1,487

$1.95 MX$35.97

-49.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.96 IQD 1,444

$2.03 MX$37.54

-52.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.69 IQD 1,045

$2.21 MX$40.92

-68.78%

Potato (1kg)

$0.56 IQD 842

$2.02 MX$37.41

-72.28%

Onion (1kg)

$0.57 IQD 855

$1.82 MX$33.67

-68.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 IQD 806

$1.52 MX$28.07

-65.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 IQD 943

$1.28 MX$23.65

-51.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.68 IQD 2,534

$5.27 MX$97.4

-68.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.61 IQD 17.5K

$16.12 MX$298

-27.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 IQD 2,863

$1.95 MX$36.05

-3.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 IQD 2,876

$4.25 MX$78.6

-55.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 IQD 858

$0.31 MX$5.82

83.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.12 IQD 30.4K

$19.85 MX$367

1.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.01 IQD 3,038

$2.00 MX$36.93

0.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 IQD 2,029

$0.53 MX$9.86

152.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.54 IQD 9,887

$5.62 MX$104

16.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.54 IQD 810

$1.52 MX$28.07

-64.47%

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

$16.3K IQD 24.6M

$21.0K MX$388.7K

-22.47%

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

$16.6K IQD 25.1M

$25.2K MX$465.3K

-34.14%

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

$189 IQD 285.6K

$62.5 MX$1,155

202.45%

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

$17.44 IQD 26.4K

$28.77 MX$532

-39.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.40 IQD 55.0K

$34.45 MX$637

5.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.49 IQD 62.7K

$57.1 MX$1,055

-27.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.51 IQD 28.0K

$24.81 MX$458

-25.39%

Cinema Ticket

$9.64 IQD 14.6K

$6.67 MX$123

44.53%

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

$145 IQD 218.9K

$431 MX$7,964

-66.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,046 IQD 4.6M

$11.7K MX$216.9K

-74.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.78 IQD 37.4K

$70.8 MX$1,308

-65.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.66 IQD 43.3K

$51.8 MX$958

-44.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.8 IQD 90.4K

$109 MX$2,011

-45.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.64 IQD 62.9K

$112 MX$2,076

-62.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$513 IQD 774.7K

$1,051 MX$19.4K

-51.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 IQD 485.8K

$665 MX$12.3K

-51.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$881 IQD 1.3M

$2,346 MX$43.3K

-62.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$595 IQD 899.0K

$1,227 MX$22.7K

-51.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,336 IQD 6.6M

$3,554 MX$65.7K

22.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,443 IQD 2.2M

$1,977 MX$36.5K

-27.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$499 IQD 753.9K

$975 MX$18.0K

-48.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.12

11.3

-63.54%

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

Last update for Baghdad: October 12, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baghdad

$322 32.1%

Mexico City

$665 42.4% 107% $343

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baghdad

$243 24.3%

Mexico City

$126 8% 48.2% $117

Groceries & Markets

Baghdad

$164 16.4%

Mexico City

$323 20.6% 97.2% $159

Eating Out

Baghdad

$111 11.1%

Mexico City

$203 13% 82.6% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Baghdad

$70 7%

Mexico City

$155 9.9% 122% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Baghdad

$61 6.1%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 15.9% $9.7

Getting Around

Baghdad

$31 3.1%

Mexico City

$26 1.6% 17.1% $5.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $513 in Baghdad and $1,051 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 95% 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: $29.00 in Baghdad vs $50.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $164 vs $323 per month, with Baghdad cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Baghdad

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

15:52 3:52 PM

06:52 6:52 AM

9 h behind Baghdad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,216,040 Capital

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.78 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to IQD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Baghdad Mexico City 12,990 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Baghdad
Mexico City

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

Baghdad vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baghdad wins on cost – living expenses run 57% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Baghdad the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 95% lower in Mexico City. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $513 in Baghdad versus $1,051 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Baghdad runs roughly 1% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $145 in Baghdad versus $431 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,001 in Baghdad versus $1,567 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Baghdad but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Baghdad the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Baghdad delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,001 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Baghdad hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Baghdad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.