Cost of Living Comparison Between Baghdad and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Baghdad and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,054 in Baghdad versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,592 in Baghdad versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,130 in Baghdad versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Baghdad costs roughly 28% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Baghdad is 21% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.48 IQD 7,181

$13.18 MX$228

-58.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.97 IQD 48.4K

$53.9 MX$932

-31.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.57 IQD 9,909

$9.42 MX$163

-19.64%

Cappuccino

$3.06 IQD 4,003

$3.55 MX$61.4

-13.80%

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

$0.40 IQD 518

$1.62 MX$27.98

-75.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.18 IQD 242

$1.11 MX$19.27

-83.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 IQD 4,485

$3.12 MX$54.0

9.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 IQD 3,853

$4.63 MX$80.1

-36.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 IQD 1,726

$1.70 MX$29.43

-22.35%

White Bread (500g)

$0.78 IQD 1,017

$2.72 MX$47.02

-71.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 IQD 2,166

$1.91 MX$33.07

-13.61%

Eggs

$1.79 IQD 2,350

$2.54 MX$43.86

-29.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 IQD 5,763

$10.03 MX$174

-56.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.07 IQD 6,636

$8.09 MX$140

-37.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.34 IQD 18.8K

$11.62 MX$201

23.41%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 IQD 1,612

$2.97 MX$51.3

-58.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 IQD 1,530

$1.81 MX$31.24

-35.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.01 IQD 1,329

$2.01 MX$34.82

-49.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.70 IQD 922

$2.03 MX$35.20

-65.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 IQD 911

$2.12 MX$36.75

-66.98%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 IQD 835

$2.27 MX$39.25

-71.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 IQD 822

$1.40 MX$24.22

-55.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 IQD 871

$1.13 MX$19.55

-41.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.11 IQD 2,765

$4.27 MX$73.9

-50.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 IQD 17.5K

$15.56 MX$269

-14.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 IQD 2,301

$1.76 MX$30.39

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 IQD 2,815

$3.60 MX$62.2

-40.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 IQD 1,027

$0.38 MX$6.62

105.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.60 IQD 37.4K

$19.18 MX$332

49.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.88 IQD 5,087

$1.38 MX$23.79

181.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 IQD 1,923

$0.28 MX$4.78

425.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.85 IQD 10.3K

$5.45 MX$94.2

44.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.56 IQD 737

$1.30 MX$22.55

-56.92%

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

$20.3K IQD 26.6M

$18.7K MX$323.2K

8.70%

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

$19.9K IQD 26.1M

$23.1K MX$400.1K

-13.96%

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

$181 IQD 237.4K

$40.86 MX$707

343.66%

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

$25.40 IQD 33.3K

$26.81 MX$464

-5.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.16 IQD 52.6K

$29.96 MX$518

34.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.29 IQD 54.1K

$52.0 MX$900

-20.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.43 IQD 24.1K

$26.84 MX$464

-31.33%

Cinema Ticket

$7.82 IQD 10.2K

$6.30 MX$109

24.13%

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

$163 IQD 213.2K

$436 MX$7,544

-62.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,573 IQD 4.7M

$10.4K MX$180.2K

-65.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.57 IQD 37.4K

$56.7 MX$980

-49.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.72 IQD 40.2K

$44.38 MX$768

-30.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.4 IQD 83.0K

$103 MX$1,780

-38.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$43.53 IQD 57.0K

$106 MX$1,825

-58.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$540 IQD 707.6K

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-47.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$321 IQD 420.5K

$631 MX$10.9K

-49.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$818 IQD 1.1M

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-61.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$580 IQD 759.9K

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-53.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,034 IQD 5.3M

$3,903 MX$67.5K

3.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,617 IQD 2.1M

$2,064 MX$35.7K

-21.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$642 IQD 841.2K

$1,115 MX$19.3K

-42.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.67

11.34

-50.00%

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

Last update for Baghdad: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $540 in Baghdad and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 74% 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: $37.00 in Baghdad vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $191 vs $288 per month, with Baghdad 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

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

Baghdad wins on cost – living expenses run 39% 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, Mexico City earns 74% less. 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: $540 in Baghdad versus $1,022 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 49% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $163 in Baghdad versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,054 in Baghdad versus $1,467 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 $1,054 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 39% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.