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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $742 in Basra versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,351 in Basra versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,960 in Basra versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Basra costs roughly 49% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Basra is 45% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.81 IQD 4,990

$13.18 MX$228

-71.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.77 IQD 32.4K

$53.9 MX$932

-54.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.02 IQD 9,193

$9.42 MX$163

-25.48%

Cappuccino

$2.06 IQD 2,695

$3.55 MX$61.4

-41.97%

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

$0.44 IQD 572

$1.62 MX$27.98

-72.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 IQD 452

$1.11 MX$19.27

-68.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.86 IQD 5,061

$3.12 MX$54.0

23.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 IQD 3,532

$4.63 MX$80.1

-41.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 IQD 1,607

$1.70 MX$29.43

-27.65%

White Bread (500g)

$0.70 IQD 919

$2.72 MX$47.02

-74.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 IQD 1,850

$1.91 MX$33.07

-26.18%

Eggs

$1.92 IQD 2,512

$2.54 MX$43.86

-24.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.05 IQD 10.5K

$10.03 MX$174

-19.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.22 IQD 9,457

$8.09 MX$140

-10.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.20 IQD 17.3K

$11.62 MX$201

13.60%

Apples (1kg)

$1.01 IQD 1,321

$2.97 MX$51.3

-65.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 IQD 1,858

$1.81 MX$31.24

-21.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 IQD 1,331

$2.01 MX$34.82

-49.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 IQD 820

$2.03 MX$35.20

-68.97%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 IQD 932

$2.12 MX$36.75

-66.51%

Onion (1kg)

$0.57 IQD 744

$2.27 MX$39.25

-74.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 IQD 1,085

$1.40 MX$24.22

-40.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 IQD 541

$1.13 MX$19.55

-63.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.88 IQD 2,458

$4.27 MX$73.9

-55.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.76 IQD 16.7K

$15.56 MX$269

-17.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.97 IQD 3,892

$1.76 MX$30.39

68.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 IQD 4,947

$3.60 MX$62.2

5.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 IQD 516

$0.38 MX$6.62

2.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.21 IQD 30.4K

$19.18 MX$332

21.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.31 IQD 3,028

$1.38 MX$23.79

67.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.21 IQD 2,891

$0.28 MX$4.78

689.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.76 IQD 8,847

$5.45 MX$94.2

24.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.58 IQD 762

$1.30 MX$22.55

-55.38%

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

$13.3K IQD 17.4M

$18.7K MX$323.2K

-29.01%

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

$23.2K IQD 30.4M

$23.1K MX$400.1K

0.37%

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

$56.6 IQD 74.1K

$40.86 MX$707

38.47%

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

$25.19 IQD 33.0K

$26.81 MX$464

-6.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.41 IQD 50.3K

$29.96 MX$518

28.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 IQD 48.5K

$52.0 MX$900

-28.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.48 IQD 20.3K

$26.84 MX$464

-42.32%

Cinema Ticket

$7.75 IQD 10.2K

$6.30 MX$109

23.02%

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

$97.0 IQD 127.0K

$436 MX$7,544

-77.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,772 IQD 4.9M

$10.4K MX$180.2K

-63.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.85 IQD 54.8K

$56.7 MX$980

-26.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.30 IQD 26.6K

$44.38 MX$768

-54.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.9 IQD 95.4K

$103 MX$1,780

-29.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.68 IQD 53.3K

$106 MX$1,825

-61.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 IQD 595.7K

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-55.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$133 IQD 174.1K

$631 MX$10.9K

-78.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$918 IQD 1.2M

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-57.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 IQD 878.0K

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-46.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,581 IQD 2.1M

$3,903 MX$67.5K

-59.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$800 IQD 1.0M

$2,064 MX$35.7K

-61.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$763 IQD 998.7K

$1,115 MX$19.3K

-31.60%

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 Basra: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $455 in Basra and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 46% 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: $25.00 in Basra vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $213 vs $288 per month, with Basra 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

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

Basra and Mexico City differ by about 98% in total monthly costs ($742 vs $1,467 including rent). Basra is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mexico City earns 46% 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: $455 in Basra versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Basra – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $742 in Basra versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Basra but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Basra the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Basra gentler on the wallet – expenses run 98% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.