Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mahabad and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mahabad: $528 a month against $1,674 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Mahabad
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Mahabad Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Mahabad

🇮🇷 Iran

$528

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,674

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mahabad 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 Mahabad and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $528 per month in Mahabad vs $1,674 in Mexico City, rent included.

Mahabad $528
Mexico City $1,674

A couple spends around $831 per month in Mahabad vs $2,606 in Mexico City, rent included.

Mahabad $831
Mexico City $2,606

A family of three spends $1,135 per month in Mahabad vs $3,537 in Mexico City, rent included.

Mahabad $1,135
Mexico City $3,537

Mahabad is about 68% cheaper than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mahabad sits 61% below the global median, while Mexico City is 24% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.92 $2.92

$10.59 MX$198

-72.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.31 $16.31

$52.0 MX$972

-68.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.99 $3.99

$10.73 MX$201

-62.81%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.73 $0.73

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 $1.08

Cappuccino

$1.13 $1.13

$3.80 MX$71.0

-70.26%

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

$0.51 $0.51

$1.61 MX$30.16

-68.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.21 MX$22.67

-18.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$59.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 MX$102

Milk (1 liter)

$0.68 $0.68

$1.72 MX$32.13

-60.47%

White Bread (500g)

$0.51 $0.51

$2.97 MX$55.5

-82.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.93 MX$36.02

8.29%

Eggs

$1.24 $1.24

$2.77 MX$51.9

-55.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.47 $4.47

$11.67 MX$218

-61.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 $3.34

$9.48 MX$177

-64.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.85 $7.85

$15.37 MX$288

-48.93%

Apples (1kg)

$1.03 $1.03

$3.10 MX$58.1

-66.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.96 MX$36.67

-18.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.98 MX$37.07

-56.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.57 $0.57

$2.34 MX$43.68

-75.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.57 $0.57

$2.02 MX$37.85

-71.78%

Onion (1kg)

$0.47 $0.47

$1.82 MX$34.13

-74.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 $0.54

$1.54 MX$28.89

-64.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.24 $0.24

$1.31 MX$24.54

-81.68%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.77 $0.77

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 $0.50

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 $1.34

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 $2.46

$5.35 MX$100

-54.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.19 MX$303

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 MX$36.64

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 MX$81.4

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.14 $0.14

$0.30 MX$5.70

-53.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.67 $9.67

$19.49 MX$365

-50.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 $0.44

$1.92 MX$35.86

-77.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 $0.31

$0.47 MX$8.84

-34.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 $2.63

$5.41 MX$101

-51.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.10 $0.10

$1.48 MX$27.75

-93.24%

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

$50.0K $50.0K

$21.4K MX$399.7K

133.83%

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

$45.4K $45.4K

$23.8K MX$444.3K

91.21%

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

$12.98 $12.98

$62.0 MX$1,160

-79.06%

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

$1.57 $1.57

$28.47 MX$533

-94.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$3.81 $3.81

$34.11 MX$638

-88.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.40 $18.40

$58.4 MX$1,092

-68.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.52 $13.52

$24.50 MX$458

-44.82%

Cinema Ticket

$2.04 $2.04

$6.59 MX$123

-69.04%

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

$107 $107

$434 MX$8,122

-75.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,442 $2,442

$14.0K MX$262.5K

-82.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.95 $22.95

$68.4 MX$1,278

-66.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.82 $27.82

$54.8 MX$1,025

-49.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 $98.5

$111 MX$2,073

-11.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.7 $73.7

$116 MX$2,169

-36.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$290 $290

$1,179 MX$22.1K

-75.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$212 $212

$771 MX$14.4K

-72.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$806 $806

$2,570 MX$48.1K

-68.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$356 $356

$1,420 MX$26.6K

-74.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,134 $1,134

$3,586 MX$67.1K

-68.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$541 $541

$2,064 MX$38.6K

-73.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$254 $254

$1,003 MX$18.8K

-74.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

24.3

11.35

114.10%

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

Last update for Mahabad: October 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mahabad

$212 40.2%

Mexico City

$771 46.1% 264% $559

Groceries & Markets

Mahabad

$108 20.4%

Mexico City

$324 19.3% 201% $216

Clothing & Footwear

Mahabad

$100 19%

Mexico City

$158 9.4% 57% $57

Eating Out

Mahabad

$55 10.4%

Mexico City

$201 12% 265% $146

Sport & Entertainment

Mahabad

$22 4.3%

Mexico City

$72 4.3% 218% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mahabad

$18 3.5%

Mexico City

$125 7.4% 578% $106

Getting Around

Mahabad

$12 2.3%

Mexico City

$25 1.5% 105% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $290 in Mahabad versus $1,179 in Mexico City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Mexico City are about 4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Mahabad versus $52 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $108 vs $324 – making Mahabad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Mahabad

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

17:45 5:45 PM

08:15 8:15 AM

9 h 30 min behind Mahabad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

208,541

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

USD USD

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.76 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – USD Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

USD exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 21.01 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Mahabad Mexico City 12,760 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Mahabad
Mexico City

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

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 217%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $792 per month in Mahabad and $2,510 in Mexico City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mahabad, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $290 there versus $1,179 in Mexico City.

Kindergarten costs $107 per month in Mahabad and $434 in Mexico City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 201% more in Mexico City, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mahabad, where all-in costs run around $528, than in Mexico City at $1,674. In Mahabad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mahabad – 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 Mahabad. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.