Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Al-mawsil

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-mawsil: $598 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Al-mawsil
Learn more

Al-mawsil Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Al-mawsil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$598

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Al-mawsil

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $598 in Al-mawsil.

Mexico City $1,608
Al-mawsil $598

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $903 in Al-mawsil.

Mexico City $2,549
Al-mawsil $903

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $1,207 in Al-mawsil.

Mexico City $3,490
Al-mawsil $1,207

Living in Mexico City is roughly 169% more expensive than in Al-mawsil, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Al-mawsil is 56% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$199

$4.07 IQD 6,148

160.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$908

$10.40 IQD 15.7K

364.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$194

$5.01 IQD 7,571

106.59%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.3

$0.64 IQD 974

476.56%

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

$1.67 MX$31.29

$0.35 IQD 522

377.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.76

$0.18 IQD 279

605.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.9

$0.87 IQD 1,311

266.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.6

$1.36 IQD 2,051

290.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.38

$0.64 IQD 970

168.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$57.1

$0.65 IQD 978

367.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.44

$0.55 IQD 830

252.73%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.2

$0.95 IQD 1,440

204.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$206

$7.19 IQD 10.9K

52.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$174

$2.88 IQD 4,353

221.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$284

$8.14 IQD 12.3K

85.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.2

$0.64 IQD 963

376.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.45

$0.64 IQD 972

203.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.02

$0.48 IQD 728

322.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.46

$0.22 IQD 331

950.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.21

$0.25 IQD 375

716.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.79

$0.31 IQD 474

480.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.77

$0.60 IQD 911

146.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.80

$0.49 IQD 740

159.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.6

$1.61 IQD 2,439

229.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$302

$10.94 IQD 16.5K

47.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.23

$1.45 IQD 2,195

36.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.8

$1.80 IQD 2,714

136.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.73

$0.31 IQD 475

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$371

$26.19 IQD 39.6K

-24.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.50

$1.61 IQD 2,438

14.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$10.02

$1.60 IQD 2,420

-66.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.4

$3.98 IQD 6,021

33.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.36

$0.31 IQD 472

387.10%

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

$21.8K MX$408.4K

$13.0K IQD 19.7M

67.02%

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

$24.0K MX$450.3K

$15.3K IQD 23.2M

56.32%

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

$63.0 MX$1,182

$93.7 IQD 141.5K

-32.76%

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

$27.39 MX$514

$12.00 IQD 18.1K

128.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$670

$22.95 IQD 34.7K

55.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,107

$37.48 IQD 56.6K

57.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$444

$6.48 IQD 9,784

264.81%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

$6.42 IQD 9,708

-0.31%

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

$432 MX$8,103

$301 IQD 455.1K

43.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$214.5K

$604 IQD 912.4K

1791.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,281

$16.49 IQD 24.9K

313.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$997

$12.99 IQD 19.6K

309.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,023

$60.0 IQD 90.6K

79.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,202

$15.65 IQD 23.6K

649.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.9K

$211 IQD 318.8K

427.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.3K

$139 IQD 209.6K

412.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.6K

$369 IQD 557.1K

601.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.4K

$309 IQD 466.9K

355.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$68.2K

$851 IQD 1.3M

326.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$40.1K

$435 IQD 657.4K

390.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.8K

$521 IQD 787.2K

81.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

2.53

348.62%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Al-mawsil: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Al-mawsil

$139 23.2% 80.5% $572

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Al-mawsil

$132 22% 58.8% $188

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Al-mawsil

$64 10.8% 67.5% $134

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Al-mawsil

$47 7.9% 69.7% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Al-mawsil

$129 21.5% 2% $2.6

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Al-mawsil

$50 8.4% 29.8% $21

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Al-mawsil

$37 6.2% 45.6% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $211 in Al-mawsil. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 82% 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: $48 in Mexico City vs $10 in Al-mawsil for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $132 per month, with Al-mawsil cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇮🇶 Al-mawsil

🕒 Local time

13:50 1:50 PM

22:50 10:50 PM

9 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

1,683,000

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

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).

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).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Al-mawsil 12,650 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Al-mawsil

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

Mexico City vs Al-mawsil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al-mawsil is about 63% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 82% higher in Mexico City, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $211 in Al-mawsil. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $432 in Mexico City versus $301 in Al-mawsil. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 143% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $598 in Al-mawsil versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Al-mawsil but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Al-mawsil 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.

It comes down to priorities – Al-mawsil wins on affordability, Mexico City on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.