Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Al-musayyib Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Al-musayyib

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $887 in Al-musayyib.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,338 in Al-musayyib.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $1,789 in Al-musayyib.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 66% more expensive than in Al-musayyib, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Al-musayyib is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$229

$5.49 IQD 7,189

139.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$934

$36.28 IQD 47.5K

47.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$163

$7.48 IQD 9,792

24.73%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.6

$2.99 IQD 3,911

23.75%

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

$1.60 MX$27.99

$0.37 IQD 483

332.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.50

$0.19 IQD 244

489.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$3.43 IQD 4,488

-8.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$84.6

$2.81 IQD 3,683

72.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.85

$1.17 IQD 1,538

41.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$0.84 IQD 1,104

222.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.31

$1.51 IQD 1,975

26.49%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$45.19

$1.49 IQD 1,956

73.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$171

$4.54 IQD 5,947

116.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$3.74 IQD 4,897

125.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$208

$11.28 IQD 14.8K

5.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.5

$1.18 IQD 1,543

150.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.36

$1.13 IQD 1,479

53.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.68

$1.01 IQD 1,326

101.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.95

$0.58 IQD 764

255.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.51

$0.59 IQD 773

264.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.35

$0.59 IQD 771

283.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.18

$0.54 IQD 712

157.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.48

$0.37 IQD 481

202.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.6

$2.05 IQD 2,685

105.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$306

$13.81 IQD 18.1K

26.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.83

$1.76 IQD 2,301

-2.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$63.4

$2.08 IQD 2,721

74.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.16

$0.37 IQD 479

-5.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$337

$31.47 IQD 41.2K

-38.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$24.01

$3.91 IQD 5,122

-64.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.81

$1.52 IQD 1,996

-81.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$92.1

$7.61 IQD 9,960

-30.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.70

$0.58 IQD 755

134.48%

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

$19.1K MX$333.3K

$19.9K IQD 26.1M

-4.20%

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

$23.6K MX$411.9K

$20.0K IQD 26.1M

18.24%

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

$40.53 MX$707

$180 IQD 235.5K

-77.46%

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

$27.38 MX$478

$25.74 IQD 33.7K

6.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$530

$40.78 IQD 53.4K

-25.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$911

$36.66 IQD 48.0K

42.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$462

$16.60 IQD 21.7K

59.52%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$108

$7.63 IQD 9,992

-18.87%

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

$425 MX$7,417

$167 IQD 218.1K

155.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$187.3K

$3,566 IQD 4.7M

201.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,017

$28.32 IQD 37.1K

105.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$778

$30.26 IQD 39.6K

47.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,806

$64.4 IQD 84.3K

60.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,897

$42.85 IQD 56.1K

153.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.7K

$241 IQD 315.4K

320.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$180 IQD 236.1K

245.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$37.0K

$583 IQD 763.9K

263.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.3K

$342 IQD 448.0K

257.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$66.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

5.67

100.00%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for Al-musayyib: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $241 in Al-musayyib. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $36.00 in Al-musayyib for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $168 per month, with Al-musayyib 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

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

Mexico City and Al-musayyib differ by about 66% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $887 including rent). Al-musayyib is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,208 in Mexico City and $1,330 in Al-musayyib to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $241 in Al-musayyib. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $167 in Al-musayyib. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 75% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $887 in Al-musayyib versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Al-musayyib but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Al-musayyib 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 Al-musayyib gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.