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: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $893 in Al-musayyib.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,342 in Mexico City versus $1,334 in Al-musayyib.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,199 in Mexico City versus $1,774 in Al-musayyib.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Al-musayyib is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.29 MX$231

$5.24 IQD 6,867

153.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$933

$36.84 IQD 48.2K

45.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.29 MX$161

$7.55 IQD 9,883

23.05%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$3.00 IQD 3,928

20.33%

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

$1.56 MX$27.03

$0.37 IQD 483

321.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.46

$0.21 IQD 270

433.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 MX$54.3

$3.45 IQD 4,520

-9.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.71 MX$81.7

$2.86 IQD 3,742

64.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.54

$1.13 IQD 1,479

50.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 MX$48.03

$0.84 IQD 1,096

229.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.05

$1.57 IQD 2,059

24.84%

Eggs

$2.60 MX$45.21

$1.50 IQD 1,967

73.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 MX$173

$4.39 IQD 5,742

126.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.10 MX$141

$3.94 IQD 5,163

105.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.50 MX$200

$11.34 IQD 14.9K

1.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 MX$49.84

$1.12 IQD 1,469

156.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.07

$1.13 IQD 1,477

53.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.73

$1.00 IQD 1,313

100.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$0.56 IQD 731

264.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.14

$0.59 IQD 777

252.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 MX$38.12

$0.54 IQD 709

307.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$25.24

$0.55 IQD 716

163.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$0.37 IQD 481

189.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.2

$2.07 IQD 2,710

106.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.32 MX$249

$13.83 IQD 18.1K

3.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.62

$1.76 IQD 2,302

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 MX$64.2

$2.16 IQD 2,826

71.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.12

$0.40 IQD 519

-12.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.19 MX$333

$31.34 IQD 41.0K

-38.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.34 MX$23.18

$3.76 IQD 4,918

-64.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.83

$1.54 IQD 2,012

-81.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.33 MX$92.6

$7.47 IQD 9,779

-28.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$0.57 IQD 746

135.09%

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

$19.1K MX$332.0K

$19.8K IQD 25.9M

-3.32%

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

$23.9K MX$414.5K

$19.5K IQD 25.6M

22.17%

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

$39.86 MX$692

$179 IQD 234.4K

-77.74%

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

$26.78 MX$465

$25.66 IQD 33.6K

4.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.36 MX$510

$39.85 IQD 52.2K

-26.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$927

$36.77 IQD 48.1K

45.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.09 MX$453

$16.96 IQD 22.2K

53.83%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$111

$7.79 IQD 10.2K

-17.84%

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

$440 MX$7,647

$166 IQD 217.5K

165.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K MX$186.6K

$3,525 IQD 4.6M

204.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 MX$1,000

$28.04 IQD 36.7K

105.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.02 MX$781

$30.67 IQD 40.2K

46.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,801

$63.7 IQD 83.5K

62.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,874

$43.71 IQD 57.2K

146.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,013 MX$17.6K

$244 IQD 319.5K

315.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$630 MX$10.9K

$178 IQD 232.6K

254.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,162 MX$37.5K

$585 IQD 765.6K

269.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 MX$21.2K

$339 IQD 444.0K

260.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,793 MX$65.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,075 MX$18.7K

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: April 11, 2026

Last update for Al-musayyib: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,013 in Mexico City and $244 in Al-musayyib. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54 in Mexico City vs $37 in Al-musayyib for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $285 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 ($1,484 vs $893 including rent). Al-musayyib is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,226 in Mexico City and $1,340 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: $1,013 in Mexico City versus $244 in Al-musayyib. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $440 in Mexico City versus $166 in Al-musayyib. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 69% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $893 in Al-musayyib versus $1,484 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.