Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and 'aqrah

For one person, living is cheaper in 'aqrah: $661 a month against $1,567 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in 'aqrah
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'aqrah Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

'aqrah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$661

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in 'aqrah

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 'aqrah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,567 in Mexico City versus $661 in 'aqrah.

Mexico City $1,567
'aqrah $661

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,450 in Mexico City versus $1,015 in 'aqrah.

Mexico City $2,450
'aqrah $1,015

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,333 in Mexico City versus $1,369 in 'aqrah.

Mexico City $3,333
'aqrah $1,369

Living in Mexico City is roughly 137% more expensive than in 'aqrah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 16% above, 'aqrah is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.75 MX$198

$3.62 IQD 5,467

196.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.3 MX$925

$21.82 IQD 33.0K

130.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.10 MX$204

$6.82 IQD 10.3K

62.76%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$67.8

$2.38 IQD 3,602

54.62%

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

$1.65 MX$30.29

$0.32 IQD 485

415.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 MX$23.97

$0.18 IQD 273

622.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 MX$61.1

$3.11 IQD 4,706

6.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.54 MX$102

$2.61 IQD 3,945

112.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 MX$32.54

$0.94 IQD 1,416

88.30%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 MX$56.2

$0.72 IQD 1,086

323.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.04

$1.46 IQD 2,205

37.67%

Eggs

$2.77 MX$50.9

$1.70 IQD 2,573

62.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.91 MX$219

$3.48 IQD 5,252

242.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.33 MX$172

$4.16 IQD 6,291

124.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.02 MX$276

$13.31 IQD 20.1K

12.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 MX$56.6

$0.92 IQD 1,383

234.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.82

$0.91 IQD 1,375

114.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.37

$0.77 IQD 1,161

163.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 MX$40.74

$0.66 IQD 990

234.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.25

$0.54 IQD 809

274.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$33.52

$0.64 IQD 965

184.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 MX$27.95

$0.51 IQD 776

198.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 MX$23.55

$0.50 IQD 756

156.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.27 MX$96.9

$1.57 IQD 2,368

235.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.12 MX$297

$10.92 IQD 16.5K

47.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 MX$35.89

$1.33 IQD 2,003

46.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$78.2

$1.85 IQD 2,800

129.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.79

$0.45 IQD 679

-31.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.85 MX$365

$17.50 IQD 26.4K

13.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.77

$1.89 IQD 2,859

5.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.82

$1.39 IQD 2,099

-61.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.62 MX$103

$5.15 IQD 7,788

9.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$27.95

$0.48 IQD 727

216.67%

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

$21.0K MX$387.0K

$16.9K IQD 25.5M

24.54%

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

$25.2K MX$463.3K

$19.4K IQD 29.3M

29.86%

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

$62.5 MX$1,150

$80.2 IQD 121.1K

-22.03%

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

$28.77 MX$529

$13.58 IQD 20.5K

111.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.45 MX$634

$27.25 IQD 41.2K

26.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,051

$37.01 IQD 55.9K

54.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 MX$456

Cinema Ticket

$6.67 MX$123

$8.39 IQD 12.7K

-20.50%

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

$431 MX$7,929

$142 IQD 213.9K

204.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K MX$216.0K

$2,656 IQD 4.0M

342.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 MX$1,302

$22.08 IQD 33.4K

220.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.8 MX$954

$23.85 IQD 36.0K

117.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$2,003

$47.26 IQD 71.4K

130.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 MX$2,067

$31.06 IQD 46.9K

261.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,051 MX$19.3K

$184 IQD 277.8K

471.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 MX$12.2K

$141 IQD 213.2K

371.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,346 MX$43.2K

$358 IQD 541.4K

554.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 MX$22.6K

$278 IQD 419.4K

341.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,554 MX$65.4K

$779 IQD 1.2M

356.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,977 MX$36.4K

$642 IQD 970.8K

207.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$975 MX$17.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

3.33

239.34%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Last update for 'aqrah: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$665 42.4%

'aqrah

$141 21.4% 78.8% $524

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$323 20.6%

'aqrah

$160 24.2% 50.4% $163

Eating Out

Mexico City

$203 13%

'aqrah

$101 15.3% 50.3% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$155 9.9%

'aqrah

$56 8.5% 63.9% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 8%

'aqrah

$121 18.3% 3.8% $4.7

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

'aqrah

$54 8.1% 23.6% $17

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.6%

'aqrah

$28 4.3% 9.1% $2.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,051 in Mexico City and $184 in 'aqrah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $50.0 in Mexico City vs $22.00 in 'aqrah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $323 vs $160 per month, with 'aqrah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇮🇶 'aqrah

🕒 Local time

21:21 9:21 PM

06:21 6:21 AM

9 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

68,100

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.44 USD

100 MXN = 4.83 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.88 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 October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18.4 MXN (100 MXN = 5.44 USD). 1 EUR = 20.72 MXN (100 MXN = 4.83 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,701 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.88 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City 'aqrah 12,660 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
'aqrah

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 'aqrah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

'aqrah wins on cost – living expenses run 137% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making 'aqrah the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,351 in Mexico City and $991 in 'aqrah 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: $1,051 in Mexico City versus $184 in 'aqrah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,567 per month in Mexico City versus $661 in 'aqrah – a 137% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in 'aqrah runs roughly 13% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $661 in 'aqrah versus $1,567 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in 'aqrah but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes 'aqrah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but 'aqrah delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $661 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes 'aqrah hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and 'aqrah are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find 'aqrah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 137% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.