Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Baghdad

For one person, living is cheaper in Baghdad: $1,048 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Baghdad
Learn more

Baghdad Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Baghdad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$1,048

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $1,048 in Baghdad.

Mexico City $1,608
Baghdad $1,048

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $1,508 in Baghdad.

Mexico City $2,549
Baghdad $1,508

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $1,968 in Baghdad.

Mexico City $3,490
Baghdad $1,968

Living in Mexico City is roughly 53% more expensive than in Baghdad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Baghdad is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$198

$4.54 IQD 6,866

133.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$901

$26.64 IQD 40.3K

81.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$193

$6.47 IQD 9,781

59.97%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$68.8

$2.68 IQD 4,054

37.69%

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

$1.67 MX$31.07

$0.39 IQD 584

328.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.59

$0.20 IQD 302

535.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.5

$3.31 IQD 5,009

-3.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$98.9

$3.22 IQD 4,866

64.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.15

$0.92 IQD 1,390

86.96%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$56.7

$0.71 IQD 1,078

328.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$1.32 IQD 1,999

46.97%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$53.8

$1.71 IQD 2,577

69.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$205

$3.30 IQD 4,989

232.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$172

$4.15 IQD 6,269

122.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$282

$12.24 IQD 18.5K

23.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$56.8

$1.00 IQD 1,513

205.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$0.98 IQD 1,487

97.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.75

$0.95 IQD 1,440

113.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.15

$0.68 IQD 1,021

239.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$37.94

$0.58 IQD 877

251.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.55

$0.57 IQD 854

215.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.58

$0.60 IQD 903

146.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.63

$0.61 IQD 927

108.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$98.9

$1.67 IQD 2,531

217.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$300

$11.64 IQD 17.6K

38.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.97

$1.99 IQD 3,005

-0.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.3

$1.96 IQD 2,962

116.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.69

$0.32 IQD 480

-3.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$368

$20.04 IQD 30.3K

-1.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.25

$2.02 IQD 3,045

-8.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.94

$1.30 IQD 1,964

-59.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$98.7

$6.67 IQD 10.1K

-20.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.16

$0.58 IQD 870

160.34%

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

$21.8K MX$405.5K

$16.5K IQD 25.0M

31.55%

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

$24.0K MX$447.1K

$16.7K IQD 25.2M

43.62%

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

$63.0 MX$1,174

$188 IQD 284.5K

-66.56%

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

$27.39 MX$511

$19.25 IQD 29.1K

42.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$665

$37.51 IQD 56.7K

-4.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,099

$39.97 IQD 60.4K

47.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$441

$18.38 IQD 27.8K

28.62%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$119

$9.70 IQD 14.7K

-34.02%

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

$432 MX$8,045

$145 IQD 219.6K

196.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$212.9K

$3,297 IQD 5.0M

246.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,272

$25.60 IQD 38.7K

166.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$990

$33.32 IQD 50.3K

59.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,009

$60.2 IQD 90.9K

79.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,186

$41.85 IQD 63.2K

180.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.8K

$537 IQD 811.6K

107.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.2K

$364 IQD 550.5K

94.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.2K

$963 IQD 1.5M

168.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.2K

$624 IQD 943.1K

125.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.7K

$4,276 IQD 6.5M

-15.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.8K

$1,379 IQD 2.1M

54.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.6K

$518 IQD 782.8K

82.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

4.12

175.49%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Baghdad: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Baghdad

$364 34.8% 48.7% $346

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Baghdad

$164 15.6% 48.8% $156

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Baghdad

$113 10.8% 42.9% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Baghdad

$72 6.9% 53.5% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Baghdad

$245 23.4% 94.4% $119

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Baghdad

$59 5.7% 17.2% $12

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Baghdad

$30 2.9% 17.2% $4.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $537 in Baghdad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 83% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $27 in Baghdad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $164 per month, with Baghdad cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇮🇶 Baghdad

🕒 Local time

18:14 6:14 PM

03:14 3:14 AM

9 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

7,216,040 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.95 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,682 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.95 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mexico City Baghdad 12,990 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Baghdad

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 Baghdad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baghdad wins on cost – living expenses run 35% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Baghdad the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 83% 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 $537 in Baghdad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 95% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,608 per month in Mexico City versus $1,048 in Baghdad – Baghdad is about 35% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Baghdad is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 – Baghdad wins on affordability, Mexico City on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.