Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Baghdad Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Baghdad

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $1,124 in Baghdad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $1,692 in Baghdad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $2,259 in Baghdad.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 49% more expensive than in Baghdad, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Baghdad is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$4.74 IQD 6,209

156.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$33.69 IQD 44.1K

59.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$7.75 IQD 10.1K

43.10%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$3.07 IQD 4,024

33.55%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$0.40 IQD 521

320.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$0.24 IQD 313

479.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$3.87 IQD 5,071

-13.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

$3.75 IQD 4,911

56.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$1.09 IQD 1,423

69.72%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$0.80 IQD 1,042

296.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$1.51 IQD 1,982

37.09%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$1.82 IQD 2,386

60.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$3.90 IQD 5,106

222.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$4.70 IQD 6,149

115.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$14.34 IQD 18.8K

12.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$1.12 IQD 1,465

202.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$1.06 IQD 1,389

96.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$1.07 IQD 1,400

98.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$0.74 IQD 967

225.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$0.66 IQD 860

222.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$0.70 IQD 915

187.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$0.62 IQD 813

150.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$0.65 IQD 845

109.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$1.78 IQD 2,333

224.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$13.68 IQD 17.9K

29.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

$2.14 IQD 2,798

-3.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

$2.27 IQD 2,971

103.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$0.64 IQD 838

-42.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

$22.99 IQD 30.1K

-7.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$2.25 IQD 2,941

-8.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$1.48 IQD 1,944

-60.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$7.77 IQD 10.2K

-21.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$0.67 IQD 877

131.34%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$19.4K IQD 25.4M

18.06%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$19.1K IQD 25.0M

42.54%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$214 IQD 280.5K

-68.53%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$21.41 IQD 28.0K

43.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$42.10 IQD 55.1K

-11.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

$47.30 IQD 61.9K

29.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

$22.04 IQD 28.9K

23.05%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$10.76 IQD 14.1K

-33.92%

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

$456 MX$7,739

$165 IQD 215.5K

177.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$3,445 IQD 4.5M

297.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$29.79 IQD 39.0K

149.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$38.31 IQD 50.2K

48.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$74.4 IQD 97.5K

55.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$47.59 IQD 62.3K

155.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$566 IQD 741.8K

102.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$346 IQD 453.5K

104.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$959 IQD 1.3M

168.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$679 IQD 889.1K

90.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

$4,665 IQD 6.1M

-14.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

$1,599 IQD 2.1M

33.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$615 IQD 805.6K

75.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

4.12

174.27%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Baghdad: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $566 in Baghdad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 76% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $34.00 in Baghdad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $186 per month, with Baghdad 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 Baghdad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baghdad wins on cost – living expenses run 49% 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 76% 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: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $566 in Baghdad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Baghdad runs roughly 9% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $165 in Baghdad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,124 in Baghdad versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Baghdad but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Baghdad the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Baghdad delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,124 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Baghdad hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Baghdad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.