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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $742 in Basra.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,351 in Basra.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,960 in Basra.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 98% more expensive than Basra, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Basra is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$3.81 IQD 4,990

245.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$24.77 IQD 32.4K

117.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$7.02 IQD 9,194

34.19%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$2.06 IQD 2,695

72.33%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$0.44 IQD 572

268.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.35 IQD 452

217.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$3.86 IQD 5,061

-19.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$2.70 IQD 3,532

71.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$1.23 IQD 1,607

38.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$0.70 IQD 919

288.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$1.41 IQD 1,850

35.46%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$1.92 IQD 2,512

32.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$8.05 IQD 10.5K

24.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$7.22 IQD 9,457

12.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$13.20 IQD 17.3K

-11.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$1.01 IQD 1,321

194.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$1.42 IQD 1,858

27.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$1.02 IQD 1,331

97.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$0.63 IQD 820

222.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$0.71 IQD 932

198.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$0.57 IQD 744

298.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$0.83 IQD 1,085

68.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.41 IQD 541

175.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$1.88 IQD 2,458

127.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$12.76 IQD 16.7K

21.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$2.97 IQD 3,892

-40.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$3.78 IQD 4,947

-4.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$0.39 IQD 516

-2.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$23.21 IQD 30.4K

-17.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$2.31 IQD 3,028

-40.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$2.21 IQD 2,891

-87.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$6.76 IQD 8,847

-19.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$0.58 IQD 762

124.14%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$13.3K IQD 17.4M

40.86%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$23.2K IQD 30.4M

-0.37%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$56.6 IQD 74.1K

-27.78%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$25.19 IQD 33.0K

6.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$38.41 IQD 50.3K

-22.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$37.07 IQD 48.5K

40.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$15.48 IQD 20.3K

73.39%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$7.75 IQD 10.2K

-18.71%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$97.0 IQD 127.0K

349.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$3,772 IQD 4.9M

176.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$41.85 IQD 54.8K

35.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$20.30 IQD 26.6K

118.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$72.9 IQD 95.4K

41.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$40.68 IQD 53.3K

159.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$455 IQD 595.7K

124.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$133 IQD 174.1K

374.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$918 IQD 1.2M

132.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$671 IQD 878.1K

85.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$1,581 IQD 2.1M

146.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$800 IQD 1.0M

157.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$763 IQD 998.7K

46.21%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Basra: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $455 in Basra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 46% 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 $25.00 in Basra for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $213 per month, with Basra 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 Basra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Basra differ by about 98% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $742 including rent). Basra is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 46% more on average, 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $455 in Basra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Basra – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $742 in Basra versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Basra but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Basra 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 Basra gentler on the wallet – expenses run 98% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.