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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $663 in Duhok.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $1,064 in Duhok.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $1,466 in Duhok.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 153% more expensive than in Duhok, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Duhok is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$3.84 IQD 5,024

216.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$913

$18.93 IQD 24.8K

184.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$8.62 IQD 11.3K

28.65%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.4

$2.81 IQD 3,684

45.91%

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

$1.68 MX$28.49

$0.40 IQD 518

320.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.52

$0.21 IQD 269

561.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.4

$1.88 IQD 2,464

77.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.6

$2.35 IQD 3,074

150.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.36

$1.23 IQD 1,611

50.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.7

$0.78 IQD 1,027

306.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.08

$1.76 IQD 2,311

17.61%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.60

$1.85 IQD 2,429

58.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$213

$4.91 IQD 6,436

156.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$3.09 IQD 4,041

227.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$12.88 IQD 16.9K

24.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.4

$1.08 IQD 1,408

213.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.21

$1.11 IQD 1,450

87.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.92

$0.81 IQD 1,065

161.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.89

$0.69 IQD 904

249.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.07

$0.75 IQD 976

184.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$33.97

$0.69 IQD 901

191.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.18

$0.80 IQD 1,045

93.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.12

$0.59 IQD 772

130.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.7

$1.92 IQD 2,517

200.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$12.55 IQD 16.4K

41.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.07

$1.64 IQD 2,147

26.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.2

$2.05 IQD 2,686

124.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.20

$0.36 IQD 466

2.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

$15.53 IQD 20.3K

36.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.79

$1.86 IQD 2,436

10.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.77

$1.43 IQD 1,875

-59.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$5.83 IQD 7,629

4.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.30

$0.67 IQD 879

131.34%

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

$22.9K MX$387.5K

$18.3K IQD 24.0M

24.91%

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

$27.2K MX$461.4K

$20.2K IQD 26.4M

35.03%

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

$67.4 MX$1,142

$92.3 IQD 120.8K

-26.93%

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

$30.62 MX$519

$9.76 IQD 12.8K

213.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$631

$28.23 IQD 37.0K

31.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,041

$53.3 IQD 69.8K

15.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$459

$30.88 IQD 40.4K

-12.18%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$120

$7.55 IQD 9,883

-5.83%

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

$456 MX$7,728

$111 IQD 145.6K

310.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.0K

$3,151 IQD 4.1M

334.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,257

$10.17 IQD 13.3K

629.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$966

$20.16 IQD 26.4K

182.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,955

$30.16 IQD 39.5K

282.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,059

$20.11 IQD 26.3K

504.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.4K

$179 IQD 234.5K

540.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$125 IQD 163.7K

467.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$366 IQD 479.6K

603.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$21.9K

$338 IQD 442.9K

282.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

$477 IQD 625.2K

738.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

$391 IQD 512.6K

444.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.3K

$455 IQD 595.5K

137.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

2.53

346.64%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Duhok: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $179 in Duhok. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 138% 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 $19.00 in Duhok for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $173 per month, with Duhok 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 Duhok: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Duhok differ by about 153% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $663 including rent). Duhok is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 138% 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 $179 in Duhok. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $111 in Duhok. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 99% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $663 in Duhok versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Duhok but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Duhok 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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Duhok 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 Duhok gentler on the wallet – expenses run 153% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.