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: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $646 in Duhok.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,057 in Duhok.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $1,468 in Duhok.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 124% more expensive than Duhok, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Duhok is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$3.93 IQD 5,146

230.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$918

$19.45 IQD 25.4K

170.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$165

$6.94 IQD 9,081

35.88%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$62.3

$2.53 IQD 3,311

41.11%

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

$1.61 MX$28.02

$0.42 IQD 555

283.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$20.14

$0.18 IQD 237

538.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$55.0

$1.17 IQD 1,532

169.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$84.8

$1.93 IQD 2,524

151.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.66

$1.36 IQD 1,783

25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.99

$0.86 IQD 1,124

206.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$33.22

$1.57 IQD 2,060

21.02%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.35

$1.87 IQD 2,449

35.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$5.24 IQD 6,857

92.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$2.93 IQD 3,826

182.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$202

$12.92 IQD 16.9K

-10.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.8

$1.12 IQD 1,469

170.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.85

$1.20 IQD 1,565

42.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.76

$0.82 IQD 1,070

150.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.95

$0.71 IQD 929

190.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$36.03

$0.70 IQD 919

194.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.87

$0.70 IQD 910

210.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.49

$0.73 IQD 957

91.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.58

$0.56 IQD 732

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$74.9

$1.86 IQD 2,432

130.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$269

$12.62 IQD 16.5K

22.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$29.23

$1.44 IQD 1,884

15.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$64.3

$1.97 IQD 2,575

87.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.66

$0.33 IQD 431

15.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$333

$15.86 IQD 20.7K

20.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$24.10

$2.23 IQD 2,919

-38.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.82

$1.54 IQD 2,017

-81.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.5

$6.08 IQD 7,949

-10.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$22.35

$0.66 IQD 861

93.94%

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

$19.0K MX$331.3K

$19.0K IQD 24.9M

-0.31%

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

$23.5K MX$409.5K

$19.8K IQD 25.9M

18.52%

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

$41.02 MX$716

$93.8 IQD 122.7K

-56.28%

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

$26.92 MX$470

$9.64 IQD 12.6K

179.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$518

$29.60 IQD 38.7K

0.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$913

$51.8 IQD 67.8K

1.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$458

$16.86 IQD 22.1K

55.58%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$108

$7.44 IQD 9,737

-16.94%

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

$427 MX$7,454

$115 IQD 150.0K

272.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$186.7K

$3,332 IQD 4.4M

221.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$992

$10.15 IQD 13.3K

459.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$782

$19.73 IQD 25.8K

127.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,824

$30.07 IQD 39.3K

247.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,849

$19.79 IQD 25.9K

435.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.4K

$180 IQD 235.3K

452.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.8K

$124 IQD 162.5K

400.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$37.1K

$367 IQD 479.6K

479.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.9K

$346 IQD 452.3K

262.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$68.1K

$471 IQD 615.6K

729.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.6K

$394 IQD 515.0K

432.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.3K

$430 IQD 562.4K

157.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

14.33

-20.87%

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

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Last update for Duhok: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $180 in Duhok. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 158% 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: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $19.00 in Duhok for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $174 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 124% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $646 including rent). Duhok is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 158% 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: $995 in Mexico City versus $180 in Duhok. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $115 in Duhok. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 65% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $646 in Duhok versus $1,447 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 124% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.