Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Erbil

For one person, living is cheaper in Erbil: $958 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Erbil
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Erbil Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Erbil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$958

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,608 per month in Mexico City vs $958 in Erbil, rent included.

Mexico City $1,608
Erbil $958

A couple spends around $2,549 per month in Mexico City vs $1,427 in Erbil, rent included.

Mexico City $2,549
Erbil $1,427

A family of three spends $3,490 per month in Mexico City vs $1,896 in Erbil, rent included.

Mexico City $3,490
Erbil $1,896

Mexico City costs about 68% more than Erbil, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mexico City sits 18% above the global median, while Erbil is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$198

$6.42 IQD 9,704

65.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$901

$36.55 IQD 55.2K

32.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$193

$7.41 IQD 11.2K

39.68%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$68.8

$3.24 IQD 4,889

13.89%

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

$1.67 MX$31.07

$0.89 IQD 1,341

87.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.59

$0.33 IQD 505

284.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.5

$5.75 IQD 8,681

-44.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$98.9

$3.92 IQD 5,921

35.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.15

$1.07 IQD 1,611

60.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$56.7

$0.67 IQD 1,019

353.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$1.52 IQD 2,303

27.63%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$53.8

$1.60 IQD 2,413

80.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$205

$7.00 IQD 10.6K

56.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$172

$4.38 IQD 6,614

111.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$282

$12.67 IQD 19.1K

19.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$56.8

$0.94 IQD 1,415

224.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$1.01 IQD 1,528

92.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.75

$1.02 IQD 1,544

99.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.15

$0.70 IQD 1,064

230.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$37.94

$0.65 IQD 982

213.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.55

$0.63 IQD 952

185.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.58

$0.64 IQD 968

131.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.63

$0.52 IQD 781

144.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$98.9

$2.19 IQD 3,303

142.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$300

$10.83 IQD 16.4K

48.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.97

$1.45 IQD 2,191

36.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.3

$1.79 IQD 2,712

137.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.69

$0.49 IQD 736

-36.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$368

$39.29 IQD 59.4K

-49.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.25

$1.67 IQD 2,519

10.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.94

$1.60 IQD 2,418

-66.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$98.7

$5.78 IQD 8,728

-8.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.16

$0.57 IQD 867

164.91%

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

$21.8K MX$405.5K

$16.8K IQD 25.4M

29.52%

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

$24.0K MX$447.1K

$17.1K IQD 25.9M

40.01%

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

$63.0 MX$1,174

$111 IQD 168.1K

-43.38%

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

$27.39 MX$511

$12.24 IQD 18.5K

123.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$665

$24.61 IQD 37.2K

44.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,099

$57.0 IQD 86.1K

3.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$441

$13.48 IQD 20.4K

75.37%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$119

$9.63 IQD 14.6K

-33.54%

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

$432 MX$8,045

$294 IQD 443.8K

46.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$212.9K

$2,726 IQD 4.1M

318.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,272

$26.71 IQD 40.4K

155.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$990

$38.49 IQD 58.2K

38.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,009

$61.1 IQD 92.3K

76.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,186

$59.9 IQD 90.5K

95.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.8K

$426 IQD 643.6K

161.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.2K

$271 IQD 410.0K

161.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.2K

$699 IQD 1.1M

270.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.2K

$404 IQD 610.4K

248.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.7K

$1,017 IQD 1.5M

257.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.8K

$615 IQD 929.8K

246.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.6K

$519 IQD 783.7K

82.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

2.53

348.62%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Erbil: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Erbil

$271 28.3% 61.8% $439

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Erbil

$174 18.1% 45.7% $146

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Erbil

$154 16.1% 22.5% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Erbil

$84 8.8% 46.3% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Erbil

$148 15.5% 17.5% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Erbil

$76 8% 6.2% $4.5

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Erbil

$51 5.3% 100% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,113 in Mexico City versus $426 in Erbil. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 82% higher in Mexico City. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Mexico City versus $37 in Erbil. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $320 vs $174 – making Erbil the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇮🇶 Erbil

🕒 Local time

17:01 5:01 PM

02:01 2:01 AM

9 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

1,713,461

💱 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 28, 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 28, 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 →

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Between locations

Mexico City Erbil 12,720 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
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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 Erbil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 68%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,412 per month in Mexico City and $1,437 in Erbil. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Erbil, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $426 there versus $1,113 in Mexico City.

Groceries cost about 84% more in Mexico City, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Mexico City and $37 in Erbil. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Erbil – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Erbil. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.