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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $591 in Kirkuk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $947 in Kirkuk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $1,303 in Kirkuk.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 151% more expensive than Kirkuk, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Kirkuk is 56% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$3.74 IQD 4,904

247.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$25.51 IQD 33.4K

108.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$5.59 IQD 7,322

73.88%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$2.26 IQD 2,967

65.93%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$0.36 IQD 478

336.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.21 IQD 269

438.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$3.38 IQD 4,431

-5.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$2.89 IQD 3,780

61.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.15 IQD 1,506

40.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$0.61 IQD 804

344.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$1.58 IQD 2,066

18.99%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$1.45 IQD 1,896

73.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$4.37 IQD 5,722

130.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$2.84 IQD 3,714

191.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$11.15 IQD 14.6K

7.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$0.92 IQD 1,205

210.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.07 IQD 1,397

63.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$1.03 IQD 1,347

101.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$0.59 IQD 777

233.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$0.50 IQD 653

332.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$0.50 IQD 661

336.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$0.63 IQD 827

120.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.33 IQD 434

239.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$1.86 IQD 2,439

125.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$13.35 IQD 17.5K

6.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$1.83 IQD 2,394

-3.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$2.11 IQD 2,763

74.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.53 IQD 692

-26.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

$31.69 IQD 41.5K

-41.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$2.92 IQD 3,822

-52.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$1.15 IQD 1,509

-73.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$7.69 IQD 10.1K

-29.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$0.54 IQD 707

150.00%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$20.4K IQD 26.7M

-7.26%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$20.2K IQD 26.4M

14.84%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$53.3 IQD 69.8K

-23.41%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$22.83 IQD 29.9K

20.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$38.06 IQD 49.9K

-20.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$14.76 IQD 19.3K

261.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$16.50 IQD 21.6K

59.39%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$7.66 IQD 10.0K

-18.15%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$58.0 IQD 76.0K

652.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$788 IQD 1.0M

1229.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$28.59 IQD 37.5K

98.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$30.57 IQD 40.0K

46.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$23.18 IQD 30.4K

343.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$15.28 IQD 20.0K

606.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$73.9 IQD 96.8K

1252.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$108 IQD 141.7K

473.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$116 IQD 152.2K

1739.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$249 IQD 325.6K

396.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$887 IQD 1.2M

335.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$406 IQD 531.4K

474.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$636 IQD 833.0K

67.85%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Kirkuk: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $73.9 in Kirkuk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 68% 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 $26.00 in Kirkuk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $158 per month, with Kirkuk 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 Kirkuk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kirkuk is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 151% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Mexico City pays 68% 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $73.9 in Kirkuk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $58.0 in Kirkuk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 81% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $591 in Kirkuk versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kirkuk but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Kirkuk the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kirkuk is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mexico City, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Kirkuk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 151% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.