Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Mahabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Mahabad: $528 a month against $1,674 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Mahabad
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Mahabad Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,674

/mo nomad

Mahabad

🇮🇷 Iran

$528

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,674 per month in Mexico City vs $528 in Mahabad, rent included.

Mexico City $1,674
Mahabad $528

A couple spends around $2,606 per month in Mexico City vs $831 in Mahabad, rent included.

Mexico City $2,606
Mahabad $831

A family of three spends $3,537 per month in Mexico City vs $1,135 in Mahabad, rent included.

Mexico City $3,537
Mahabad $1,135

Mexico City costs about 217% more than Mahabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mexico City sits 24% above the global median, while Mahabad is 61% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.59 MX$198

$2.92 $2.92

262.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 MX$972

$16.31 $16.31

218.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 MX$201

$3.99 $3.99

168.92%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.73 $0.73

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 $1.08

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$71.0

$1.13 $1.13

236.28%

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

$1.61 MX$30.16

$0.51 $0.51

215.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$22.67

$0.99 $0.99

22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$59.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 MX$102

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.13

$0.68 $0.68

152.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 MX$55.5

$0.51 $0.51

482.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$36.02

$2.09 $2.09

-7.66%

Eggs

$2.77 MX$51.9

$1.24 $1.24

123.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 MX$218

$4.47 $4.47

161.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.48 MX$177

$3.34 $3.34

183.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.37 MX$288

$7.85 $7.85

95.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 MX$58.1

$1.03 $1.03

200.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 MX$36.67

$1.59 $1.59

23.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 MX$37.07

$0.86 $0.86

130.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 MX$43.68

$0.57 $0.57

310.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.85

$0.57 $0.57

254.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$34.13

$0.47 $0.47

287.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 MX$28.89

$0.54 $0.54

185.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 MX$24.54

$0.24 $0.24

445.83%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.77 $0.77

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 $0.50

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 $1.34

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.35 MX$100

$2.46 $2.46

117.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.19 MX$303

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 MX$36.64

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 MX$81.4

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 MX$5.70

$0.14 $0.14

114.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.49 MX$365

$9.67 $9.67

101.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 MX$35.86

$0.44 $0.44

336.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 MX$8.84

$0.31 $0.31

51.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$101

$2.63 $2.63

105.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 MX$27.75

$0.10 $0.10

1380.00%

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

$21.4K MX$399.7K

$50.0K $50.0K

-57.23%

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

$23.8K MX$444.3K

$45.4K $45.4K

-47.70%

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

$62.0 MX$1,160

$12.98 $12.98

377.58%

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

$28.47 MX$533

$1.57 $1.57

1713.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.11 MX$638

$3.81 $3.81

795.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 MX$1,092

$18.40 $18.40

217.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.50 MX$458

$13.52 $13.52

81.21%

Cinema Ticket

$6.59 MX$123

$2.04 $2.04

223.04%

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

$434 MX$8,122

$107 $107

304.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K MX$262.5K

$2,442 $2,442

474.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.4 MX$1,278

$22.95 $22.95

197.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 MX$1,025

$27.82 $27.82

96.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 MX$2,073

$98.5 $98.5

12.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 MX$2,169

$73.7 $73.7

57.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 MX$22.1K

$290 $290

306.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 MX$14.4K

$212 $212

263.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,570 MX$48.1K

$806 $806

218.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,420 MX$26.6K

$356 $356

298.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,586 MX$67.1K

$1,134 $1,134

216.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$38.6K

$541 $541

281.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,003 MX$18.8K

$254 $254

295.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

24.3

-53.29%

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

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Last update for Mahabad: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$771 46.1%

Mahabad

$212 40.2% 72.5% $559

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$324 19.3%

Mahabad

$108 20.4% 66.7% $216

Eating Out

Mexico City

$201 12%

Mahabad

$55 10.4% 72.6% $146

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$158 9.4%

Mahabad

$100 19% 36.3% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$125 7.4%

Mahabad

$18 3.5% 85.3% $106

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.3%

Mahabad

$22 4.3% 68.6% $49

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.5%

Mahabad

$12 2.3% 51.1% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,179 in Mexico City versus $290 in Mahabad. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Mexico City are about 4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52 in Mexico City versus $16 in Mahabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $324 vs $108 – making Mahabad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇮🇷 Mahabad

🕒 Local time

13:35 1:35 PM

23:05 11:05 PM

9 h 30 min ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

208,541

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 EUR

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.9 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Mahabad 12,760 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 Mahabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 217%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,510 per month in Mexico City and $792 in Mahabad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mahabad, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $290 there versus $1,179 in Mexico City.

Kindergarten costs $434 per month in Mexico City and $107 in Mahabad. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 201% more in Mexico City, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mahabad, where all-in costs run around $528, than in Mexico City at $1,674. In Mahabad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mahabad – 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 Mahabad. 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.