Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Sulaymaniyah

For one person, living is cheaper in Sulaymaniyah: $773 a month against $1,561 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Sulaymaniyah
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Sulaymaniyah Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,561

/mo nomad

Sulaymaniyah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$773

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,561 in Mexico City versus $773 in Sulaymaniyah.

Mexico City $1,561
Sulaymaniyah $773

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,440 in Mexico City versus $1,194 in Sulaymaniyah.

Mexico City $2,440
Sulaymaniyah $1,194

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,319 in Mexico City versus $1,615 in Sulaymaniyah.

Mexico City $3,319
Sulaymaniyah $1,615

Living in Mexico City is roughly 102% more expensive than in Sulaymaniyah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 16% above, Sulaymaniyah is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.12 MX$202

$5.07 IQD 7,655

119.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.99 MX$891

$22.93 IQD 34.6K

113.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.23 MX$204

$7.04 IQD 10.6K

59.52%

Cappuccino

$3.76 MX$68.4

$2.88 IQD 4,341

30.56%

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

$1.65 MX$30.05

$0.50 IQD 759

230.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 MX$23.27

$0.25 IQD 378

412.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 MX$59.2

$3.93 IQD 5,939

-17.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.66 MX$103

$2.27 IQD 3,424

149.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 MX$32.92

$1.28 IQD 1,934

41.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 MX$53.5

$1.01 IQD 1,518

191.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 MX$37.27

$1.86 IQD 2,810

10.22%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$53.2

$1.77 IQD 2,670

65.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.95 MX$217

$4.96 IQD 7,485

140.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.51 MX$173

$4.22 IQD 6,377

125.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.84 MX$270

$15.30 IQD 23.1K

-3.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 MX$57.2

$1.28 IQD 1,934

145.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$36.65

$1.28 IQD 1,936

57.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$37.75

$1.15 IQD 1,736

80.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.22 MX$40.35

$0.68 IQD 1,025

226.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$37.47

$0.56 IQD 847

267.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 MX$34.14

$0.73 IQD 1,095

157.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$26.93

$0.73 IQD 1,100

102.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$24.47

$0.50 IQD 751

170.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.41 MX$98.4

$2.28 IQD 3,442

137.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.86 MX$307

$11.23 IQD 17.0K

50.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.09

$1.95 IQD 2,947

1.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 MX$78.7

$1.42 IQD 2,140

204.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.27

$0.60 IQD 901

-43.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.23 MX$368

$22.68 IQD 34.2K

-10.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$38.11

$2.22 IQD 3,358

-5.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.65

$2.34 IQD 3,528

-77.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$98.3

$5.50 IQD 8,300

-1.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$27.65

$0.69 IQD 1,044

120.29%

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

$21.7K MX$395.3K

$20.9K IQD 31.5M

4.11%

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

$24.8K MX$451.4K

$18.9K IQD 28.6M

31.00%

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

$63.0 MX$1,145

$100 IQD 151.6K

-37.26%

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

$28.88 MX$525

$11.49 IQD 17.4K

151.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.93 MX$617

$28.04 IQD 42.3K

21.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 MX$1,015

$39.70 IQD 59.9K

40.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.90 MX$453

$20.09 IQD 30.3K

23.94%

Cinema Ticket

$6.77 MX$123

$7.58 IQD 11.4K

-10.69%

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

$428 MX$7,781

$173 IQD 260.8K

147.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K MX$216.0K

$2,946 IQD 4.4M

302.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 MX$1,274

$18.91 IQD 28.6K

270.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.7 MX$977

$25.19 IQD 38.0K

113.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MX$1,997

$43.24 IQD 65.3K

153.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 MX$2,096

$38.64 IQD 58.3K

198.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 MX$19.3K

$215 IQD 324.5K

394.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 MX$12.2K

$175 IQD 264.0K

283.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,379 MX$43.3K

$492 IQD 743.4K

383.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 MX$22.9K

$363 IQD 548.4K

246.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,716 MX$67.6K

$786 IQD 1.2M

372.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,976 MX$35.9K

$630 IQD 951.7K

213.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$997 MX$18.1K

$584 IQD 881.5K

70.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

5.77

95.84%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 6, 2026

Last update for Sulaymaniyah: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$671 42.4%

Sulaymaniyah

$175 22.5% 73.9% $496

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$327 20.7%

Sulaymaniyah

$188 24.2% 42.3% $138

Eating Out

Mexico City

$207 13.1%

Sulaymaniyah

$123 15.9% 40.4% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$157 9.9%

Sulaymaniyah

$57 7.3% 63.9% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 8%

Sulaymaniyah

$140 18% 11.2% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$69 4.4%

Sulaymaniyah

$55 7.1% 20.9% $14

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Sulaymaniyah

$39 5% 47.9% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Mexico City and $215 in Sulaymaniyah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 71% 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: $49.00 in Mexico City vs $23.00 in Sulaymaniyah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $327 vs $188 per month, with Sulaymaniyah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇮🇶 Sulaymaniyah

🕒 Local time

00:49 12:49 AM

09:49 9:49 AM

9 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

823,199

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.5 USD

100 MXN = 4.9 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.9 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.19 MXN (100 MXN = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20.4 MXN (100 MXN = 4.9 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,510 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,694 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Mexico City Sulaymaniyah 12,850 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Sulaymaniyah

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 Sulaymaniyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Sulaymaniyah differ by about 102% in total monthly costs ($1,561 vs $773 including rent). Sulaymaniyah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 71% 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: $1,062 in Mexico City versus $215 in Sulaymaniyah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sulaymaniyah runs roughly 12% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $173 in Sulaymaniyah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $773 in Sulaymaniyah versus $1,561 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sulaymaniyah but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Sulaymaniyah 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 Sulaymaniyah 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 Sulaymaniyah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 102% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.