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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $749 in Sulaymaniyah versus $1,448 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,184 in Sulaymaniyah versus $2,354 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,619 in Sulaymaniyah versus $3,260 in Mexico City.

Living in Sulaymaniyah costs roughly 48% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sulaymaniyah is 44% below, Mexico City is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.41 IQD 7,088

$12.96 MX$223

-58.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.49 IQD 34.7K

$52.3 MX$900

-49.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.04 IQD 9,215

$9.69 MX$167

-27.35%

Cappuccino

$2.58 IQD 3,381

$3.75 MX$64.6

-31.20%

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

$0.37 IQD 483

$1.56 MX$26.91

-76.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.18 IQD 231

$1.16 MX$19.93

-84.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.07 IQD 2,715

$3.24 MX$55.8

-36.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 IQD 3,506

$4.90 MX$84.3

-45.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 IQD 1,939

$1.70 MX$29.29

-12.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 IQD 1,329

$2.67 MX$45.90

-62.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 IQD 2,108

$1.89 MX$32.49

-14.81%

Eggs

$1.71 IQD 2,243

$2.52 MX$43.37

-32.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.09 IQD 7,980

$10.02 MX$172

-39.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 IQD 4,483

$8.53 MX$147

-59.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.95 IQD 18.3K

$11.94 MX$205

16.83%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 IQD 1,605

$2.97 MX$51.1

-58.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 IQD 1,685

$1.79 MX$30.88

-27.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.32 IQD 1,734

$2.00 MX$34.40

-34.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.70 IQD 913

$1.96 MX$33.74

-64.29%

Potato (1kg)

$0.63 IQD 824

$2.16 MX$37.21

-70.83%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 IQD 835

$2.27 MX$39.04

-71.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 IQD 728

$1.40 MX$24.14

-60.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 IQD 629

$1.11 MX$19.18

-56.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.87 IQD 2,443

$4.20 MX$72.2

-55.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.28 IQD 14.8K

$16.54 MX$285

-31.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 IQD 2,049

$1.68 MX$28.94

-7.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 IQD 2,400

$3.59 MX$61.8

-49.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 IQD 721

$0.39 MX$6.65

41.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.58 IQD 29.6K

$19.19 MX$330

17.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.33 IQD 3,052

$1.38 MX$23.77

68.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.24 IQD 2,934

$0.30 MX$5.19

646.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.43 IQD 7,109

$5.39 MX$92.7

0.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.73 IQD 955

$1.29 MX$22.13

-43.41%

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

$20.4K IQD 26.7M

$18.9K MX$325.1K

7.77%

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

$21.2K IQD 27.7M

$23.8K MX$409.5K

-10.98%

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

$76.1 IQD 99.7K

$39.86 MX$686

91.02%

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

$16.53 IQD 21.7K

$27.83 MX$479

-40.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.77 IQD 35.0K

$29.77 MX$512

-10.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.77 IQD 52.1K

$52.0 MX$894

-23.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.13 IQD 22.4K

$26.22 MX$451

-34.67%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 IQD 10.3K

$6.27 MX$108

25.04%

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

$149 IQD 195.7K

$433 MX$7,443

-65.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,533 IQD 4.6M

$10.5K MX$181.3K

-66.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.67 IQD 31.0K

$57.0 MX$981

-58.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.30 IQD 33.1K

$45.33 MX$780

-44.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$43.64 IQD 57.1K

$102 MX$1,753

-57.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.54 IQD 46.5K

$109 MX$1,867

-67.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$239 IQD 313.4K

$994 MX$17.1K

-75.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$176 IQD 230.4K

$617 MX$10.6K

-71.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$574 IQD 751.0K

$2,086 MX$35.9K

-72.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$350 IQD 458.1K

$1,256 MX$21.6K

-72.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$816 IQD 1.1M

$3,936 MX$67.7K

-79.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$588 IQD 769.5K

$2,089 MX$35.9K

-71.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$574 IQD 752.3K

$1,131 MX$19.5K

-49.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

-20.63%

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

Last update for Sulaymaniyah: June 13, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $239 in Sulaymaniyah and $994 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 97% 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: $26.00 in Sulaymaniyah vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $183 vs $292 per month, with Sulaymaniyah 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

Sulaymaniyah vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sulaymaniyah and Mexico City differ by about 93% in total monthly costs ($749 vs $1,448 including rent). Sulaymaniyah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mexico City earns 97% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $239 in Sulaymaniyah versus $994 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sulaymaniyah runs roughly 18% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $149 in Sulaymaniyah versus $433 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $749 in Sulaymaniyah versus $1,448 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, Sulaymaniyah and Mexico City 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 93% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.