Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-'amarah and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-’amarah: $654 a month against $1,779 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Al-'amarah
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Al-'amarah Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index

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Al-'amarah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$654

/mo nomad

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,779

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Al-'amarah and in Athens

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Al-'amarah and in Athens actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $654 per month in Al-’amarah vs $1,779 in Athens, rent included.

Al-'amarah $654
Athens $1,779

A couple spends around $1,021 per month in Al-’amarah vs $2,721 in Athens, rent included.

Al-'amarah $1,021
Athens $2,721

A family of three spends $1,388 per month in Al-’amarah vs $3,663 in Athens, rent included.

Al-'amarah $1,388
Athens $3,663

Al-’amarah is about 63% cheaper than Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Al-’amarah sits 52% below the global median, while Athens is 32% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.01 IQD 6,059

$16.83 €14.99

-76.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.19 IQD 32.0K

$66.0 €58.8

-67.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.28 IQD 9,494

$11.21 €9.98

-43.98%

Cappuccino

$2.47 IQD 3,735

$4.08 €3.64

-39.46%

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

$0.35 IQD 531

$2.77 €2.47

-87.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 IQD 332

$0.54 €0.48

-59.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 IQD 5,038

$5.70 €5.07

-41.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 IQD 3,891

$6.26 €5.58

-58.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 IQD 1,485

$1.84 €1.64

-46.74%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 IQD 1,110

$1.43 €1.27

-48.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 IQD 2,106

$2.67 €2.38

-47.94%

Eggs

$1.61 IQD 2,428

$4.95 €4.41

-67.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.92 IQD 5,920

$15.09 €13.44

-74.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.51 IQD 5,297

$10.99 €9.79

-68.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 IQD 18.1K

$19.77 €17.60

-39.30%

Apples (1kg)

$0.93 IQD 1,412

$2.12 €1.89

-56.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.00 IQD 1,511

$1.98 €1.76

-49.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.96 IQD 1,451

$1.33 €1.18

-27.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 IQD 959

$2.16 €1.92

-70.83%

Potato (1kg)

$0.59 IQD 890

$1.06 €0.94

-44.34%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 IQD 884

$1.15 €1.02

-48.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 IQD 921

$1.08 €0.96

-43.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 IQD 723

$0.85 €0.75

-43.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.66 IQD 2,510

$5.46 €4.86

-69.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.32 IQD 17.1K

$10.03 €8.93

12.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 IQD 2,378

$2.04 €1.82

-23.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 IQD 2,707

$2.38 €2.12

-24.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 IQD 515

$1.35 €1.20

-74.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.52 €27.18

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.80 IQD 2,718

$3.81 €3.39

-52.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 IQD 2,054

$1.03 €0.92

32.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.49 IQD 8,296

$16.49 €14.68

-66.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.54 IQD 809

$2.34 €2.09

-76.92%

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

$16.3K IQD 24.7M

$27.8K €24.7K

-41.18%

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

$17.0K IQD 25.6M

$26.6K €23.7K

-36.22%

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

$86.6 IQD 130.8K

$202 €180

-57.19%

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

$13.27 IQD 20.1K

$26.81 €23.87

-50.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.99 IQD 43.8K

$30.49 €27.14

-4.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.08 IQD 56.0K

$54.1 €48.14

-31.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.40 €24.40

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 IQD 13.4K

$10.44 €9.30

-14.85%

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

$144 IQD 217.4K

$568 €505

-74.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,770 IQD 4.2M

$15.2K €13.5K

-81.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.92 IQD 31.6K

$90.7 €80.7

-76.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.79 IQD 34.4K

$39.32 €35.01

-42.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.3 IQD 88.1K

$105 €93.7

-44.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.00 IQD 57.4K

$129 €115

-70.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$207 IQD 312.4K

$742 €661

-72.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$136 IQD 205.2K

$648 €577

-79.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$382 IQD 576.6K

$1,271 €1,132

-69.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$312 IQD 471.7K

$1,122 €999

-72.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$867 IQD 1.3M

$3,999 €3,561

-78.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$500 IQD 754.8K

$3,281 €2,921

-84.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$441 IQD 666.0K

$1,245 €1,109

-64.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.12

4.44

-7.21%

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

Last update for Al-'amarah: November 2, 2026

Last update for Athens: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Al-'amarah

$157 24%

Athens

$316 17.8% 101% $159

Accommodation & Living

Al-'amarah

$136 20.8%

Athens

$648 36.4% 378% $513

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al-'amarah

$129 19.7%

Athens

$260 14.6% 101% $131

Eating Out

Al-'amarah

$105 16%

Athens

$272 15.3% 159% $167

Clothing & Footwear

Al-'amarah

$63 9.6%

Athens

$164 9.2% 160% $101

Sport & Entertainment

Al-'amarah

$55 8.4%

Athens

$75 4.2% 36.6% $20

Getting Around

Al-'amarah

$10 * 1.5%

Athens

$45 2.5% 351% $35

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $207 in Al-’amarah versus $742 in Athens. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Athens are about 2.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21 in Al-’amarah versus $66 in Athens. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $157 vs $316 – making Al-’amarah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Al-'amarah

🇬🇷 Athens

🕒 Local time

12:11 12:11 PM

11:11 11:11 AM

1 h behind Al-'amarah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

511,542

3,090,508 Capital

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to IQD – Iraqi Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇶 Iraqi Dinar (ع.د)

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,697 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to IQD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Al-'amarah Athens 2,230 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Al-'amarah
Athens

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

Al-'amarah vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Athens is pricier by about 172%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $982 per month in Al-’amarah and $2,669 in Athens. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Al-’amarah, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $207 there versus $742 in Athens.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21 in Al-’amarah and $66 in Athens. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 101% more in Athens, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Al-’amarah, where all-in costs run around $654, than in Athens at $1,779. In Al-’amarah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Athens it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Al-’amarah – 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 Al-’amarah. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Athens makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.