Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-'amarah and Erbil

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-’amarah: $672 a month against $958 in Erbil, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Al-'amarah
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Al-'amarah Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Erbil
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Erbil Living Index

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Al-'amarah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$672

/mo nomad

Erbil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$958

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $672 per month in Al-’amarah vs $958 in Erbil, rent included.

Al-'amarah $672
Erbil $958

A couple spends around $1,023 per month in Al-’amarah vs $1,427 in Erbil, rent included.

Al-'amarah $1,023
Erbil $1,427

A family of three spends $1,373 per month in Al-’amarah vs $1,896 in Erbil, rent included.

Al-'amarah $1,373
Erbil $1,896

Al-’amarah is about 30% cheaper than Erbil, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Al-’amarah and Erbil are more affordable than the global median – Al-’amarah 51% lower, Erbil 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.08 IQD 6,163

$6.42 IQD 9,704

-36.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.39 IQD 29.3K

$36.55 IQD 55.2K

-46.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.29 IQD 9,501

$7.41 IQD 11.2K

-15.11%

Cappuccino

$2.23 IQD 3,364

$3.24 IQD 4,889

-31.17%

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

$0.38 IQD 575

$0.89 IQD 1,341

-57.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 IQD 311

$0.33 IQD 505

-36.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 IQD 4,555

$5.75 IQD 8,681

-47.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 IQD 3,705

$3.92 IQD 5,921

-37.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 IQD 1,494

$1.07 IQD 1,611

-7.48%

White Bread (500g)

$0.67 IQD 1,014

$0.67 IQD 1,019

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 IQD 2,090

$1.52 IQD 2,303

-9.21%

Eggs

$1.59 IQD 2,409

$1.60 IQD 2,413

-0.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.88 IQD 5,856

$7.00 IQD 10.6K

-44.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.44 IQD 5,192

$4.38 IQD 6,614

-21.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.32 IQD 20.1K

$12.67 IQD 19.1K

5.13%

Apples (1kg)

$0.95 IQD 1,440

$0.94 IQD 1,415

1.06%

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 IQD 1,474

$1.01 IQD 1,528

-2.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.91 IQD 1,368

$1.02 IQD 1,544

-10.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 IQD 951

$0.70 IQD 1,064

-10.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 IQD 836

$0.65 IQD 982

-15.38%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 IQD 950

$0.63 IQD 952

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 IQD 848

$0.64 IQD 968

-12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 IQD 715

$0.52 IQD 781

-9.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.48 IQD 2,231

$2.19 IQD 3,303

-32.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.09 IQD 18.3K

$10.83 IQD 16.4K

11.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 IQD 2,545

$1.45 IQD 2,191

15.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 IQD 2,798

$1.79 IQD 2,712

3.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 IQD 438

$0.49 IQD 736

-40.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.29 IQD 59.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.79 IQD 2,712

$1.67 IQD 2,519

7.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.17 IQD 1,766

$1.60 IQD 2,418

-26.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.46 IQD 8,252

$5.78 IQD 8,728

-5.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.58 IQD 878

$0.57 IQD 867

1.75%

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

$17.6K IQD 26.6M

$16.8K IQD 25.4M

4.84%

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

$14.7K IQD 22.2M

$17.1K IQD 25.9M

-14.39%

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

$97.8 IQD 147.8K

$111 IQD 168.1K

-12.07%

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

$14.57 IQD 22.0K

$12.24 IQD 18.5K

19.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.47 IQD 43.0K

$24.61 IQD 37.2K

15.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.45 IQD 55.1K

$57.0 IQD 86.1K

-36.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.48 IQD 20.4K

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 IQD 13.7K

$9.63 IQD 14.6K

-6.13%

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

$143 IQD 216.2K

$294 IQD 443.8K

-51.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,964 IQD 4.5M

$2,726 IQD 4.1M

8.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.18 IQD 35.0K

$26.71 IQD 40.4K

-13.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.01 IQD 33.3K

$38.49 IQD 58.2K

-42.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.2 IQD 103.0K

$61.1 IQD 92.3K

11.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$32.78 IQD 49.5K

$59.9 IQD 90.5K

-45.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$204 IQD 308.8K

$426 IQD 643.6K

-52.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$140 IQD 211.8K

$271 IQD 410.0K

-48.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$368 IQD 555.9K

$699 IQD 1.1M

-47.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 IQD 433.4K

$404 IQD 610.4K

-29.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$863 IQD 1.3M

$1,017 IQD 1.5M

-15.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$486 IQD 733.7K

$615 IQD 929.8K

-21.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$434 IQD 655.1K

$519 IQD 783.7K

-16.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.12

2.53

62.85%

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

Last update for Al-'amarah: October 27, 2026

Last update for Erbil: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Al-'amarah

$162 24.1%

Erbil

$174 18.1% 7.3% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al-'amarah

$141 21%

Erbil

$148 15.5% 5.1% $7.2

Accommodation & Living

Al-'amarah

$140 20.9%

Erbil

$271 28.3% 93.6% $131

Eating Out

Al-'amarah

$101 15%

Erbil

$154 16.1% 53.1% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Al-'amarah

$66 9.8%

Erbil

$84 8.8% 27.4% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Al-'amarah

$55 8.1%

Erbil

$76 8% 39.8% $22

Getting Around

Al-'amarah

$8.8 * 1.3%

Erbil

$51 5.3% 479% $42

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $204 in Al-’amarah versus $426 in Erbil. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 20% higher in Erbil, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Al-’amarah versus $37 in Erbil. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $162 vs $174 – making Al-’amarah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Al-'amarah

🇮🇶 Erbil

🕒 Local time

00:16 12:16 AM

Same time as Al-'amarah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

511,542

1,713,461

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Al-'amarah Erbil 560 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Al-'amarah
Erbil

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 Erbil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Erbil is pricier by about 42%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,009 per month in Al-’amarah and $1,437 in Erbil. 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 $204 there versus $426 in Erbil.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Al-’amarah and $37 in Erbil. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Erbil, though the gap depends on what you buy.

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.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Al-’amarah. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Erbil makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.