Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Hillah and Baghdad

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Hillah: $693 a month against $1,048 in Baghdad, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Al Hillah
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Al Hillah Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Baghdad
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Baghdad Living Index

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Al Hillah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$693

/mo nomad

Baghdad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$1,048

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Al Hillah and in Baghdad

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

A single person spends $693 per month in Al Hillah vs $1,048 in Baghdad, rent included.

Al Hillah $693
Baghdad $1,048

A couple spends around $1,067 per month in Al Hillah vs $1,508 in Baghdad, rent included.

Al Hillah $1,067
Baghdad $1,508

A family of three spends $1,442 per month in Al Hillah vs $1,968 in Baghdad, rent included.

Al Hillah $1,442
Baghdad $1,968

Al Hillah is about 34% cheaper than Baghdad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Al Hillah and Baghdad are more affordable than the global median – Al Hillah 49% lower, Baghdad 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.69 IQD 7,083

$4.54 IQD 6,866

3.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.52 IQD 40.1K

$26.64 IQD 40.3K

-0.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.51 IQD 8,326

$6.47 IQD 9,781

-14.84%

Cappuccino

$2.69 IQD 4,068

$2.68 IQD 4,054

0.37%

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

$0.34 IQD 519

$0.39 IQD 584

-12.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 IQD 309

$0.20 IQD 302

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.73 IQD 4,121

$3.31 IQD 5,009

-17.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 IQD 5,063

$3.22 IQD 4,866

4.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 IQD 1,463

$0.92 IQD 1,390

5.43%

White Bread (500g)

$0.64 IQD 963

$0.71 IQD 1,078

-9.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 IQD 2,080

$1.32 IQD 1,999

4.55%

Eggs

$1.54 IQD 2,330

$1.71 IQD 2,577

-9.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.36 IQD 5,083

$3.30 IQD 4,989

1.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.01 IQD 6,065

$4.15 IQD 6,269

-3.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.29 IQD 18.6K

$12.24 IQD 18.5K

0.41%

Apples (1kg)

$0.96 IQD 1,450

$1.00 IQD 1,513

-4.00%

Banana (1kg)

$0.95 IQD 1,443

$0.98 IQD 1,487

-3.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.90 IQD 1,367

$0.95 IQD 1,440

-5.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 IQD 1,032

$0.68 IQD 1,021

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 IQD 883

$0.58 IQD 877

Onion (1kg)

$0.60 IQD 912

$0.57 IQD 854

5.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 IQD 786

$0.60 IQD 903

-13.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 IQD 780

$0.61 IQD 927

-14.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.66 IQD 2,515

$1.67 IQD 2,531

-0.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.71 IQD 17.7K

$11.64 IQD 17.6K

0.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 IQD 2,876

$1.99 IQD 3,005

-4.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 IQD 2,966

$1.96 IQD 2,962

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 IQD 518

$0.32 IQD 480

6.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.0 IQD 83.1K

$20.04 IQD 30.3K

174.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 IQD 2,968

$2.02 IQD 3,045

-2.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 IQD 1,939

$1.30 IQD 1,964

-1.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 IQD 4,506

$6.67 IQD 10.1K

-55.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.50 IQD 757

$0.58 IQD 870

-13.79%

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

$14.8K IQD 22.4M

$16.5K IQD 25.0M

-10.27%

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

$16.6K IQD 25.1M

$16.7K IQD 25.2M

-0.60%

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

$65.1 IQD 98.3K

$188 IQD 284.5K

-65.45%

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

$13.34 IQD 20.2K

$19.25 IQD 29.1K

-30.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.35 IQD 50.4K

$37.51 IQD 56.7K

-11.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.62 IQD 29.7K

$39.97 IQD 60.4K

-50.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.36 IQD 24.7K

$18.38 IQD 27.8K

-10.99%

Cinema Ticket

$6.44 IQD 9,724

$9.70 IQD 14.7K

-33.61%

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

$81.2 IQD 122.6K

$145 IQD 219.6K

-44.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$664 IQD 1.0M

$3,297 IQD 5.0M

-79.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.98 IQD 28.7K

$25.60 IQD 38.7K

-25.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.34 IQD 32.2K

$33.32 IQD 50.3K

-35.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$57.8 IQD 87.4K

$60.2 IQD 90.9K

-3.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.36 IQD 64.0K

$41.85 IQD 63.2K

1.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$245 IQD 369.5K

$537 IQD 811.6K

-54.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$151 IQD 228.6K

$364 IQD 550.5K

-58.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$436 IQD 659.1K

$963 IQD 1.5M

-54.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$258 IQD 389.8K

$624 IQD 943.1K

-58.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,477 IQD 2.2M

$4,276 IQD 6.5M

-65.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$483 IQD 729.4K

$1,379 IQD 2.1M

-65.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$436 IQD 659.3K

$518 IQD 782.8K

-15.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.12

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

Last update for Al Hillah: October 26, 2026

Last update for Baghdad: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Al Hillah

$160 23.2%

Baghdad

$164 15.6% 2% $3.3

Accommodation & Living

Al Hillah

$151 21.8%

Baghdad

$364 34.8% 141% $213

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al Hillah

$112 16.1%

Baghdad

$245 23.4% 119% $133

Eating Out

Al Hillah

$109 15.7%

Baghdad

$113 10.8% 4.1% $4.4

Getting Around

Al Hillah

$65 9.4%

Baghdad

$30 2.9% 53.9% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Al Hillah

$63 9.1%

Baghdad

$72 6.9% 14.6% $9.2

Sport & Entertainment

Al Hillah

$32 4.7%

Baghdad

$59 5.7% 82.8% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $245 in Al Hillah versus $537 in Baghdad. 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 19% higher in Baghdad, 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 $27 in Al Hillah versus $27 in Baghdad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $160 vs $164 – making Al Hillah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Al Hillah

🇮🇶 Baghdad

🕒 Local time

16:54 4:54 PM

Same time as Al Hillah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,729,666

7,216,040 Capital

💱 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 Hillah Baghdad 92 km

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Al Hillah
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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 Hillah vs Baghdad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Baghdad is pricier by about 51%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,039 per month in Al Hillah and $1,572 in Baghdad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Al Hillah, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $245 there versus $537 in Baghdad.

Public transport costs about 64% less in Baghdad. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $81 per month in Al Hillah and $145 in Baghdad. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Al Hillah, where all-in costs run around $693, than in Baghdad at $1,048. In Al Hillah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Baghdad it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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