Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Hillah and Erbil

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Hillah: $658 a month against $956 in Erbil, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Al Hillah
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Al Hillah Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Erbil
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Erbil Living Index

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Al Hillah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$658

/mo nomad

Erbil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$956

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Al Hillah 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 Hillah and in Erbil actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $658 per month in Al Hillah vs $956 in Erbil, rent included.

Al Hillah $658
Erbil $956

A couple spends around $1,007 per month in Al Hillah vs $1,421 in Erbil, rent included.

Al Hillah $1,007
Erbil $1,421

A family of three spends $1,356 per month in Al Hillah vs $1,887 in Erbil, rent included.

Al Hillah $1,356
Erbil $1,887

Al Hillah is about 31% cheaper than Erbil, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Al Hillah and Erbil are more affordable than the global median – Al Hillah 51% lower, Erbil 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.24 IQD 6,402

$6.45 IQD 9,753

-34.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.23 IQD 39.6K

$36.44 IQD 55.1K

-28.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.54 IQD 8,369

$7.09 IQD 10.7K

-21.86%

Cappuccino

$2.73 IQD 4,123

$3.23 IQD 4,873

-15.48%

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

$0.31 IQD 476

$0.89 IQD 1,338

-65.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 IQD 247

$0.33 IQD 503

-51.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 IQD 3,916

$5.17 IQD 7,819

-49.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 IQD 4,937

$3.85 IQD 5,825

-15.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 IQD 1,336

$1.06 IQD 1,600

-16.98%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 IQD 1,034

$0.73 IQD 1,101

-6.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 IQD 2,050

$1.52 IQD 2,300

-10.53%

Eggs

$1.55 IQD 2,338

$1.57 IQD 2,373

-1.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.38 IQD 5,114

$6.90 IQD 10.4K

-51.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.21 IQD 6,356

$4.27 IQD 6,458

-1.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.53 IQD 18.9K

$12.51 IQD 18.9K

0.16%

Apples (1kg)

$0.96 IQD 1,457

$0.99 IQD 1,501

-3.03%

Banana (1kg)

$0.89 IQD 1,349

$0.99 IQD 1,495

-10.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.90 IQD 1,361

$1.03 IQD 1,555

-12.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 IQD 1,027

$0.65 IQD 988

4.62%

Potato (1kg)

$0.59 IQD 895

$0.64 IQD 964

-7.81%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 IQD 846

$0.61 IQD 925

-8.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.48 IQD 720

$0.60 IQD 909

-20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 IQD 770

$0.47 IQD 709

8.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.63 IQD 2,462

$2.15 IQD 3,250

-24.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.51 IQD 17.4K

$10.81 IQD 16.3K

6.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 IQD 2,984

$1.47 IQD 2,222

34.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 IQD 2,968

$1.87 IQD 2,825

4.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 IQD 522

$0.48 IQD 718

-27.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.17 IQD 30.5K

$38.85 IQD 58.7K

-48.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.01 IQD 3,038

$1.68 IQD 2,531

19.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 IQD 2,015

$1.60 IQD 2,421

-16.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 IQD 4,544

$5.67 IQD 8,566

-46.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.46 IQD 694

$0.55 IQD 825

-16.36%

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

$14.7K IQD 22.1M

$16.3K IQD 24.7M

-10.31%

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

$16.6K IQD 25.0M

$17.0K IQD 25.6M

-2.46%

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

$66.6 IQD 100.7K

$113 IQD 170.3K

-40.89%

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

$13.22 IQD 20.0K

$12.21 IQD 18.4K

8.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.28 IQD 50.3K

$24.30 IQD 36.7K

36.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.72 IQD 29.8K

$56.6 IQD 85.5K

-65.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.70 IQD 25.2K

$13.33 IQD 20.1K

25.28%

Cinema Ticket

$6.43 IQD 9,709

$10.00 IQD 15.1K

-35.70%

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

$81.6 IQD 123.3K

$315 IQD 476.0K

-74.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$664 IQD 1.0M

$2,809 IQD 4.2M

-76.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.27 IQD 29.1K

$26.70 IQD 40.3K

-27.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.61 IQD 32.7K

$39.59 IQD 59.8K

-45.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$57.8 IQD 87.3K

$59.4 IQD 89.7K

-2.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.29 IQD 62.4K

$59.4 IQD 89.8K

-30.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$240 IQD 363.3K

$423 IQD 639.7K

-43.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$154 IQD 232.2K

$275 IQD 415.2K

-44.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$437 IQD 660.1K

$700 IQD 1.1M

-37.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$249 IQD 376.2K

$406 IQD 613.1K

-38.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,470 IQD 2.2M

$1,047 IQD 1.6M

40.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$479 IQD 724.3K

$608 IQD 919.3K

-21.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$436 IQD 658.2K

$525 IQD 793.9K

-17.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.33

2.53

31.62%

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

Last update for Al Hillah: October 12, 2026

Last update for Erbil: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Al Hillah

$161 24.5%

Erbil

$172 18% 6.9% $11

Accommodation & Living

Al Hillah

$154 23.4%

Erbil

$275 28.7% 78.8% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al Hillah

$113 17.2%

Erbil

$149 15.6% 31.9% $36

Eating Out

Al Hillah

$105 15.9%

Erbil

$150 15.7% 43.4% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Al Hillah

$63 9.6%

Erbil

$83 8.7% 32.3% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Al Hillah

$33 5%

Erbil

$77 8% 135% $44

Getting Around

Al Hillah

$30 4.6%

Erbil

$50 5.3% 66.8% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $240 in Al Hillah versus $423 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 21% 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 $26.00 in Al Hillah versus $36.00 in Erbil. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $161 vs $172 – making Al Hillah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Al Hillah

🇮🇶 Erbil

🕒 Local time

22:37 10:37 PM

Same time as Al Hillah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,729,666

1,713,461

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Al Hillah Erbil 410 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 Erbil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Erbil is pricier by about 45%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $987 per month in Al Hillah and $1,435 in Erbil. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 93% less in Al Hillah. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $81.6 per month in Al Hillah and $315 in Erbil. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $658 in Al Hillah and $956 in Erbil, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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