Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Hillah and Sulaymaniyah

For one person, living is cheaper in Sulaymaniyah: $663 a month against $693 in Al Hillah, rent and utilities included – about $360 less a year. The total is higher in Al Hillah despite lower rent and utilities.

34

Cost of Living Index in Al Hillah
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Al Hillah Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Sulaymaniyah
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Sulaymaniyah Living Index

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Al Hillah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$693

/mo nomad

Sulaymaniyah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $693 per month in Al Hillah vs $663 in Sulaymaniyah, rent included.

Al Hillah $693
Sulaymaniyah $663

A couple spends around $1,067 per month in Al Hillah vs $1,034 in Sulaymaniyah, rent included.

Al Hillah $1,067
Sulaymaniyah $1,034

A family of three spends $1,442 per month in Al Hillah vs $1,406 in Sulaymaniyah, rent included.

Al Hillah $1,442
Sulaymaniyah $1,406

Al Hillah costs about 5% more than Sulaymaniyah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Al Hillah and Sulaymaniyah are more affordable than the global median – Al Hillah 49% lower, Sulaymaniyah 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.69 IQD 7,083

$4.21 IQD 6,363

11.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.52 IQD 40.1K

$19.75 IQD 29.8K

34.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.51 IQD 8,326

$5.90 IQD 8,916

-6.61%

Cappuccino

$2.69 IQD 4,068

$2.45 IQD 3,702

9.80%

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

$0.34 IQD 519

$0.43 IQD 650

-20.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 IQD 309

$0.20 IQD 302

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.73 IQD 4,121

$3.22 IQD 4,873

-15.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 IQD 5,063

$2.04 IQD 3,080

64.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 IQD 1,463

$1.11 IQD 1,677

-12.61%

White Bread (500g)

$0.64 IQD 963

$0.89 IQD 1,339

-28.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 IQD 2,080

$1.66 IQD 2,516

-16.87%

Eggs

$1.54 IQD 2,330

$1.55 IQD 2,345

-0.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.36 IQD 5,083

$4.31 IQD 6,509

-22.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.01 IQD 6,065

$3.66 IQD 5,536

9.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.29 IQD 18.6K

$13.27 IQD 20.1K

-7.39%

Apples (1kg)

$0.96 IQD 1,450

$1.11 IQD 1,680

-13.51%

Banana (1kg)

$0.95 IQD 1,443

$1.09 IQD 1,646

-12.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.90 IQD 1,367

$1.04 IQD 1,579

-13.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 IQD 1,032

$0.56 IQD 843

21.43%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 IQD 883

$0.49 IQD 740

18.37%

Onion (1kg)

$0.60 IQD 912

$0.63 IQD 957

-4.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 IQD 786

$0.58 IQD 883

-10.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 IQD 780

$0.45 IQD 685

15.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.66 IQD 2,515

$2.02 IQD 3,049

-17.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.71 IQD 17.7K

$9.76 IQD 14.7K

19.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 IQD 2,876

$1.66 IQD 2,509

14.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 IQD 2,966

$1.25 IQD 1,896

56.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 IQD 518

$0.52 IQD 786

-34.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.0 IQD 83.1K

$19.74 IQD 29.8K

178.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 IQD 2,968

$1.92 IQD 2,904

2.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 IQD 1,939

$1.96 IQD 2,961

-34.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 IQD 4,506

$4.48 IQD 6,774

-33.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.50 IQD 757

$0.57 IQD 865

-12.28%

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

$14.8K IQD 22.4M

$17.6K IQD 26.6M

-15.58%

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

$16.6K IQD 25.1M

$17.0K IQD 25.6M

-2.10%

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

$65.1 IQD 98.3K

$85.2 IQD 128.7K

-23.60%

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

$13.34 IQD 20.2K

$10.12 IQD 15.3K

31.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.35 IQD 50.4K

$24.03 IQD 36.3K

38.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.62 IQD 29.7K

$33.78 IQD 51.0K

-41.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.36 IQD 24.7K

$17.92 IQD 27.1K

-8.71%

Cinema Ticket

$6.44 IQD 9,724

$6.56 IQD 9,916

-1.83%

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

$81.2 IQD 122.6K

$153 IQD 231.1K

-46.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$664 IQD 1.0M

$2,546 IQD 3.8M

-73.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.98 IQD 28.7K

$16.75 IQD 25.3K

13.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.34 IQD 32.2K

$22.28 IQD 33.7K

-4.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$57.8 IQD 87.4K

$36.83 IQD 55.7K

57.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.36 IQD 64.0K

$33.01 IQD 49.9K

28.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$245 IQD 369.5K

$187 IQD 282.6K

30.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$151 IQD 228.6K

$147 IQD 221.9K

3.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$436 IQD 659.1K

$419 IQD 632.8K

4.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$258 IQD 389.8K

$314 IQD 474.4K

-17.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,477 IQD 2.2M

$695 IQD 1.1M

112.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$483 IQD 729.4K

$548 IQD 828.2K

-11.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$436 IQD 659.3K

$501 IQD 757.3K

-12.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.12

5.77

-28.60%

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

Last update for Al Hillah: October 26, 2026

Last update for Sulaymaniyah: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Al Hillah

$160 23.2%

Sulaymaniyah

$164 24.7% 2.1% $3.4

Accommodation & Living

Al Hillah

$151 21.8%

Sulaymaniyah

$147 22.2% 2.9% $4.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al Hillah

$112 16.1%

Sulaymaniyah

$119 18% 6.8% $7.6

Eating Out

Al Hillah

$109 15.7%

Sulaymaniyah

$104 15.6% 4.9% $5.4

Getting Around

Al Hillah

$65 9.4%

Sulaymaniyah

$34 5.1% 48.2% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Al Hillah

$63 9.1%

Sulaymaniyah

$49 7.4% 22.5% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Al Hillah

$32 4.7%

Sulaymaniyah

$47 7.1% 44.4% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $245 in Al Hillah versus $187 in Sulaymaniyah. 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 15% higher in Sulaymaniyah, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27 in Al Hillah versus $20 in Sulaymaniyah. Groceries tell a different story – $160 in Al Hillah vs $164 in Sulaymaniyah – so Al Hillah wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Al Hillah

🇮🇶 Sulaymaniyah

🕒 Local time

04:26 4:26 AM

Same time as Al Hillah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,729,666

823,199

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.95 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.95 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Al Hillah Sulaymaniyah 350 km

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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 Hillah vs Sulaymaniyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Al Hillah is pricier by about 5%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,039 per month in Al Hillah and $994 in Sulaymaniyah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sulaymaniyah, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $187 there versus $245 in Al Hillah.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27 in Al Hillah and $20 in Sulaymaniyah. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

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

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $693 in Al Hillah and $663 in Sulaymaniyah, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Sulaymaniyah has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $663 in Sulaymaniyah to $693 in Al Hillah. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.