Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Kufah and Baghdad

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Kufah: $703 a month against $1,048 in Baghdad, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Al Kufah
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Al Kufah Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Baghdad
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Baghdad Living Index

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Al Kufah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$703

/mo nomad

Baghdad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$1,048

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $703 in Al Kufah versus $1,048 in Baghdad.

Al Kufah $703
Baghdad $1,048

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,050 in Al Kufah versus $1,508 in Baghdad.

Al Kufah $1,050
Baghdad $1,508

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,397 in Al Kufah versus $1,968 in Baghdad.

Al Kufah $1,397
Baghdad $1,968

Living in Al Kufah costs roughly 33% less than in Baghdad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Al Kufah 48% lower, Baghdad 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.74 IQD 7,162

$4.54 IQD 6,866

4.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.90 IQD 39.1K

$26.64 IQD 40.3K

-2.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.63 IQD 10.0K

$6.47 IQD 9,781

2.47%

Cappuccino

$2.82 IQD 4,258

$2.68 IQD 4,054

5.22%

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

$0.38 IQD 579

$0.39 IQD 584

-2.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 IQD 302

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 IQD 4,844

$3.31 IQD 5,009

-3.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 IQD 4,897

$3.22 IQD 4,866

0.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.96 IQD 1,451

$0.92 IQD 1,390

4.35%

White Bread (500g)

$0.69 IQD 1,041

$0.71 IQD 1,078

-2.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 IQD 1,989

$1.32 IQD 1,999

Eggs

$1.70 IQD 2,574

$1.71 IQD 2,577

-0.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.02 IQD 3,046

$3.30 IQD 4,989

-38.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.99 IQD 6,032

$4.15 IQD 6,269

-3.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.85 IQD 11.9K

$12.24 IQD 18.5K

-35.87%

Apples (1kg)

$0.63 IQD 954

$1.00 IQD 1,513

-37.00%

Banana (1kg)

$0.96 IQD 1,449

$0.98 IQD 1,487

-2.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.56 IQD 848

$0.95 IQD 1,440

-41.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.49 IQD 736

$0.68 IQD 1,021

-27.94%

Potato (1kg)

$0.43 IQD 650

$0.58 IQD 877

-25.86%

Onion (1kg)

$0.33 IQD 499

$0.57 IQD 854

-42.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.19 IQD 284

$0.60 IQD 903

-68.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 IQD 776

$0.61 IQD 927

-16.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.53 IQD 2,319

$1.67 IQD 2,531

-8.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.59 IQD 17.5K

$11.64 IQD 17.6K

-0.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 IQD 3,017

$1.99 IQD 3,005

0.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 IQD 2,972

$1.96 IQD 2,962

0.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 IQD 480

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.04 IQD 30.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.95 IQD 2,954

$2.02 IQD 3,045

-3.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 IQD 2,031

$1.30 IQD 1,964

3.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.52 IQD 9,849

$6.67 IQD 10.1K

-2.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.49 IQD 733

$0.58 IQD 870

-15.52%

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

$16.6K IQD 25.0M

$16.5K IQD 25.0M

0.12%

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

$16.8K IQD 25.4M

$16.7K IQD 25.2M

0.58%

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

$188 IQD 283.3K

$188 IQD 284.5K

-0.43%

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

$19.15 IQD 28.9K

$19.25 IQD 29.1K

-0.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.76 IQD 29.9K

$37.51 IQD 56.7K

-47.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.05 IQD 22.7K

$39.97 IQD 60.4K

-62.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.38 IQD 27.8K

Cinema Ticket

$9.64 IQD 14.6K

$9.70 IQD 14.7K

-0.62%

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

$69.3 IQD 104.8K

$145 IQD 219.6K

-52.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,161 IQD 3.3M

$3,297 IQD 5.0M

-34.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.13 IQD 15.3K

$25.60 IQD 38.7K

-60.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.46 IQD 44.5K

$33.32 IQD 50.3K

-11.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$20.07 IQD 30.3K

$60.2 IQD 90.9K

-66.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$34.57 IQD 52.2K

$41.85 IQD 63.2K

-17.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$208 IQD 313.5K

$537 IQD 811.6K

-61.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$135 IQD 204.6K

$364 IQD 550.5K

-62.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$371 IQD 561.3K

$963 IQD 1.5M

-61.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 IQD 466.6K

$624 IQD 943.1K

-50.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,244 IQD 1.9M

$4,276 IQD 6.5M

-70.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$495 IQD 748.2K

$1,379 IQD 2.1M

-64.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$902 IQD 1.4M

$518 IQD 782.8K

74.19%

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 Kufah: October 25, 2026

Last update for Baghdad: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al Kufah

$226 32.2%

Baghdad

$245 23.4% 8.2% $19

Groceries & Markets

Al Kufah

$138 19.6%

Baghdad

$164 15.6% 18.9% $26

Accommodation & Living

Al Kufah

$135 19.3%

Baghdad

$364 34.8% 169% $229

Eating Out

Al Kufah

$116 16.6%

Baghdad

$113 10.8% 2.7% $3.1

Clothing & Footwear

Al Kufah

$42 6%

Baghdad

$72 6.9% 70.8% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Al Kufah

$34 4.9%

Baghdad

$59 5.7% 73% $25

Getting Around

Al Kufah

$10 * 1.4%

Baghdad

$30 2.9% 200% $20

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $208 in Al Kufah and $537 in Baghdad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Kufah pays 74% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $26 in Al Kufah vs $27 in Baghdad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $138 vs $164 per month, with Al Kufah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Al Kufah

🇮🇶 Baghdad

🕒 Local time

23:49 11:49 PM

Same time as Al Kufah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

230,000

7,216,040 Capital

💱 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 Kufah Baghdad 140 km

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

Al Kufah is about 33% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, groceries, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 74% higher in Al Kufah, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $208 in Al Kufah versus $537 in Baghdad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Baghdad. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $703 per month in Al Kufah versus $1,048 in Baghdad – Al Kufah is about 33% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $703 in Al Kufah versus $1,048 in Baghdad, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Al Kufah but tight or insufficient in Baghdad. The gap between the two cities makes Al Kufah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.