Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Kut and Erbil

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Kut: $657 a month against $960 in Erbil, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Al Kut
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Al Kut Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Erbil
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Erbil Living Index

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Al Kut

🇮🇶 Iraq

$657

/mo nomad

Erbil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$960

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $657 per month in Al Kut vs $960 in Erbil, rent included.

Al Kut $657
Erbil $960

A couple spends around $1,024 per month in Al Kut vs $1,439 in Erbil, rent included.

Al Kut $1,024
Erbil $1,439

A family of three spends $1,391 per month in Al Kut vs $1,918 in Erbil, rent included.

Al Kut $1,391
Erbil $1,918

Al Kut is about 32% cheaper than Erbil, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.25 IQD 6,426

$6.65 IQD 10.1K

-36.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.06 IQD 31.8K

$37.28 IQD 56.3K

-43.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.29 IQD 9,511

$7.27 IQD 11.0K

-13.48%

Cappuccino

$2.48 IQD 3,748

$3.25 IQD 4,914

-23.69%

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

$0.35 IQD 534

$0.89 IQD 1,350

-60.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 IQD 333

$0.36 IQD 545

-38.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 IQD 5,072

$5.76 IQD 8,706

-41.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 IQD 3,934

$4.52 IQD 6,834

-42.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 IQD 1,499

$1.05 IQD 1,587

-5.71%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 IQD 1,108

$0.64 IQD 970

14.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 IQD 2,234

$1.44 IQD 2,180

2.78%

Eggs

$1.54 IQD 2,321

$1.52 IQD 2,298

1.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.76 IQD 5,679

$7.04 IQD 10.6K

-46.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 IQD 5,256

$4.41 IQD 6,661

-21.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.64 IQD 17.6K

$12.64 IQD 19.1K

-7.91%

Apples (1kg)

$0.87 IQD 1,311

$0.99 IQD 1,501

-12.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 IQD 1,582

$0.99 IQD 1,493

6.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.86 IQD 1,292

$1.07 IQD 1,612

-19.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.67 IQD 1,019

$0.69 IQD 1,050

-2.90%

Potato (1kg)

$0.54 IQD 820

$0.64 IQD 972

-15.62%

Onion (1kg)

$0.61 IQD 927

$0.57 IQD 865

7.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 IQD 873

$0.66 IQD 998

-12.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 IQD 775

$0.51 IQD 770

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.70 IQD 2,563

$2.12 IQD 3,209

-19.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.12 IQD 16.8K

$10.56 IQD 16.0K

5.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 IQD 2,382

$1.46 IQD 2,209

8.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 IQD 2,837

$1.82 IQD 2,750

3.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 IQD 481

$0.50 IQD 759

-36.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.67 IQD 59.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 IQD 2,823

$1.67 IQD 2,520

11.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 IQD 2,019

$1.54 IQD 2,325

-12.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.55 IQD 8,382

$5.48 IQD 8,286

1.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.58 IQD 871

$0.58 IQD 884

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

$16.8K IQD 25.4M

$16.7K IQD 25.3M

0.35%

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

$16.4K IQD 24.8M

$17.0K IQD 25.7M

-3.45%

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

$85.1 IQD 128.6K

$116 IQD 174.8K

-26.42%

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

$13.61 IQD 20.6K

$11.96 IQD 18.1K

13.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.70 IQD 43.4K

$24.50 IQD 37.0K

17.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.94 IQD 55.8K

$57.0 IQD 86.1K

-35.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.43 IQD 20.3K

Cinema Ticket

$9.11 IQD 13.8K

$9.99 IQD 15.1K

-8.81%

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

$146 IQD 220.6K

$297 IQD 448.2K

-50.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,793 IQD 4.2M

$4,080 IQD 6.2M

-31.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.30 IQD 32.2K

$26.29 IQD 39.7K

-18.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.72 IQD 34.3K

$38.72 IQD 58.5K

-41.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.6 IQD 91.5K

$60.8 IQD 91.8K

-0.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$37.16 IQD 56.1K

$58.8 IQD 88.9K

-36.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$211 IQD 318.6K

$441 IQD 666.1K

-52.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$138 IQD 209.0K

$268 IQD 404.7K

-48.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$368 IQD 556.5K

$696 IQD 1.1M

-47.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$315 IQD 476.3K

$414 IQD 626.0K

-23.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$849 IQD 1.3M

$1,047 IQD 1.6M

-18.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$488 IQD 737.0K

$600 IQD 906.7K

-18.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$514 IQD 776.4K

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 Kut: November 1, 2026

Last update for Erbil: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Al Kut

$156 23.7%

Erbil

$172 18% 10.8% $17

Accommodation & Living

Al Kut

$138 21.1%

Erbil

$268 27.9% 93.6% $130

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al Kut

$127 19.4%

Erbil

$152 15.8% 19.4% $25

Eating Out

Al Kut

$107 16.3%

Erbil

$157 16.3% 46.7% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Al Kut

$64 9.7%

Erbil

$83 8.7% 30.2% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Al Kut

$55 8.4%

Erbil

$77 8% 39.5% $22

Getting Around

Al Kut

$9.8 * 1.5%

Erbil

$51 5.3% 420% $41

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $211 in Al Kut versus $441 in Erbil. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21 in Al Kut versus $37 in Erbil. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $156 vs $172 – making Al Kut the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Al Kut

🇮🇶 Erbil

🕒 Local time

02:14 2:14 AM

Same time as Al Kut

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

422,793

1,713,461

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Al Kut Erbil 440 km

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Al Kut
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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 Kut vs Erbil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $657 in Al Kut, $960 in Erbil – Al Kut comes out roughly 32% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $985 per month in Al Kut and $1,441 in Erbil. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Al Kut, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $211 there versus $441 in Erbil.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $657 in Al Kut and $960 in Erbil. That makes Al Kut about 32% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $146 per month in Al Kut and $297 in Erbil. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $657 in Al Kut and $960 in Erbil, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Al Kut – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.