Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-Rumaitha and Baghdad

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-Rumaitha: $650 a month against $1,001 in Baghdad, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Al-Rumaitha
Learn more

Al-Rumaitha Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Baghdad
Learn more

Baghdad Living Index

Jump to prices

Al-Rumaitha

🇮🇶 Iraq

$650

/mo nomad

Baghdad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$1,001

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $650 in Al-Rumaitha versus $1,001 in Baghdad.

Al-Rumaitha $650
Baghdad $1,001

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,027 in Al-Rumaitha versus $1,472 in Baghdad.

Al-Rumaitha $1,027
Baghdad $1,472

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,403 in Al-Rumaitha versus $1,943 in Baghdad.

Al-Rumaitha $1,403
Baghdad $1,943

Living in Al-Rumaitha costs roughly 35% less than in Baghdad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Al-Rumaitha 52% lower, Baghdad 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.62 IQD 5,465

$4.27 IQD 6,445

-15.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.11 IQD 34.9K

$29.18 IQD 44.1K

-20.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.08 IQD 10.7K

$6.77 IQD 10.2K

4.58%

Cappuccino

$2.33 IQD 3,523

$2.65 IQD 4,003

-12.08%

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

$0.31 IQD 471

$0.35 IQD 530

-11.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.19 IQD 286

$0.20 IQD 302

-5.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 IQD 4,398

$3.26 IQD 4,927

-10.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 IQD 3,936

$3.22 IQD 4,868

-19.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 IQD 1,298

$0.97 IQD 1,466

-11.34%

White Bread (500g)

$0.78 IQD 1,185

$0.73 IQD 1,097

6.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 IQD 2,063

$1.33 IQD 2,003

3.01%

Eggs

$1.58 IQD 2,392

$1.68 IQD 2,534

-5.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.09 IQD 6,174

$3.25 IQD 4,912

25.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.61 IQD 5,449

$4.10 IQD 6,192

-11.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.06 IQD 18.2K

$12.41 IQD 18.8K

-2.82%

Apples (1kg)

$0.92 IQD 1,384

$1.01 IQD 1,523

-8.91%

Banana (1kg)

$0.95 IQD 1,428

$0.98 IQD 1,487

-3.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.84 IQD 1,268

$0.96 IQD 1,444

-12.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.66 IQD 1,002

$0.69 IQD 1,045

-4.35%

Potato (1kg)

$0.56 IQD 844

$0.56 IQD 842

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 IQD 849

$0.57 IQD 855

-1.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 IQD 839

$0.53 IQD 806

5.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 IQD 717

$0.62 IQD 943

-24.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.63 IQD 2,468

$1.68 IQD 2,534

-2.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.70 IQD 16.2K

$11.61 IQD 17.5K

-7.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 IQD 2,120

$1.89 IQD 2,863

-25.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 IQD 2,691

$1.90 IQD 2,876

-6.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 IQD 639

$0.57 IQD 858

-26.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.08 IQD 33.4K

$20.12 IQD 30.4K

9.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.80 IQD 2,724

$2.01 IQD 3,038

-10.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 IQD 2,031

$1.34 IQD 2,029

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.81 IQD 7,268

$6.54 IQD 9,887

-26.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.51 IQD 766

$0.54 IQD 810

-5.56%

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

$14.9K IQD 22.6M

$16.3K IQD 24.6M

-8.37%

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

$16.9K IQD 25.5M

$16.6K IQD 25.1M

1.77%

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

$88.6 IQD 133.9K

$189 IQD 285.6K

-53.12%

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

$12.11 IQD 18.3K

$17.44 IQD 26.4K

-30.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.88 IQD 37.6K

$36.40 IQD 55.0K

-31.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.29 IQD 56.3K

$41.49 IQD 62.7K

-10.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.39 IQD 5,120

$18.51 IQD 28.0K

-81.69%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 IQD 13.9K

$9.64 IQD 14.6K

-4.56%

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

$128 IQD 193.8K

$145 IQD 218.9K

-11.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,684 IQD 4.1M

$3,046 IQD 4.6M

-11.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.77 IQD 31.4K

$24.78 IQD 37.4K

-16.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.12 IQD 31.9K

$28.66 IQD 43.3K

-26.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$46.80 IQD 70.7K

$59.8 IQD 90.4K

-21.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$30.79 IQD 46.5K

$41.64 IQD 62.9K

-26.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$178 IQD 269.0K

$513 IQD 774.7K

-65.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$128 IQD 194.1K

$322 IQD 485.8K

-60.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$373 IQD 564.1K

$881 IQD 1.3M

-57.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$308 IQD 465.9K

$595 IQD 899.0K

-48.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$629 IQD 951.1K

$4,336 IQD 6.6M

-85.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$532 IQD 803.7K

$1,443 IQD 2.2M

-63.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$499 IQD 753.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.33

4.12

-19.17%

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

Last update for Al-Rumaitha: October 10, 2026

Last update for Baghdad: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Al-Rumaitha

$154 23.7%

Baghdad

$164 16.4% 6% $9.3

Accommodation & Living

Al-Rumaitha

$128 19.8%

Baghdad

$322 32.1% 150% $193

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al-Rumaitha

$126 19.3%

Baghdad

$243 24.3% 93.4% $117

Eating Out

Al-Rumaitha

$100 15.4%

Baghdad

$111 11.1% 11.3% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Al-Rumaitha

$56 8.6%

Baghdad

$61 6.1% 9.2% $5.1

Clothing & Footwear

Al-Rumaitha

$54 8.3%

Baghdad

$70 7% 29.7% $16

Getting Around

Al-Rumaitha

$32 5%

Baghdad

$31 3.1% 3.7% $1.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $178 in Al-Rumaitha and $513 in Baghdad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23.00 in Al-Rumaitha vs $29.00 in Baghdad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $154 vs $164 per month, with Al-Rumaitha cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Al-Rumaitha

🇮🇶 Baghdad

🕒 Local time

04:03 4:03 AM

Same time as Al-Rumaitha

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

115,431

7,216,040 Capital

💱 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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Al-Rumaitha Baghdad 210 km

From you

Al-Rumaitha
Baghdad

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-Rumaitha vs Baghdad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al-Rumaitha is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 54% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $975 in Al-Rumaitha and $1,501 in Baghdad to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $178 in Al-Rumaitha versus $513 in Baghdad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $650 per month in Al-Rumaitha versus $1,001 in Baghdad – a 54% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Al-Rumaitha runs roughly 10% less than in Baghdad. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $650 in Al-Rumaitha versus $1,001 in Baghdad, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Al-Rumaitha but tight or insufficient in Baghdad. The gap between the two cities makes Al-Rumaitha 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.

Expats usually find Al-Rumaitha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Baghdad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.