Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-Rumaitha and Erbil

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-Rumaitha: $650 a month against $956 in Erbil, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Al-Rumaitha
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Al-Rumaitha Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Erbil
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Erbil Living Index

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Al-Rumaitha

🇮🇶 Iraq

$650

/mo nomad

Erbil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$956

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $650 in Al-Rumaitha versus $956 in Erbil.

Al-Rumaitha $650
Erbil $956

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,027 in Al-Rumaitha versus $1,421 in Erbil.

Al-Rumaitha $1,027
Erbil $1,421

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,403 in Al-Rumaitha versus $1,887 in Erbil.

Al-Rumaitha $1,403
Erbil $1,887

Living in Al-Rumaitha costs roughly 32% less than in Erbil, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Al-Rumaitha 52% lower, Erbil 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.62 IQD 5,465

$6.45 IQD 9,753

-43.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.11 IQD 34.9K

$36.44 IQD 55.1K

-36.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.08 IQD 10.7K

$7.09 IQD 10.7K

-0.14%

Cappuccino

$2.33 IQD 3,523

$3.23 IQD 4,873

-27.86%

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

$0.31 IQD 471

$0.89 IQD 1,338

-65.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.19 IQD 286

$0.33 IQD 503

-42.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 IQD 4,398

$5.17 IQD 7,819

-43.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 IQD 3,936

$3.85 IQD 5,825

-32.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 IQD 1,298

$1.06 IQD 1,600

-18.87%

White Bread (500g)

$0.78 IQD 1,185

$0.73 IQD 1,101

6.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 IQD 2,063

$1.52 IQD 2,300

-9.87%

Eggs

$1.58 IQD 2,392

$1.57 IQD 2,373

0.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.09 IQD 6,174

$6.90 IQD 10.4K

-40.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.61 IQD 5,449

$4.27 IQD 6,458

-15.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.06 IQD 18.2K

$12.51 IQD 18.9K

-3.60%

Apples (1kg)

$0.92 IQD 1,384

$0.99 IQD 1,501

-7.07%

Banana (1kg)

$0.95 IQD 1,428

$0.99 IQD 1,495

-4.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.84 IQD 1,268

$1.03 IQD 1,555

-18.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.66 IQD 1,002

$0.65 IQD 988

1.54%

Potato (1kg)

$0.56 IQD 844

$0.64 IQD 964

-12.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 IQD 849

$0.61 IQD 925

-8.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 IQD 839

$0.60 IQD 909

-6.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 IQD 717

$0.47 IQD 709

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.63 IQD 2,468

$2.15 IQD 3,250

-24.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.70 IQD 16.2K

$10.81 IQD 16.3K

-1.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 IQD 2,120

$1.47 IQD 2,222

-4.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 IQD 2,691

$1.87 IQD 2,825

-4.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 IQD 639

$0.48 IQD 718

-12.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.08 IQD 33.4K

$38.85 IQD 58.7K

-43.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.80 IQD 2,724

$1.68 IQD 2,531

7.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 IQD 2,031

$1.60 IQD 2,421

-16.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.81 IQD 7,268

$5.67 IQD 8,566

-15.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.51 IQD 766

$0.55 IQD 825

-7.27%

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

$14.9K IQD 22.6M

$16.3K IQD 24.7M

-8.57%

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

$16.9K IQD 25.5M

$17.0K IQD 25.6M

-0.54%

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

$88.6 IQD 133.9K

$113 IQD 170.3K

-21.39%

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

$12.11 IQD 18.3K

$12.21 IQD 18.4K

-0.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.88 IQD 37.6K

$24.30 IQD 36.7K

2.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.29 IQD 56.3K

$56.6 IQD 85.5K

-34.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.39 IQD 5,120

$13.33 IQD 20.1K

-74.57%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 IQD 13.9K

$10.00 IQD 15.1K

-8.00%

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

$128 IQD 193.8K

$315 IQD 476.0K

-59.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,684 IQD 4.1M

$2,809 IQD 4.2M

-4.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.77 IQD 31.4K

$26.70 IQD 40.3K

-22.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.12 IQD 31.9K

$39.59 IQD 59.8K

-46.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$46.80 IQD 70.7K

$59.4 IQD 89.7K

-21.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$30.79 IQD 46.5K

$59.4 IQD 89.8K

-48.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$178 IQD 269.0K

$423 IQD 639.7K

-57.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$128 IQD 194.1K

$275 IQD 415.2K

-53.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$373 IQD 564.1K

$700 IQD 1.1M

-46.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$308 IQD 465.9K

$406 IQD 613.1K

-24.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$629 IQD 951.1K

$1,047 IQD 1.6M

-39.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$532 IQD 803.7K

$608 IQD 919.3K

-12.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$525 IQD 793.9K

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-Rumaitha: October 10, 2026

Last update for Erbil: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Al-Rumaitha

$154 23.7%

Erbil

$172 18% 11.5% $18

Accommodation & Living

Al-Rumaitha

$128 19.8%

Erbil

$275 28.7% 114% $146

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al-Rumaitha

$126 19.3%

Erbil

$149 15.6% 18.8% $24

Eating Out

Al-Rumaitha

$100 15.4%

Erbil

$150 15.7% 50.2% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Al-Rumaitha

$56 8.6%

Erbil

$77 8% 37.6% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Al-Rumaitha

$54 8.3%

Erbil

$83 8.7% 54.9% $30

Getting Around

Al-Rumaitha

$32 5%

Erbil

$50 5.3% 56.1% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $178 in Al-Rumaitha and $423 in Erbil. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23.00 in Al-Rumaitha vs $36.00 in Erbil for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $154 vs $172 per month, with Al-Rumaitha cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Al-Rumaitha

🇮🇶 Erbil

🕒 Local time

04:04 4:04 AM

Same time as Al-Rumaitha

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

115,431

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

On the map

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Between locations

Al-Rumaitha Erbil 530 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Al-Rumaitha is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 47% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $975 in Al-Rumaitha and $1,435 in Erbil 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 $423 in Erbil. 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 $956 in Erbil – a 47% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Al-Rumaitha runs roughly 76% less than in Erbil. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Al-Rumaitha gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

Safety-wise, Al-Rumaitha and Erbil are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Al-Rumaitha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Erbil. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.