Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between An Najaf and Baghdad

For one person, living is cheaper in An Najaf: $590 a month against $1,050 in Baghdad, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in An Najaf
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An Najaf Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Baghdad
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Baghdad Living Index

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An Najaf

🇮🇶 Iraq

$590

/mo nomad

Baghdad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$1,050

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $590 per month in An Najaf vs $1,050 in Baghdad, rent included.

An Najaf $590
Baghdad $1,050

A couple spends around $886 per month in An Najaf vs $1,501 in Baghdad, rent included.

An Najaf $886
Baghdad $1,501

A family of three spends $1,182 per month in An Najaf vs $1,953 in Baghdad, rent included.

An Najaf $1,182
Baghdad $1,953

An Najaf is about 44% cheaper than Baghdad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both An Najaf and Baghdad are more affordable than the global median – An Najaf 56% lower, Baghdad 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.87 IQD 5,846

$4.56 IQD 6,887

-15.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.87 IQD 30.0K

$25.95 IQD 39.2K

-23.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.23 IQD 6,392

$6.45 IQD 9,741

-34.42%

Cappuccino

$2.29 IQD 3,457

$2.80 IQD 4,231

-18.21%

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

$0.35 IQD 531

$0.36 IQD 538

-2.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 IQD 333

$0.20 IQD 302

10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.22 IQD 4,868

$3.37 IQD 5,092

-4.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 IQD 3,113

$3.22 IQD 4,860

-36.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 IQD 1,351

$0.90 IQD 1,352

-1.11%

White Bread (500g)

$0.67 IQD 1,020

$0.68 IQD 1,031

-1.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 IQD 2,045

$1.37 IQD 2,075

-1.46%

Eggs

$1.51 IQD 2,276

$1.64 IQD 2,479

-7.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.32 IQD 5,009

$3.32 IQD 5,015

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.03 IQD 6,083

$4.02 IQD 6,077

0.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 IQD 14.1K

$12.30 IQD 18.6K

-24.31%

Apples (1kg)

$0.96 IQD 1,448

$1.02 IQD 1,547

-5.88%

Banana (1kg)

$0.95 IQD 1,436

$0.93 IQD 1,404

2.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.93 IQD 1,412

$0.94 IQD 1,428

-1.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.67 IQD 1,017

$0.69 IQD 1,039

-2.90%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 IQD 882

$0.59 IQD 888

-1.69%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 IQD 894

$0.60 IQD 905

-1.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 IQD 866

$0.56 IQD 844

1.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 IQD 683

$0.58 IQD 870

-22.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.67 IQD 2,523

$1.67 IQD 2,516

Wine (Bottle)

$11.61 IQD 17.5K

$11.53 IQD 17.4K

0.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 IQD 3,001

$1.90 IQD 2,865

4.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 IQD 2,930

$1.97 IQD 2,981

-1.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 IQD 485

$0.60 IQD 913

-46.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.55 IQD 29.5K

$19.45 IQD 29.4K

0.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.34 IQD 2,021

$1.92 IQD 2,904

-30.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 IQD 2,038

$1.34 IQD 2,021

0.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.32 IQD 8,045

$6.72 IQD 10.1K

-20.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.38 IQD 581

$0.54 IQD 815

-29.63%

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

$12.1K IQD 18.3M

$16.7K IQD 25.2M

-27.31%

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

$16.4K IQD 24.8M

$16.8K IQD 25.3M

-1.87%

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

$35.08 IQD 53.0K

$187 IQD 283.1K

-81.28%

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

$14.83 IQD 22.4K

$19.24 IQD 29.1K

-22.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.33 IQD 50.4K

$38.71 IQD 58.5K

-13.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.89 IQD 37.6K

$39.32 IQD 59.4K

-36.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.99 IQD 28.7K

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 IQD 12.3K

$10.00 IQD 15.1K

-18.60%

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

$143 IQD 216.6K

$147 IQD 221.6K

-2.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$797 IQD 1.2M

$3,282 IQD 5.0M

-75.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.09 IQD 22.8K

$25.81 IQD 39.0K

-41.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.14 IQD 36.5K

$33.68 IQD 50.9K

-28.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.9 IQD 90.5K

$60.1 IQD 90.8K

-0.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.94 IQD 63.4K

$41.45 IQD 62.6K

1.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$229 IQD 345.7K

$540 IQD 816.0K

-57.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$129 IQD 194.8K

$366 IQD 552.5K

-64.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$319 IQD 481.3K

$955 IQD 1.4M

-66.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$187 IQD 282.8K

$612 IQD 925.1K

-69.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,111 IQD 1.7M

$4,298 IQD 6.5M

-74.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$443 IQD 668.8K

$1,402 IQD 2.1M

-68.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$668 IQD 1.0M

$516 IQD 779.1K

29.47%

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 An Najaf: October 17, 2026

Last update for Baghdad: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

An Najaf

$150 25.5%

Baghdad

$161 15.4% 7.2% $11

Accommodation & Living

An Najaf

$129 21.9%

Baghdad

$366 34.9% 184% $237

Eating Out

An Najaf

$94 15.9%

Baghdad

$115 11% 22.8% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

An Najaf

$83 14.1%

Baghdad

$245 23.4% 195% $162

Clothing & Footwear

An Najaf

$63 10.8%

Baghdad

$72 6.9% 14.1% $9

Sport & Entertainment

An Najaf

$41 7%

Baghdad

$59 5.7% 44.1% $18

Getting Around

An Najaf

$29 4.9%

Baghdad

$30 2.9% 5.4% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $229 in An Najaf versus $540 in Baghdad. 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 29% higher in An Najaf, 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 $20.00 in An Najaf versus $26.00 in Baghdad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $150 vs $161 – making An Najaf the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇶 An Najaf

🇮🇶 Baghdad

🕒 Local time

15:32 3:32 PM

Same time as An Najaf

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,221,248

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

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

An Najaf vs Baghdad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baghdad costs about 78% more than An Najaf, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $885 per month in An Najaf and $1,574 in Baghdad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in An Najaf, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $590 in An Najaf and $1,050 in Baghdad. That's a gap of about 78%.

Public transport costs about 1% less in An Najaf. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in An Najaf, where all-in costs run around $590, than in Baghdad at $1,050. In An Najaf it covers expenses comfortably, while in Baghdad it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with An Najaf. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Baghdad makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.