Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between An Najaf and Sulaymaniyah

For one person, living is cheaper in An Najaf: $565 a month against $663 in Sulaymaniyah, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

27

Cost of Living Index in An Najaf
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An Najaf Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Sulaymaniyah
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Sulaymaniyah Living Index

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An Najaf

🇮🇶 Iraq

$565

/mo nomad

Sulaymaniyah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in An Najaf and in Sulaymaniyah

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 Sulaymaniyah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $565 per month in An Najaf vs $663 in Sulaymaniyah, rent included.

An Najaf $565
Sulaymaniyah $663

A couple spends around $854 per month in An Najaf vs $1,034 in Sulaymaniyah, rent included.

An Najaf $854
Sulaymaniyah $1,034

A family of three spends $1,143 per month in An Najaf vs $1,406 in Sulaymaniyah, rent included.

An Najaf $1,143
Sulaymaniyah $1,406

An Najaf is about 15% cheaper than Sulaymaniyah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both An Najaf and Sulaymaniyah are more affordable than the global median – An Najaf 58% lower, Sulaymaniyah 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.88 IQD 5,856

$4.21 IQD 6,363

-7.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.70 IQD 29.8K

$19.75 IQD 29.8K

-0.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.32 IQD 6,528

$5.90 IQD 8,916

-26.78%

Cappuccino

$2.26 IQD 3,416

$2.45 IQD 3,702

-7.76%

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

$0.39 IQD 582

$0.43 IQD 650

-9.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 IQD 333

$0.20 IQD 302

10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 IQD 4,923

$3.22 IQD 4,873

1.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 IQD 3,055

$2.04 IQD 3,080

-0.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 IQD 1,367

$1.11 IQD 1,677

-18.92%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 IQD 1,023

$0.89 IQD 1,339

-23.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 IQD 1,972

$1.66 IQD 2,516

-21.08%

Eggs

$1.68 IQD 2,542

$1.55 IQD 2,345

8.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.28 IQD 4,951

$4.31 IQD 6,509

-23.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 IQD 5,187

$3.66 IQD 5,536

-6.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.56 IQD 14.5K

$13.27 IQD 20.1K

-27.96%

Apples (1kg)

$0.97 IQD 1,458

$1.11 IQD 1,680

-12.61%

Banana (1kg)

$0.91 IQD 1,375

$1.09 IQD 1,646

-16.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.94 IQD 1,425

$1.04 IQD 1,579

-9.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 IQD 1,029

$0.56 IQD 843

21.43%

Potato (1kg)

$0.56 IQD 841

$0.49 IQD 740

14.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.61 IQD 919

$0.63 IQD 957

-3.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 IQD 877

$0.58 IQD 883

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 IQD 743

$0.45 IQD 685

8.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.63 IQD 2,462

$2.02 IQD 3,049

-19.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.93 IQD 18.0K

$9.76 IQD 14.7K

22.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 IQD 2,919

$1.66 IQD 2,509

16.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 IQD 2,892

$1.25 IQD 1,896

52.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 IQD 462

$0.52 IQD 786

-40.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.74 IQD 29.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 IQD 1,974

$1.92 IQD 2,904

-31.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 IQD 1,975

$1.96 IQD 2,961

-33.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 IQD 8,132

$4.48 IQD 6,774

20.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.41 IQD 625

$0.57 IQD 865

-28.07%

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

$12.1K IQD 18.4M

$17.6K IQD 26.6M

-30.89%

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

$16.9K IQD 25.5M

$17.0K IQD 25.6M

-0.53%

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

$34.87 IQD 52.7K

$85.2 IQD 128.7K

-59.06%

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

$14.80 IQD 22.4K

$10.12 IQD 15.3K

46.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.39 IQD 50.5K

$24.03 IQD 36.3K

38.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.35 IQD 38.3K

$33.78 IQD 51.0K

-24.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.92 IQD 27.1K

Cinema Ticket

$8.44 IQD 12.7K

$6.56 IQD 9,916

28.66%

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

$147 IQD 222.0K

$153 IQD 231.1K

-3.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$797 IQD 1.2M

$2,546 IQD 3.8M

-68.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.04 IQD 22.7K

$16.75 IQD 25.3K

-10.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.28 IQD 35.2K

$22.28 IQD 33.7K

4.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.3 IQD 91.2K

$36.83 IQD 55.7K

63.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.51 IQD 62.7K

$33.01 IQD 49.9K

25.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$234 IQD 353.4K

$187 IQD 282.6K

25.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$125 IQD 188.4K

$147 IQD 221.9K

-15.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$311 IQD 469.6K

$419 IQD 632.8K

-25.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$189 IQD 286.0K

$314 IQD 474.4K

-39.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,097 IQD 1.7M

$695 IQD 1.1M

57.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$445 IQD 672.6K

$548 IQD 828.2K

-18.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$670 IQD 1.0M

$501 IQD 757.3K

33.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.12

5.77

-28.60%

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

Last update for An Najaf: October 27, 2026

Last update for Sulaymaniyah: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

An Najaf

$149 26.4%

Sulaymaniyah

$164 24.7% 9.6% $14

Accommodation & Living

An Najaf

$125 22.1%

Sulaymaniyah

$147 22.2% 17.8% $22

Eating Out

An Najaf

$94 16.6%

Sulaymaniyah

$104 15.6% 10.3% $9.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

An Najaf

$83 14.7%

Sulaymaniyah

$119 18% 43.7% $36

Clothing & Footwear

An Najaf

$63 11.2%

Sulaymaniyah

$49 7.4% 22.3% $14

Sport & Entertainment

An Najaf

$42 7.5%

Sulaymaniyah

$47 7.1% 11.1% $4.7

Getting Around

An Najaf

$9.1 * 1.6%

Sulaymaniyah

$34 5.1% 270% $24

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $234 in An Najaf versus $187 in Sulaymaniyah. 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 34% 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 in An Najaf versus $20 in Sulaymaniyah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $149 vs $164 – making An Najaf the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇶 An Najaf

🇮🇶 Sulaymaniyah

🕒 Local time

17:59 5:59 PM

Same time as An Najaf

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,221,248

823,199

💱 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

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An Najaf Sulaymaniyah 410 km

From you

An Najaf
Sulaymaniyah

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

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

Sulaymaniyah costs about 17% more than An Najaf, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $848 per month in An Najaf and $994 in Sulaymaniyah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sulaymaniyah, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $187 there versus $234 in An Najaf.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $565 in An Najaf and $663 in Sulaymaniyah. That’s a gap of about 17%.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Sulaymaniyah, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $565 in An Najaf and $663 in Sulaymaniyah, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Sulaymaniyah has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $565 in An Najaf to $663 in Sulaymaniyah. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.