Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between 'aqrah and Erbil

For one person, living is cheaper in 'aqrah: $661 a month against $956 in Erbil, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in 'aqrah
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'aqrah Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Erbil
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Erbil Living Index

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'aqrah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$661

/mo nomad

Erbil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$956

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $661 in 'aqrah versus $956 in Erbil.

'aqrah $661
Erbil $956

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,015 in 'aqrah versus $1,421 in Erbil.

'aqrah $1,015
Erbil $1,421

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,369 in 'aqrah versus $1,887 in Erbil.

'aqrah $1,369
Erbil $1,887

Living in 'aqrah costs roughly 31% less than in Erbil, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: 'aqrah 51% lower, Erbil 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.62 IQD 5,467

$6.45 IQD 9,753

-43.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.82 IQD 33.0K

$36.44 IQD 55.1K

-40.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.82 IQD 10.3K

$7.09 IQD 10.7K

-3.81%

Cappuccino

$2.38 IQD 3,602

$3.23 IQD 4,873

-26.32%

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

$0.32 IQD 485

$0.89 IQD 1,338

-64.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.18 IQD 273

$0.33 IQD 503

-45.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.11 IQD 4,706

$5.17 IQD 7,819

-39.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 IQD 3,945

$3.85 IQD 5,825

-32.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 IQD 1,416

$1.06 IQD 1,600

-11.32%

White Bread (500g)

$0.72 IQD 1,086

$0.73 IQD 1,101

-1.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 IQD 2,205

$1.52 IQD 2,300

-3.95%

Eggs

$1.70 IQD 2,573

$1.57 IQD 2,373

8.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.48 IQD 5,252

$6.90 IQD 10.4K

-49.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.16 IQD 6,291

$4.27 IQD 6,458

-2.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.31 IQD 20.1K

$12.51 IQD 18.9K

6.39%

Apples (1kg)

$0.92 IQD 1,383

$0.99 IQD 1,501

-7.07%

Banana (1kg)

$0.91 IQD 1,375

$0.99 IQD 1,495

-8.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.77 IQD 1,161

$1.03 IQD 1,555

-25.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.66 IQD 990

$0.65 IQD 988

1.54%

Potato (1kg)

$0.54 IQD 809

$0.64 IQD 964

-15.62%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 IQD 965

$0.61 IQD 925

4.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.51 IQD 776

$0.60 IQD 909

-15.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 IQD 756

$0.47 IQD 709

6.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.57 IQD 2,368

$2.15 IQD 3,250

-26.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.92 IQD 16.5K

$10.81 IQD 16.3K

1.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 IQD 2,003

$1.47 IQD 2,222

-9.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 IQD 2,800

$1.87 IQD 2,825

-1.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.45 IQD 679

$0.48 IQD 718

-6.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.50 IQD 26.4K

$38.85 IQD 58.7K

-54.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.89 IQD 2,859

$1.68 IQD 2,531

12.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 IQD 2,099

$1.60 IQD 2,421

-13.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.15 IQD 7,788

$5.67 IQD 8,566

-9.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.48 IQD 727

$0.55 IQD 825

-12.73%

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

$16.9K IQD 25.5M

$16.3K IQD 24.7M

3.35%

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

$19.4K IQD 29.3M

$17.0K IQD 25.6M

14.27%

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

$80.2 IQD 121.1K

$113 IQD 170.3K

-28.89%

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

$13.58 IQD 20.5K

$12.21 IQD 18.4K

11.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.25 IQD 41.2K

$24.30 IQD 36.7K

12.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.01 IQD 55.9K

$56.6 IQD 85.5K

-34.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.33 IQD 20.1K

Cinema Ticket

$8.39 IQD 12.7K

$10.00 IQD 15.1K

-16.10%

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

$142 IQD 213.9K

$315 IQD 476.0K

-55.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,656 IQD 4.0M

$2,809 IQD 4.2M

-5.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.08 IQD 33.4K

$26.70 IQD 40.3K

-17.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.85 IQD 36.0K

$39.59 IQD 59.8K

-39.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$47.26 IQD 71.4K

$59.4 IQD 89.7K

-20.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$31.06 IQD 46.9K

$59.4 IQD 89.8K

-47.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$184 IQD 277.8K

$423 IQD 639.7K

-56.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$141 IQD 213.2K

$275 IQD 415.2K

-48.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$358 IQD 541.4K

$700 IQD 1.1M

-48.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$278 IQD 419.4K

$406 IQD 613.1K

-31.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$779 IQD 1.2M

$1,047 IQD 1.6M

-25.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$642 IQD 970.8K

$608 IQD 919.3K

5.61%

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 'aqrah: October 13, 2026

Last update for Erbil: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

'aqrah

$160 24.2%

Erbil

$172 18% 7.6% $12

Accommodation & Living

'aqrah

$141 21.4%

Erbil

$275 28.7% 94.8% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

'aqrah

$121 18.3%

Erbil

$149 15.6% 23.4% $28

Eating Out

'aqrah

$101 15.3%

Erbil

$150 15.7% 48.8% $49

Clothing & Footwear

'aqrah

$56 8.5%

Erbil

$83 8.7% 49% $27

Sport & Entertainment

'aqrah

$54 8.1%

Erbil

$77 8% 42.4% $23

Getting Around

'aqrah

$28 4.3%

Erbil

$50 5.3% 79.3% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $184 in 'aqrah and $423 in Erbil. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $22.00 in 'aqrah vs $36.00 in Erbil for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $160 vs $172 per month, with 'aqrah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 'aqrah

🇮🇶 Erbil

🕒 Local time

04:45 4:45 AM

Same time as 'aqrah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

68,100

1,713,461

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.88 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.88 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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'aqrah Erbil 61 km

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'aqrah
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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

'aqrah vs Erbil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

'aqrah wins on cost – living expenses run 45% lower than in Erbil. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making 'aqrah the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $991 in 'aqrah 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: $184 in 'aqrah versus $423 in Erbil. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $661 per month in 'aqrah versus $956 in Erbil – a 45% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in 'aqrah runs roughly 122% less than in Erbil. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $800 a month, though 'aqrah 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, 'aqrah 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 'aqrah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Erbil. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.