Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between 'aqrah and Sulaymaniyah

For one person, living costs are similar in 'aqrah and in Sulaymaniyah: $661 and $668 a month, rent and utilities included.

32

Cost of Living Index in 'aqrah
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'aqrah Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Sulaymaniyah
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Sulaymaniyah Living Index

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'aqrah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$661

/mo nomad

Sulaymaniyah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$668

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $661 in 'aqrah versus $668 in Sulaymaniyah.

'aqrah $661
Sulaymaniyah $668

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,015 in 'aqrah versus $1,038 in Sulaymaniyah.

'aqrah $1,015
Sulaymaniyah $1,038

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,369 in 'aqrah versus $1,407 in Sulaymaniyah.

'aqrah $1,369
Sulaymaniyah $1,407

Living in 'aqrah costs roughly 1% less than in Sulaymaniyah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.62 IQD 5,467

$4.41 IQD 6,664

-17.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.82 IQD 33.0K

$20.08 IQD 30.3K

8.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.82 IQD 10.3K

$6.02 IQD 9,090

13.29%

Cappuccino

$2.38 IQD 3,602

$2.38 IQD 3,595

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

$0.32 IQD 485

$0.42 IQD 639

-23.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.18 IQD 273

$0.22 IQD 332

-18.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.11 IQD 4,706

$3.25 IQD 4,910

-4.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 IQD 3,945

$1.96 IQD 2,968

33.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 IQD 1,416

$1.10 IQD 1,659

-14.55%

White Bread (500g)

$0.72 IQD 1,086

$0.86 IQD 1,300

-16.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 IQD 2,205

$1.65 IQD 2,494

-11.52%

Eggs

$1.70 IQD 2,573

$1.48 IQD 2,232

14.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.48 IQD 5,252

$4.46 IQD 6,743

-21.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.16 IQD 6,291

$3.53 IQD 5,334

17.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.31 IQD 20.1K

$12.97 IQD 19.6K

2.62%

Apples (1kg)

$0.92 IQD 1,383

$1.14 IQD 1,730

-19.30%

Banana (1kg)

$0.91 IQD 1,375

$1.07 IQD 1,619

-14.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.77 IQD 1,161

$1.01 IQD 1,524

-23.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.66 IQD 990

$0.58 IQD 878

13.79%

Potato (1kg)

$0.54 IQD 809

$0.49 IQD 739

10.20%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 IQD 965

$0.59 IQD 892

8.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.51 IQD 776

$0.63 IQD 950

-19.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 IQD 756

$0.45 IQD 682

11.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.57 IQD 2,368

$2.00 IQD 3,021

-21.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.92 IQD 16.5K

$9.99 IQD 15.1K

9.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 IQD 2,003

$1.67 IQD 2,527

-20.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 IQD 2,800

$1.26 IQD 1,899

46.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.45 IQD 679

$0.51 IQD 769

-11.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.50 IQD 26.4K

$19.73 IQD 29.8K

-11.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.89 IQD 2,859

$1.95 IQD 2,952

-3.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 IQD 2,099

$1.94 IQD 2,925

-28.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.15 IQD 7,788

$4.60 IQD 6,957

11.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.48 IQD 727

$0.57 IQD 857

-15.79%

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

$16.9K IQD 25.5M

$17.6K IQD 26.6M

-4.09%

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

$19.4K IQD 29.3M

$16.6K IQD 25.1M

16.78%

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

$80.2 IQD 121.1K

$87.2 IQD 131.7K

-8.04%

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

$13.58 IQD 20.5K

$10.17 IQD 15.4K

33.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.25 IQD 41.2K

$23.75 IQD 35.9K

14.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.01 IQD 55.9K

$34.59 IQD 52.3K

7.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.49 IQD 26.4K

Cinema Ticket

$8.39 IQD 12.7K

$6.66 IQD 10.1K

25.98%

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

$142 IQD 213.9K

$150 IQD 227.3K

-5.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,656 IQD 4.0M

$2,553 IQD 3.9M

4.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.08 IQD 33.4K

$16.58 IQD 25.0K

33.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.85 IQD 36.0K

$21.70 IQD 32.8K

9.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$47.26 IQD 71.4K

$37.04 IQD 56.0K

27.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$31.06 IQD 46.9K

$33.18 IQD 50.1K

-6.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$184 IQD 277.8K

$187 IQD 283.1K

-1.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$141 IQD 213.2K

$149 IQD 225.8K

-5.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$358 IQD 541.4K

$410 IQD 619.7K

-12.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$278 IQD 419.4K

$313 IQD 472.8K

-11.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$779 IQD 1.2M

$688 IQD 1.0M

13.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$642 IQD 970.8K

$530 IQD 800.5K

21.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$487 IQD 735.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.33

5.77

-42.29%

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

Last update for 'aqrah: October 13, 2026

Last update for Sulaymaniyah: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

'aqrah

$160 24.2%

Sulaymaniyah

$163 24.4% 1.7% $2.7

Accommodation & Living

'aqrah

$141 21.4%

Sulaymaniyah

$149 22.4% 5.9% $8.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

'aqrah

$121 18.3%

Sulaymaniyah

$121 18.1% 0.1% $0.1

Eating Out

'aqrah

$101 15.3%

Sulaymaniyah

$105 15.7% 3.8% $3.8

Clothing & Footwear

'aqrah

$56 8.5%

Sulaymaniyah

$49 7.3% 12.7% $7.1

Sport & Entertainment

'aqrah

$54 8.1%

Sulaymaniyah

$48 7.2% 10.9% $5.9

Getting Around

'aqrah

$28 4.3%

Sulaymaniyah

$33 5% 18.7% $5.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $184 in 'aqrah and $187 in Sulaymaniyah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $22.00 in 'aqrah vs $20.00 in Sulaymaniyah. Groceries flip the comparison at $160 vs $163, with 'aqrah cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇶 'aqrah

🇮🇶 Sulaymaniyah

🕒 Local time

20:34 8:34 PM

Same time as 'aqrah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

68,100

823,199

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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'aqrah Sulaymaniyah 190 km

From you

'aqrah
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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

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

'aqrah wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Sulaymaniyah. 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 $1,002 in Sulaymaniyah 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 $187 in Sulaymaniyah. 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 $668 in Sulaymaniyah – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in 'aqrah runs roughly 13% less than in Sulaymaniyah. 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 Sulaymaniyah 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 1% less than in Sulaymaniyah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.