Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between As Samawah and Baghdad

For one person, living is cheaper in As Samawah: $651 a month against $1,032 in Baghdad, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in As Samawah
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As Samawah Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Baghdad
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Baghdad Living Index

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As Samawah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$651

/mo nomad

Baghdad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$1,032

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $651 in As Samawah versus $1,032 in Baghdad.

As Samawah $651
Baghdad $1,032

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,052 in As Samawah versus $1,490 in Baghdad.

As Samawah $1,052
Baghdad $1,490

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,452 in As Samawah versus $1,949 in Baghdad.

As Samawah $1,452
Baghdad $1,949

Living in As Samawah costs roughly 37% less than in Baghdad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: As Samawah 52% lower, Baghdad 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 IQD 7,041

$4.34 IQD 6,556

7.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.87 IQD 40.6K

$26.47 IQD 40.0K

1.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.63 IQD 10.0K

$6.40 IQD 9,677

3.59%

Cappuccino

$2.82 IQD 4,266

$2.67 IQD 4,034

5.62%

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

$0.35 IQD 522

$0.39 IQD 587

-10.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.19 IQD 281

$0.22 IQD 333

-13.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 IQD 5,079

$3.21 IQD 4,857

4.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 IQD 4,889

$3.27 IQD 4,937

-0.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 IQD 1,367

$0.91 IQD 1,378

-1.10%

White Bread (500g)

$0.63 IQD 951

$0.67 IQD 1,006

-5.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 IQD 1,978

$1.37 IQD 2,077

-4.38%

Eggs

$1.61 IQD 2,436

$1.69 IQD 2,557

-4.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$1.34 IQD 2,019

$3.37 IQD 5,091

-60.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.02 IQD 6,070

$3.90 IQD 5,900

3.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.86 IQD 17.9K

$12.44 IQD 18.8K

-4.66%

Apples (1kg)

$0.96 IQD 1,455

$1.03 IQD 1,557

-6.80%

Banana (1kg)

$0.92 IQD 1,383

$0.90 IQD 1,356

2.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.83 IQD 1,256

$0.94 IQD 1,418

-11.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.40 IQD 606

$0.64 IQD 963

-37.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.52 IQD 784

$0.60 IQD 904

-13.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 IQD 851

$0.57 IQD 861

-1.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 IQD 892

$0.58 IQD 883

1.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 IQD 878

$0.62 IQD 935

-6.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.69 IQD 2,548

$1.54 IQD 2,331

9.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.66 IQD 10.1K

$11.95 IQD 18.1K

-44.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 IQD 2,973

$1.90 IQD 2,874

3.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 IQD 2,854

$1.87 IQD 2,833

1.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 IQD 517

$0.34 IQD 518

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.98 IQD 30.2K

$19.50 IQD 29.5K

2.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 IQD 2,968

$2.02 IQD 3,059

-2.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 IQD 1,940

$1.31 IQD 1,976

-2.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 IQD 3,937

$6.76 IQD 10.2K

-61.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.57 IQD 866

$0.58 IQD 870

-1.72%

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

$16.7K IQD 25.3M

$16.4K IQD 24.7M

2.20%

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

$16.6K IQD 25.1M

$16.4K IQD 24.7M

1.61%

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

$69.4 IQD 104.9K

$191 IQD 288.4K

-63.64%

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

$16.69 IQD 25.2K

$20.02 IQD 30.3K

-16.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.78 IQD 25.3K

$38.64 IQD 58.4K

-56.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.45 IQD 55.1K

$39.72 IQD 60.0K

-8.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.68 IQD 25.2K

$18.37 IQD 27.8K

-9.20%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 IQD 11.8K

$9.98 IQD 15.1K

-21.74%

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

$49.72 IQD 75.1K

$145 IQD 218.4K

-65.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,297 IQD 2.0M

$5,369 IQD 8.1M

-75.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.54 IQD 38.6K

$24.76 IQD 37.4K

3.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.33 IQD 50.4K

$33.12 IQD 50.0K

0.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.9 IQD 89.0K

$59.3 IQD 89.6K

-0.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.08 IQD 62.1K

$42.11 IQD 63.6K

-2.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$209 IQD 316.2K

$530 IQD 800.5K

-60.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$137 IQD 207.7K

$348 IQD 526.3K

-60.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$168 IQD 254.1K

$992 IQD 1.5M

-83.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 IQD 467.1K

$611 IQD 923.3K

-49.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$867 IQD 1.3M

$4,348 IQD 6.6M

-80.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$496 IQD 750.1K

$1,403 IQD 2.1M

-64.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$517 IQD 780.9K

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 As Samawah: November 2, 2026

Last update for Baghdad: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

As Samawah

$141 21.7%

Baghdad

$162 15.7% 14.9% $21

Accommodation & Living

As Samawah

$137 21.1%

Baghdad

$348 33.8% 153% $211

Eating Out

As Samawah

$116 17.9%

Baghdad

$111 10.8% 4.7% $5.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

As Samawah

$103 15.8%

Baghdad

$250 24.2% 143% $147

Clothing & Footwear

As Samawah

$71 11%

Baghdad

$72 7% 0.3% $0.2

Sport & Entertainment

As Samawah

$52 8%

Baghdad

$60 5.8% 14.6% $7.6

Getting Around

As Samawah

$30 4.6%

Baghdad

$29 2.9% 1% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $209 in As Samawah and $530 in Baghdad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $27 in As Samawah vs $26 in Baghdad. Groceries flip the comparison at $141 vs $162, with As Samawah cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇶 As Samawah

🇮🇶 Baghdad

🕒 Local time

22:58 10:58 PM

Same time as As Samawah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

250,000

7,216,040 Capital

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.92 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.92 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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As Samawah Baghdad 240 km

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As Samawah
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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

As Samawah vs Baghdad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

As Samawah is about 37% cheaper overall, especially in utilities, groceries, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $977 in As Samawah and $1,548 in Baghdad 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: $209 in As Samawah versus $530 in Baghdad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $50 in As Samawah versus $145 in Baghdad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Baghdad – a meal for two runs $26 versus $27 in As Samawah. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $651 in As Samawah versus $1,032 in Baghdad, a $1,000 budget is realistic in As Samawah but tight or insufficient in Baghdad. The gap between the two cities makes As Samawah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.