Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between As Samawah and Erbil

For one person, living is cheaper in As Samawah: $651 a month against $960 in Erbil, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 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
46

Cost of Living Index in Erbil
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Erbil Living Index

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As Samawah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$651

/mo nomad

Erbil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$960

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $651 in As Samawah versus $960 in Erbil.

As Samawah $651
Erbil $960

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,052 in As Samawah versus $1,439 in Erbil.

As Samawah $1,052
Erbil $1,439

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,452 in As Samawah versus $1,918 in Erbil.

As Samawah $1,452
Erbil $1,918

Living in As Samawah costs roughly 32% less than in Erbil, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: As Samawah 52% lower, Erbil 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 IQD 7,041

$6.65 IQD 10.1K

-29.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.87 IQD 40.6K

$37.28 IQD 56.3K

-27.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.63 IQD 10.0K

$7.27 IQD 11.0K

-8.80%

Cappuccino

$2.82 IQD 4,266

$3.25 IQD 4,914

-13.23%

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

$0.35 IQD 522

$0.89 IQD 1,350

-60.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.19 IQD 281

$0.36 IQD 545

-47.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 IQD 5,079

$5.76 IQD 8,706

-41.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 IQD 4,889

$4.52 IQD 6,834

-28.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 IQD 1,367

$1.05 IQD 1,587

-14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$0.63 IQD 951

$0.64 IQD 970

-1.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 IQD 1,978

$1.44 IQD 2,180

-9.03%

Eggs

$1.61 IQD 2,436

$1.52 IQD 2,298

5.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$1.34 IQD 2,019

$7.04 IQD 10.6K

-80.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.02 IQD 6,070

$4.41 IQD 6,661

-8.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.86 IQD 17.9K

$12.64 IQD 19.1K

-6.17%

Apples (1kg)

$0.96 IQD 1,455

$0.99 IQD 1,501

-3.03%

Banana (1kg)

$0.92 IQD 1,383

$0.99 IQD 1,493

-7.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.83 IQD 1,256

$1.07 IQD 1,612

-22.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.40 IQD 606

$0.69 IQD 1,050

-42.03%

Potato (1kg)

$0.52 IQD 784

$0.64 IQD 972

-18.75%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 IQD 851

$0.57 IQD 865

-1.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 IQD 892

$0.66 IQD 998

-10.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 IQD 878

$0.51 IQD 770

13.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.69 IQD 2,548

$2.12 IQD 3,209

-20.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.66 IQD 10.1K

$10.56 IQD 16.0K

-36.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 IQD 2,973

$1.46 IQD 2,209

34.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 IQD 2,854

$1.82 IQD 2,750

3.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 IQD 517

$0.50 IQD 759

-32.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.98 IQD 30.2K

$39.67 IQD 59.9K

-49.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 IQD 2,968

$1.67 IQD 2,520

17.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 IQD 1,940

$1.54 IQD 2,325

-16.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 IQD 3,937

$5.48 IQD 8,286

-52.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.57 IQD 866

$0.58 IQD 884

-1.72%

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

$16.7K IQD 25.3M

0.01%

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

$16.6K IQD 25.1M

$17.0K IQD 25.7M

-2.34%

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

$69.4 IQD 104.9K

$116 IQD 174.8K

-40.01%

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

$16.69 IQD 25.2K

$11.96 IQD 18.1K

39.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.78 IQD 25.3K

$24.50 IQD 37.0K

-31.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.45 IQD 55.1K

$57.0 IQD 86.1K

-36.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.68 IQD 25.2K

$13.43 IQD 20.3K

24.20%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 IQD 11.8K

$9.99 IQD 15.1K

-21.82%

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

$49.72 IQD 75.1K

$297 IQD 448.2K

-83.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,297 IQD 2.0M

$4,080 IQD 6.2M

-68.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.54 IQD 38.6K

$26.29 IQD 39.7K

-2.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.33 IQD 50.4K

$38.72 IQD 58.5K

-13.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.9 IQD 89.0K

$60.8 IQD 91.8K

-3.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.08 IQD 62.1K

$58.8 IQD 88.9K

-30.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$209 IQD 316.2K

$441 IQD 666.1K

-52.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$137 IQD 207.7K

$268 IQD 404.7K

-48.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$168 IQD 254.1K

$696 IQD 1.1M

-75.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 IQD 467.1K

$414 IQD 626.0K

-25.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$867 IQD 1.3M

$1,047 IQD 1.6M

-17.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$496 IQD 750.1K

$600 IQD 906.7K

-17.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$514 IQD 776.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.12

2.53

62.85%

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

Last update for As Samawah: November 2, 2026

Last update for Erbil: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

As Samawah

$141 21.7%

Erbil

$172 18% 22% $31

Accommodation & Living

As Samawah

$137 21.1%

Erbil

$268 27.9% 94.9% $130

Eating Out

As Samawah

$116 17.9%

Erbil

$157 16.3% 34.8% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

As Samawah

$103 15.8%

Erbil

$152 15.8% 47.9% $49

Clothing & Footwear

As Samawah

$71 11%

Erbil

$83 8.7% 16.2% $12

Sport & Entertainment

As Samawah

$52 8%

Erbil

$77 8% 47.8% $25

Getting Around

As Samawah

$30 4.6%

Erbil

$51 5.3% 71.7% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $209 in As Samawah and $441 in Erbil. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $27 in As Samawah vs $37 in Erbil for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $141 vs $172 per month, with As Samawah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 As Samawah

🇮🇶 Erbil

🕒 Local time

19:26 7:26 PM

Same time as As Samawah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

250,000

1,713,461

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.91 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.91 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

As Samawah Erbil 560 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

As Samawah
Erbil

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 Erbil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

As Samawah is about 32% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, 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 $1,441 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: $209 in As Samawah versus $441 in Erbil. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in As Samawah runs roughly 50% less than in Erbil. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $50 in As Samawah versus $297 in Erbil. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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.

Expats usually find As Samawah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Erbil. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.