Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between As Samawah and Sulaymaniyah

For one person, living costs are similar in As Samawah and in Sulaymaniyah: $651 and $667 a month, rent and utilities included.

31

Cost of Living Index in As Samawah
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As Samawah Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Sulaymaniyah
Learn more

Sulaymaniyah Living Index

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As Samawah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$651

/mo nomad

Sulaymaniyah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$667

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $651 in As Samawah versus $667 in Sulaymaniyah.

As Samawah $651
Sulaymaniyah $667

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,052 in As Samawah versus $1,035 in Sulaymaniyah.

As Samawah $1,052
Sulaymaniyah $1,035

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,452 in As Samawah versus $1,403 in Sulaymaniyah.

As Samawah $1,452
Sulaymaniyah $1,403

Monthly costs are close between As Samawah and Sulaymaniyah; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: As Samawah 52% lower, Sulaymaniyah 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 IQD 7,041

$4.35 IQD 6,570

7.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.87 IQD 40.6K

$20.15 IQD 30.5K

33.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.63 IQD 10.0K

$5.91 IQD 8,935

12.18%

Cappuccino

$2.82 IQD 4,266

$2.37 IQD 3,580

18.99%

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

$0.35 IQD 522

$0.43 IQD 644

-18.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.19 IQD 281

$0.20 IQD 302

-5.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 IQD 5,079

$3.24 IQD 4,890

3.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 IQD 4,889

$2.03 IQD 3,071

59.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 IQD 1,367

$1.15 IQD 1,732

-21.74%

White Bread (500g)

$0.63 IQD 951

$0.86 IQD 1,306

-26.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 IQD 1,978

$1.68 IQD 2,534

-22.02%

Eggs

$1.61 IQD 2,436

$1.53 IQD 2,306

5.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$1.34 IQD 2,019

$4.31 IQD 6,514

-68.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.02 IQD 6,070

$3.72 IQD 5,627

8.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.86 IQD 17.9K

$12.96 IQD 19.6K

-8.49%

Apples (1kg)

$0.96 IQD 1,455

$1.11 IQD 1,684

-13.51%

Banana (1kg)

$0.92 IQD 1,383

$1.08 IQD 1,631

-14.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.83 IQD 1,256

$0.99 IQD 1,496

-16.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.40 IQD 606

$0.55 IQD 833

-27.27%

Potato (1kg)

$0.52 IQD 784

$0.45 IQD 683

15.56%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 IQD 851

$0.62 IQD 940

-9.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 IQD 892

$0.58 IQD 881

1.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 IQD 878

$0.42 IQD 634

38.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.69 IQD 2,548

$1.96 IQD 2,956

-13.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.66 IQD 10.1K

$10.04 IQD 15.2K

-33.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 IQD 2,973

$1.68 IQD 2,532

17.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 IQD 2,854

$1.23 IQD 1,855

53.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 IQD 517

$0.47 IQD 705

-27.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.98 IQD 30.2K

$19.85 IQD 30.0K

0.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 IQD 2,968

$2.00 IQD 3,017

-2.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 IQD 1,940

$1.95 IQD 2,951

-34.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 IQD 3,937

$4.74 IQD 7,164

-44.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.57 IQD 866

$0.57 IQD 864

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

$16.7K IQD 25.3M

$17.6K IQD 26.7M

-5.13%

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

$16.6K IQD 25.1M

$16.7K IQD 25.2M

-0.25%

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

$69.4 IQD 104.9K

$86.4 IQD 130.6K

-19.72%

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

$16.69 IQD 25.2K

$9.75 IQD 14.7K

71.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.78 IQD 25.3K

$23.74 IQD 35.9K

-29.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.45 IQD 55.1K

$34.60 IQD 52.3K

5.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.68 IQD 25.2K

$17.82 IQD 26.9K

-6.40%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 IQD 11.8K

$6.43 IQD 9,711

21.46%

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

$49.72 IQD 75.1K

$150 IQD 226.9K

-66.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,297 IQD 2.0M

$2,562 IQD 3.9M

-49.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.54 IQD 38.6K

$16.49 IQD 24.9K

54.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.33 IQD 50.4K

$22.41 IQD 33.9K

48.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.9 IQD 89.0K

$36.43 IQD 55.0K

61.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.08 IQD 62.1K

$36.62 IQD 55.3K

12.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$209 IQD 316.2K

$187 IQD 282.3K

12.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$137 IQD 207.7K

$150 IQD 225.9K

-8.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$168 IQD 254.1K

$412 IQD 621.8K

-59.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 IQD 467.1K

$308 IQD 464.7K

0.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$867 IQD 1.3M

$703 IQD 1.1M

23.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$496 IQD 750.1K

$541 IQD 817.5K

-8.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 IQD 758.7K

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 As Samawah: November 2, 2026

Last update for Sulaymaniyah: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

As Samawah

$141 21.7%

Sulaymaniyah

$163 24.4% 15.4% $22

Accommodation & Living

As Samawah

$137 21.1%

Sulaymaniyah

$150 22.4% 8.8% $12

Eating Out

As Samawah

$116 17.9%

Sulaymaniyah

$104 15.5% 11% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

As Samawah

$103 15.8%

Sulaymaniyah

$120 18% 16.6% $17

Clothing & Footwear

As Samawah

$71 11%

Sulaymaniyah

$50 7.6% 29.5% $21

Sport & Entertainment

As Samawah

$52 8%

Sulaymaniyah

$47 7.1% 8.9% $4.6

Getting Around

As Samawah

$30 4.6%

Sulaymaniyah

$33 5% 12.6% $3.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $209 in As Samawah and $187 in Sulaymaniyah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $27 in As Samawah vs $20 in Sulaymaniyah. Groceries flip the comparison at $141 vs $163, with As Samawah cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇶 As Samawah

🇮🇶 Sulaymaniyah

🕒 Local time

14:36 2:36 PM

Same time as As Samawah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

250,000

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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Between locations

As Samawah Sulaymaniyah 470 km

From you

As Samawah
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

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

You’d need roughly $977 in As Samawah and $1,001 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: $209 in As Samawah versus $187 in Sulaymaniyah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Sulaymaniyah – a meal for two runs $20 versus $27 in As Samawah. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Childcare runs $50 in As Samawah versus $150 in Sulaymaniyah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though As Samawah 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.