Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Aqrah

For one person, living is cheaper in Aqrah: $661 a month against $1,779 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Aqrah
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Aqrah Living Index

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Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,779

/mo nomad

Aqrah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$661

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Aqrah

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Athens and in Aqrah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,779 in Athens versus $661 in Aqrah.

Athens $1,779
Aqrah $661

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $1,024 in Aqrah.

Athens $2,721
Aqrah $1,024

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,663 in Athens versus $1,387 in Aqrah.

Athens $3,663
Aqrah $1,387

Living in Athens is roughly 169% more expensive than in Aqrah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 32% above, Aqrah is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.83 €14.99

$4.10 IQD 6,200

310.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.0 €58.8

$21.49 IQD 32.5K

207.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.21 €9.98

$6.44 IQD 9,733

74.07%

Cappuccino

$4.08 €3.64

$2.45 IQD 3,699

66.53%

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

$2.77 €2.47

$0.39 IQD 584

610.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 €0.48

$0.20 IQD 302

170.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.70 €5.07

$3.28 IQD 4,955

73.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.26 €5.58

$2.61 IQD 3,945

139.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.64

$0.99 IQD 1,493

85.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 €1.27

$0.67 IQD 1,019

113.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.67 €2.38

$1.40 IQD 2,116

90.71%

Eggs

$4.95 €4.41

$1.59 IQD 2,404

211.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.09 €13.44

$3.79 IQD 5,721

298.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.99 €9.79

$3.51 IQD 5,303

213.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.77 €17.60

$11.74 IQD 17.7K

68.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 €1.89

$0.93 IQD 1,407

127.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 €1.76

$0.99 IQD 1,496

100.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 €1.18

$0.90 IQD 1,367

47.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 €1.92

$0.68 IQD 1,034

217.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 €0.94

$0.58 IQD 884

82.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 €1.02

$0.59 IQD 888

94.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 €0.96

$0.57 IQD 867

89.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.75

$0.51 IQD 764

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 €4.86

$1.63 IQD 2,467

234.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.03 €8.93

$11.32 IQD 17.1K

-11.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.82

$1.56 IQD 2,360

30.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 €2.12

$1.78 IQD 2,692

33.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 €1.20

$0.35 IQD 522

285.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.52 €27.18

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 €3.39

$1.84 IQD 2,780

107.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 €0.92

$1.36 IQD 2,052

-24.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.49 €14.68

$5.60 IQD 8,460

194.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.34 €2.09

$0.55 IQD 825

325.45%

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

$27.8K €24.7K

$16.7K IQD 25.3M

66.07%

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

$26.6K €23.7K

$16.7K IQD 25.2M

59.51%

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

$202 €180

$88.5 IQD 133.7K

128.60%

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

$26.81 €23.87

$13.38 IQD 20.2K

100.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.49 €27.14

$29.48 IQD 44.5K

3.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 €48.14

$37.36 IQD 56.5K

44.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.40 €24.40

Cinema Ticket

$10.44 €9.30

$8.96 IQD 13.5K

16.52%

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

$568 €505

$148 IQD 223.1K

284.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.5K

$2,790 IQD 4.2M

444.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.7 €80.7

$21.04 IQD 31.8K

330.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.32 €35.01

$22.77 IQD 34.4K

72.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.7

$58.3 IQD 88.1K

80.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 €115

$37.66 IQD 56.9K

242.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$742 €661

$208 IQD 314.1K

256.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$648 €577

$140 IQD 211.7K

362.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,132

$376 IQD 567.7K

238.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 €999

$309 IQD 466.5K

263.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,999 €3,561

$874 IQD 1.3M

357.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,281 €2,921

$503 IQD 760.0K

552.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 €1,109

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.44

4.12

7.77%

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

Last update for Athens: October 31, 2026

Last update for Aqrah: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$648 36.4%

Aqrah

$140 21.2% 78.4% $508

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$316 17.8%

Aqrah

$156 23.6% 50.8% $161

Eating Out

Athens

$272 15.3%

Aqrah

$105 16% 61.1% $166

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$260 14.6%

Aqrah

$131 19.9% 49.4% $128

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$164 9.2%

Aqrah

$63 9.5% 61.6% $101

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$75 4.2%

Aqrah

$55 8.4% 26.2% $20

Getting Around

Athens

$45 2.5%

Aqrah

$10 * 1.5% 77.7% $35

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $742 in Athens and $208 in Aqrah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $66 in Athens vs $21 in Aqrah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $156 per month, with Aqrah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇮🇶 Aqrah

🕒 Local time

15:43 3:43 PM

16:43 4:43 PM

1 h ahead of Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

68,100

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,697 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Athens Aqrah 1,780 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Athens
Aqrah

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

Athens vs Aqrah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aqrah wins on cost – living expenses run 63% lower than in Athens. 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 $2,669 in Athens and $991 in Aqrah 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: $742 in Athens versus $208 in Aqrah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 103% higher in Athens. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,779 per month in Athens versus $661 in Aqrah – Aqrah is about 63% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $661 in Aqrah versus $1,779 in Athens, a $800 budget is realistic in Aqrah but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Aqrah 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.

Safety-wise, Athens and Aqrah are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.