Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Baghdadi

For one person, living is cheaper in Baghdadi: $641 a month against $1,779 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $13,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Athens, Greece
Baghdadi, Iraq
Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,779
/mo nomad
Baghdadi
🇮🇶 Iraq
$641
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Baghdadi

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 Baghdadi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,779 in Athens versus $641 in Baghdadi.

  • Athens $1,779
  • Baghdadi $641

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $978 in Baghdadi.

  • Athens $2,721
  • Baghdadi $978

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,663 in Athens versus $1,316 in Baghdadi.

  • Athens $3,663
  • Baghdadi $1,316

Living in Athens is roughly 178% more expensive than in Baghdadi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 32% above, Baghdadi is 53% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Baghdadi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.83 €14.99
$4.02 IQD 6,071
318.66%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.0 €58.8
$13.93 IQD 21.1K
373.80%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.21 €9.98
$6.17 IQD 9,325
81.69%
Cappuccino
$4.08 €3.64
$1.88 IQD 2,846
117.02%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 €2.47
$0.42 IQD 628
559.52%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.54 €0.48
$0.18 IQD 274
200.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.70 €5.07
$3.25 IQD 4,906
75.38%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.26 €5.58
$2.57 IQD 3,890
143.58%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Baghdadi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.84 €1.64
$1.03 IQD 1,553
78.64%
White Bread (500g)
$1.43 €1.27
$0.48 IQD 729
197.92%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.67 €2.38
$2.75 IQD 4,159
-2.91%
Eggs
$4.95 €4.41
$1.85 IQD 2,790
167.57%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.09 €13.44
$3.83 IQD 5,790
293.99%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.99 €9.79
$3.29 IQD 4,969
234.04%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.77 €17.60
$8.24 IQD 12.5K
139.93%
Apples (1kg)
$2.12 €1.89
$0.94 IQD 1,418
125.53%
Banana (1kg)
$1.98 €1.76
$1.00 IQD 1,507
98.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.33 €1.18
$0.93 IQD 1,406
43.01%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.16 €1.92
$0.68 IQD 1,023
217.65%
Potato (1kg)
$1.06 €0.94
$0.60 IQD 902
76.67%
Onion (1kg)
$1.15 €1.02
$0.67 IQD 1,009
71.64%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.08 €0.96
$0.51 IQD 777
111.76%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.85 €0.75
$0.54 IQD 814
57.41%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.46 €4.86
$1.70 IQD 2,569
221.18%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.03 €8.93
$11.28 IQD 17.0K
-11.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.04 €1.82
$1.59 IQD 2,401
28.30%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.38 €2.12
$1.81 IQD 2,740
31.49%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Baghdadi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.35 €1.20
$0.34 IQD 518
297.06%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$30.52 €27.18
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.81 €3.39
$1.80 IQD 2,727
111.67%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.03 €0.92
$1.29 IQD 1,948
-20.16%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.49 €14.68
$5.64 IQD 8,529
192.38%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.34 €2.09
$0.58 IQD 875
303.45%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.8K €24.7K
$16.4K IQD 24.8M
69.16%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.6K €23.7K
$17.0K IQD 25.6M
56.93%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Baghdadi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$202 €180
$87.6 IQD 132.3K
130.95%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.81 €23.87
$13.62 IQD 20.6K
96.84%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.49 €27.14
$28.52 IQD 43.1K
6.91%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Baghdadi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.1 €48.14
$36.52 IQD 55.2K
48.06%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.40 €24.40
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.44 €9.30
$9.06 IQD 13.7K
15.23%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Baghdadi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$568 €505
$143 IQD 216.5K
296.05%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.2K €13.5K
$2,771 IQD 4.2M
447.81%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Baghdadi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$90.7 €80.7
$21.10 IQD 31.9K
329.62%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.32 €35.01
$22.93 IQD 34.6K
71.48%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €93.7
$60.6 IQD 91.6K
73.50%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$129 €115
$37.63 IQD 56.9K
242.73%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Baghdadi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$742 €661
$207 IQD 313.2K
257.95%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$648 €577
$136 IQD 205.3K
377.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,271 €1,132
$382 IQD 576.4K
233.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,122 €999
$313 IQD 472.7K
258.49%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,999 €3,561
$870 IQD 1.3M
359.49%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,281 €2,921
$487 IQD 735.4K
574.09%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Baghdadi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,245 €1,109
$499 IQD 753.6K
149.68%
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 Baghdadi: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens
$648
Baghdadi
$136 79% $512
Groceries & Markets
Athens
$316
Baghdadi
$150 52.7% $167
Eating Out
Athens
$272
Baghdadi
$97 64.3% $174
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$260
Baghdadi
$130 50% $130
Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$164
Baghdadi
$64 60.9% $100
Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$75
Baghdadi
$55 27.1% $20
Getting Around
Athens
$45
Baghdadi
$9.6 * 78.6% $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 $207 in Baghdadi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays about 2.5 times more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $66 in Athens vs $14 in Baghdadi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $150 per month, with Baghdadi cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Athens
🇮🇶 Baghdadi
🕒 Local time
06:53 6:53 AM
07:53 7:53 AM
1 h ahead of Athens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,090,508 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د
Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

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 = 1,696 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Athens Baghdadi 1,750 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Athens
  • Baghdadi

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 Baghdadi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Baghdadi?
Baghdadi wins on cost – living expenses run 64% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Baghdadi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Athens or in Baghdadi?
Average pay in Athens is about 2.5 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Athens compared to Baghdadi?
Rent for a central apartment: $742 in Athens versus $207 in Baghdadi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Athens and in Baghdadi?
Childcare runs $568 in Athens versus $143 in Baghdadi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Athens and in Baghdadi?
Dining out is cheaper in Baghdadi – a meal for two runs $14 versus $66 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Athens or in Baghdadi?
At $641 in Baghdadi versus $1,779 in Athens, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Baghdadi but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Baghdadi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Athens or Baghdadi?
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.
Should I move to Athens or to Baghdadi?
It comes down to priorities – Baghdadi wins on affordability, Athens on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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