Measurement units Temperature, distance and clock format
Last update: Oct 2026
Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Duhok
For one person, living is cheaper in Duhok: $602 a month against $1,779 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
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 Duhok actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,779 in Athens versus $602 in Duhok.
Athens $1,779
Duhok $602
Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $972 in Duhok.
Athens $2,721
Duhok $972
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,663 in Athens versus $1,341 in Duhok.
Athens $3,663
Duhok $1,341
🌍
Living in Athens is roughly 195% more expensive than in Duhok, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 32% above, Duhok is 55% below.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Duhok
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.83€14.99
$3.32IQD 5,021
406.93%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.0€58.8
$16.31IQD 24.6K
304.66%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$11.21€9.98
$7.39IQD 11.2K
51.69%
Cappuccino
$4.08€3.64
$2.44IQD 3,680
67.21%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77€2.47
$0.31IQD 475
793.55%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.54€0.48
$0.17IQD 264
217.65%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$5.70€5.07
$1.61IQD 2,440
254.04%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$6.26€5.58
$2.03IQD 3,069
208.37%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Duhok
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.84€1.64
$1.10IQD 1,658
67.27%
White Bread(500g)
$1.43€1.27
$0.64IQD 973
123.44%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.67€2.38
$1.52IQD 2,293
75.66%
Eggs
$4.95€4.41
$1.52IQD 2,298
225.66%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$15.09€13.44
$4.99IQD 7,534
202.40%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$10.99€9.79
$3.07IQD 4,643
257.98%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$19.77€17.60
$10.93IQD 16.5K
80.88%
Apples(1kg)
$2.12€1.89
$0.92IQD 1,394
130.43%
Banana(1kg)
$1.98€1.76
$0.99IQD 1,500
100.00%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.33€1.18
$0.73IQD 1,107
82.19%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.16€1.92
$0.64IQD 963
237.50%
Potato(1kg)
$1.06€0.94
$0.61IQD 916
73.77%
Onion(1kg)
$1.15€1.02
$0.62IQD 940
85.48%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.08€0.96
$0.61IQD 924
77.05%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.85€0.75
$0.47IQD 712
80.85%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$5.46€4.86
$1.66IQD 2,512
228.92%
Wine(Bottle)
$10.03€8.93
$10.80IQD 16.3K
-7.13%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.04€1.82
$1.41IQD 2,136
44.68%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.38€2.12
$1.85IQD 2,796
28.65%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Duhok
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.35€1.20
$0.32IQD 487
321.88%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$30.52€27.18
$15.80IQD 23.9K
93.16%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.81€3.39
$1.63IQD 2,468
133.74%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.03€0.92
$1.32IQD 1,999
-21.97%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$16.49€14.68
$5.69IQD 8,596
189.81%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.34€2.09
$0.58IQD 869
303.45%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.8K€24.7K
$16.7KIQD 25.3M
65.92%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.6K€23.7K
$17.6KIQD 26.5M
51.55%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Duhok
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$202€180
$86.9IQD 131.3K
132.70%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.81€23.87
$8.61IQD 13.0K
211.38%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.49€27.14
$24.44IQD 36.9K
24.75%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Duhok
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$54.1€48.14
$49.58IQD 74.9K
9.06%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.40€24.40
$26.57IQD 40.1K
3.12%
Cinema Ticket
$10.44€9.30
$7.55IQD 11.4K
38.28%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Duhok
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$568€505
$109IQD 164.6K
420.88%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$15.2K€13.5K
$3,500IQD 5.3M
333.79%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Duhok
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$90.7€80.7
$9.85IQD 14.9K
820.30%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.32€35.01
$19.82IQD 30.0K
98.39%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$105€93.7
$30.31IQD 45.8K
247.11%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$129€115
$19.91IQD 30.1K
547.76%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Duhok
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$742€661
$159IQD 240.7K
365.69%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$648€577
$111IQD 168.4K
481.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,271€1,132
$324IQD 490.0K
292.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,122€999
$321IQD 484.5K
249.81%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,999€3,561
$429IQD 647.6K
833.10%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$3,281€2,921
$369IQD 558.2K
788.14%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Duhok
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,245€1,109
$429IQD 647.8K
190.44%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
4.44
2.53
75.49%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Athens: October 31, 2026
Last update for Duhok: November 2, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Athens
$648 36.4%
Duhok
$111 18.5% ↓ 82.8%$537
🛒Groceries & Markets
Athens
$316 17.8%
Duhok
$153 25.4% ↓ 51.7%$163
🍽Eating Out
Athens
$272 15.3%
Duhok
$92 15.3% ↓ 66.1%$179
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$260 14.6%
Duhok
$120 19.9% ↓ 53.8%$140
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$164 9.2%
Duhok
$36 6% ↓ 78.1%$128
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$75 4.2%
Duhok
$65 10.7% ↓ 13.7%$10
🚌Getting Around
Athens
$45 2.5%
Duhok
$25 4.2% ↓ 43.5%$20
🏠Accommodation & Living
Athens
$1.1K 30.6%
Duhok
$321 23.9% ↓ 71.4%$801
🛒Groceries & Markets
Athens
$743 20.3%
Duhok
$344 25.6% ↓ 53.7%$399
🍽Eating Out
Athens
$878 24%
Duhok
$261 19.4% ↓ 70.3%$617
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$286 7.8%
Duhok
$129 9.6% ↓ 55.1%$158
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$364 9.9%
Duhok
$80 6% ↓ 78.1%$284
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$177 4.8%
Duhok
$156 11.6% ↓ 12.1%$21
🚌Getting Around
Athens
$92 2.5%
Duhok
$51 3.8% ↓ 44.5%$41
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $742 in Athens and $159 in Duhok. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Athens pays about 2.9 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 $16 in Duhok for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $153 per month, with Duhok cheaper across the board.
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 Duhok: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Duhok?
Duhok wins on cost – living expenses run 66% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Duhok the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Athens or in Duhok?
Average pay in Athens is about 2.9 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 Duhok?
Rent for a central apartment: $742 in Athens versus $159 in Duhok. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Athens and in Duhok?
Dining out is cheaper in Duhok – a meal for two runs $16 versus $66 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Athens compared to Duhok?
All in, you’ll spend $1,779 per month in Athens versus $602 in Duhok – Duhok is about 66% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Can you live on $1,200/month in Athens or in Duhok?
At $602 in Duhok versus $1,779 in Athens, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Duhok but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Duhok the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Athens or Duhok?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Duhok gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.