Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Mosul

For one person, living is cheaper in Mosul: $575 a month against $1,779 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $14,400 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
27

Cost of Living Index in Mosul
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Mosul Living Index

Jump to prices

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,779

/mo nomad

Mosul

🇮🇶 Iraq

$575

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Mosul

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,779 in Athens versus $575 in Mosul.

Athens $1,779
Mosul $575

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $905 in Mosul.

Athens $2,721
Mosul $905

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,663 in Athens versus $1,235 in Mosul.

Athens $3,663
Mosul $1,235

Living in Athens is roughly 210% more expensive than in Mosul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 32% above, Mosul is 57% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.83 €14.99

$4.02 IQD 6,070

318.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.0 €58.8

$16.66 IQD 25.2K

296.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.21 €9.99

$5.25 IQD 7,935

113.52%

Cappuccino

$4.08 €3.64

$1.42 IQD 2,141

187.32%

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

$2.77 €2.47

$0.33 IQD 505

739.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 €0.48

$0.17 IQD 256

217.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.70 €5.08

$1.29 IQD 1,949

341.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.26 €5.58

$1.34 IQD 2,018

367.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.64

$0.69 IQD 1,038

166.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 €1.27

$0.64 IQD 967

123.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.67 €2.38

$1.12 IQD 1,695

138.39%

Eggs

$4.95 €4.41

$1.30 IQD 1,958

280.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.09 €13.45

$3.09 IQD 4,662

388.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.99 €9.79

$3.67 IQD 5,552

199.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.77 €17.61

$10.09 IQD 15.3K

95.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 €1.89

$0.57 IQD 859

271.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 €1.76

$0.93 IQD 1,407

112.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 €1.19

$0.63 IQD 956

111.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 €1.92

$0.42 IQD 639

414.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 €0.94

$0.43 IQD 651

146.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 €1.02

$0.39 IQD 582

194.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 €0.97

$0.34 IQD 509

217.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.75

$0.47 IQD 716

80.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 €4.86

$1.66 IQD 2,511

228.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.03 €8.93

$6.68 IQD 10.1K

50.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.82

$1.48 IQD 2,240

37.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 €2.12

$1.64 IQD 2,471

45.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 €1.20

$0.34 IQD 516

297.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.52 €27.19

$75.6 IQD 114.2K

-59.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 €3.39

$1.36 IQD 2,053

180.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 €0.92

$1.35 IQD 2,043

-23.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.49 €14.68

$3.93 IQD 5,940

319.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.34 €2.09

$0.47 IQD 714

397.87%

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

$27.8K €24.7K

$14.9K IQD 22.5M

86.53%

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

$26.6K €23.7K

$16.9K IQD 25.6M

57.18%

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

$202 €180

$77.3 IQD 116.8K

161.50%

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

$26.81 €23.88

$12.20 IQD 18.4K

119.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.49 €27.16

$24.05 IQD 36.3K

26.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 €48.17

$20.32 IQD 30.7K

166.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.40 €24.41

$21.84 IQD 33.0K

25.46%

Cinema Ticket

$10.44 €9.30

$8.36 IQD 12.6K

24.88%

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

$568 €506

$169 IQD 255.1K

236.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.5K

$3,102 IQD 4.7M

389.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.7 €80.8

$10.90 IQD 16.5K

731.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.32 €35.03

$16.64 IQD 25.1K

136.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.7

$23.52 IQD 35.5K

347.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 €115

$22.19 IQD 33.5K

481.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$742 €661

$141 IQD 213.2K

425.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$648 €578

$103 IQD 155.6K

529.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,132

$246 IQD 371.7K

416.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 €999

$246 IQD 371.4K

356.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,999 €3,562

$729 IQD 1.1M

448.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,281 €2,923

$490 IQD 740.9K

569.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 €1,109

$412 IQD 622.9K

202.05%

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 Mosul: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$648 36.4%

Mosul

$103 17.9% 84.1% $545

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$316 17.8%

Mosul

$127 22.1% 59.8% $189

Eating Out

Athens

$272 15.3%

Mosul

$76 13.2% 72% $195

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$260 14.6%

Mosul

$114 19.8% 56.2% $146

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$164 9.2%

Mosul

$33 5.7% 79.9% $131

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$75 4.2%

Mosul

$37 6.5% 50.6% $38

Getting Around

Athens

$45 2.5%

Mosul

$85 14.8% 89.6% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $742 in Athens and $141 in Mosul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays about 3 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 $17 in Mosul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $127 per month, with Mosul cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇮🇶 Mosul

🕒 Local time

23:46 11:46 PM

00:46 12:46 AM

1 h ahead of Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

1,683,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.891 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,696 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Athens Mosul 1,720 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Athens
Mosul

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 Mosul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mosul wins on cost – living expenses run 68% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Mosul the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Athens is about 3 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $742 in Athens versus $141 in Mosul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Mosul – a meal for two runs $17 versus $66 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,779 per month in Athens versus $575 in Mosul – Mosul is about 68% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $575 in Mosul versus $1,779 in Athens, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Mosul but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Mosul 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.

It comes down to priorities – Mosul wins on affordability, Athens on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.