Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Iraq Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Iraq

Name: Iraq
Address: IQ

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,184 per month in Australia vs $762 in Iraq, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,217 per month in Australia vs $1,166 in Iraq, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,249 per month in Australia vs $1,570 in Iraq, rent included.

Australia costs about 187% more than Iraq on average — the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Australia sits 63% above the global median, while Iraq is 43% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Australia has a wider regional cost range ($1,584–$2,827) than Iraq ($535–$1,074), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Australia.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.24 A$22.57

$4.67 IQD 6,114

247.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.1 A$107

$22.62 IQD 29.6K

240.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.81 A$13.64

$6.22 IQD 8,146

57.72%

Cappuccino

$3.58 A$4.97

$2.34 IQD 3,059

52.99%

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

$2.57 A$3.57

$0.39 IQD 505

558.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 A$3.03

$0.19 IQD 247

1047.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.63 A$9.22

$2.22 IQD 2,904

198.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 A$9.90

$2.62 IQD 3,430

171.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.09

$1.23 IQD 1,614

21.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 A$3.51

$0.82 IQD 1,073

208.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 A$2.88

$1.55 IQD 2,024

33.55%

Eggs

$4.29 A$5.96

$1.80 IQD 2,360

138.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.65 A$12.02

$5.15 IQD 6,741

67.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 A$11.60

$4.13 IQD 5,415

101.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 A$19.33

$12.18 IQD 16.0K

14.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 A$4.58

$1.06 IQD 1,391

211.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 A$3.85

$1.17 IQD 1,527

136.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 A$4.10

$1.00 IQD 1,306

195.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 A$5.83

$0.69 IQD 909

507.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 A$3.36

$0.61 IQD 803

296.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 A$2.92

$0.65 IQD 855

223.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 A$3.14

$0.65 IQD 850

247.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 A$2.09

$0.55 IQD 722

172.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.58 A$43.90

$1.91 IQD 2,501

1553.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.29 A$19.86

$12.06 IQD 15.8K

18.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.59 A$6.38

$1.77 IQD 2,324

159.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.82 A$6.70

$2.26 IQD 2,961

113.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 A$4.19

$0.39 IQD 512

674.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.3 A$137

$33.19 IQD 43.5K

196.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 A$4.84

$2.31 IQD 3,026

50.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 A$2.43

$1.75 IQD 2,292

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.97 A$52.8

$6.16 IQD 8,063

516.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 A$1.68

$0.59 IQD 774

105.08%

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

$29.0K A$40.4K

$18.3K IQD 24.0M

58.42%

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

$22.6K A$31.4K

$20.1K IQD 26.4M

12.01%

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

$177 A$247

$99.9 IQD 130.8K

77.62%

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

$26.85 A$37.32

$19.71 IQD 25.8K

36.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.4 A$72.9

$32.89 IQD 43.1K

59.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.57 A$66.1

$34.48 IQD 45.2K

37.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.46 A$22.88

$14.75 IQD 19.3K

11.59%

Cinema Ticket

$13.73 A$19.09

$7.48 IQD 9,802

83.56%

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

$1,593 A$2,215

$134 IQD 175.3K

1090.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$17.7K

$2,613 IQD 3.4M

386.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.0 A$100

$22.02 IQD 28.8K

227.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.3 A$71.3

$26.23 IQD 34.4K

95.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 A$143

$57.6 IQD 75.4K

78.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 A$151

$40.28 IQD 52.8K

169.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 A$1,947

$300 IQD 392.5K

367.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,080 A$1,501

$194 IQD 253.8K

457.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,340 A$3,253

$557 IQD 729.3K

320.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,756 A$2,441

$376 IQD 492.5K

367.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,733 A$10.7K

$1,528 IQD 2.0M

405.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,563 A$7,733

$757 IQD 991.4K

634.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,000 A$5,560

$563 IQD 737.2K

610.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.35

8.23

-22.84%

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

Last update for Australia: April 27, 2026

Last update for Iraq: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,232 in Australia vs $254 in Iraq. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,529 in Canberra and $557 in Baghdad.

Average salary: $3,878 in Australia vs $557 in Iraq. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 385% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 221% more in Australia.

Public transport is 103% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 596% higher in Australia, giving Australia stronger purchasing power.

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

Australia vs Iraq: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Iraq is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 174% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Australia, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Australia consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Iraq, contributing to the overall 174% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Iraq, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Iraq is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.