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 $761 in Iraq, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,219 per month in Australia vs $1,168 in Iraq, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,253 per month in Australia vs $1,575 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 ($1,592–$2,842) than Iraq ($535–$1,074), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Australia.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.44 A$23.33

$4.62 IQD 6,049

255.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.1 A$111

$23.22 IQD 30.4K

236.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.94 A$14.11

$6.17 IQD 8,081

61.10%

Cappuccino

$3.60 A$5.10

$2.24 IQD 2,936

60.71%

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

$2.68 A$3.80

$0.42 IQD 549

538.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 A$3.03

$0.17 IQD 227

1158.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.53 A$9.26

$2.25 IQD 2,951

190.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.05 A$10.00

$2.73 IQD 3,574

158.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 A$2.24

$1.23 IQD 1,611

28.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 A$3.59

$0.82 IQD 1,073

208.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 A$2.94

$1.58 IQD 2,065

31.01%

Eggs

$4.30 A$6.11

$1.79 IQD 2,346

140.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.03 A$12.81

$4.98 IQD 6,517

81.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.55 A$12.13

$4.11 IQD 5,376

108.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 A$19.80

$12.42 IQD 16.3K

12.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 A$4.51

$1.04 IQD 1,356

205.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 A$4.03

$1.13 IQD 1,475

151.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 A$4.18

$1.05 IQD 1,373

180.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.43 A$6.29

$0.68 IQD 895

551.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 A$3.48

$0.62 IQD 807

296.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 A$3.08

$0.65 IQD 852

233.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 A$3.25

$0.66 IQD 865

246.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 A$2.23

$0.51 IQD 672

207.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.87 A$43.79

$2.00 IQD 2,624

1443.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.06 A$19.94

$11.92 IQD 15.6K

17.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.55 A$6.45

$1.86 IQD 2,435

144.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.81 A$6.83

$2.16 IQD 2,834

122.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.87 A$4.07

$0.40 IQD 521

617.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.8 A$136

$32.71 IQD 42.8K

192.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.65 A$5.17

$2.35 IQD 3,073

55.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 A$2.50

$1.74 IQD 2,273

1.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.27 A$54.3

$6.10 IQD 7,990

527.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.63

$0.60 IQD 781

91.67%

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

$28.4K A$40.3K

$18.3K IQD 24.0M

54.81%

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

$23.0K A$32.6K

$19.9K IQD 26.0M

15.77%

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

$178 A$253

$98.4 IQD 128.9K

80.82%

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

$26.46 A$37.53

$19.08 IQD 25.0K

38.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.1 A$76.8

$32.47 IQD 42.5K

66.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.64 A$66.2

$34.81 IQD 45.6K

33.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.54 A$23.47

$14.82 IQD 19.4K

11.61%

Cinema Ticket

$13.65 A$19.36

$7.77 IQD 10.2K

75.68%

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

$1,575 A$2,234

$134 IQD 174.8K

1079.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$18.0K

$2,580 IQD 3.4M

392.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.5 A$101

$22.33 IQD 29.2K

220.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 A$72.1

$26.27 IQD 34.4K

93.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 A$142

$57.6 IQD 75.4K

74.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 A$153

$39.99 IQD 52.4K

170.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,384 A$1,963

$300 IQD 392.7K

361.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,105 A$1,568

$198 IQD 258.8K

459.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,298 A$3,260

$547 IQD 716.9K

319.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,728 A$2,451

$376 IQD 493.0K

359.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,610 A$10.8K

$1,635 IQD 2.1M

365.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,504 A$7,808

$779 IQD 1.0M

606.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,002 A$5,677

$576 IQD 754.6K

594.42%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Iraq: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,232 in Australia vs $255 in Iraq. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,568 in Canberra and $553 in Baghdad.

Average salary: $3,845 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 383% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 221% more in Australia.

Public transport is 103% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 590% 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 176% 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 176% 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.