Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Az Zubayr and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Az Zubayr: $630 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Az Zubayr
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Az Zubayr Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Az Zubayr

🇮🇶 Iraq

$630

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Az Zubayr and in Cape Town

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Az Zubayr and in Cape Town actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $630 in Az Zubayr versus $1,586 in Cape Town.

Az Zubayr $630
Cape Town $1,586

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,022 in Az Zubayr versus $2,425 in Cape Town.

Az Zubayr $1,022
Cape Town $2,425

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,415 in Az Zubayr versus $3,263 in Cape Town.

Az Zubayr $1,415
Cape Town $3,263

Living in Az Zubayr costs roughly 60% less than in Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Az Zubayr is 53% below, Cape Town is 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.65 IQD 5,510

$12.14 R 200

-69.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.61 IQD 31.1K

$45.34 R 747

-54.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.13 IQD 9,269

$5.88 R 96.9

4.25%

Cappuccino

$2.61 IQD 3,948

$2.50 R 41.18

4.40%

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

$0.36 IQD 545

$1.27 R 20.94

-71.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 IQD 325

$0.98 R 16.14

-78.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 IQD 4,903

$2.99 R 49.33

8.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 IQD 3,898

$3.72 R 61.4

-30.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 IQD 1,432

$1.30 R 21.40

-26.92%

White Bread (500g)

$0.72 IQD 1,092

$1.25 R 20.68

-42.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 IQD 2,092

$2.23 R 36.76

-38.12%

Eggs

$1.56 IQD 2,359

$3.11 R 51.2

-49.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.14 IQD 6,254

$9.06 R 149

-54.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.73 IQD 5,637

$6.92 R 114

-46.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.03 IQD 18.2K

$9.30 R 153

29.35%

Apples (1kg)

$0.84 IQD 1,277

$1.84 R 30.25

-54.35%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 IQD 1,468

$1.96 R 32.29

-50.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.89 IQD 1,350

$1.67 R 27.45

-46.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.69 IQD 1,046

$2.17 R 35.70

-68.20%

Potato (1kg)

$0.56 IQD 849

$1.57 R 25.81

-64.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.51 IQD 765

$1.48 R 24.45

-65.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.51 IQD 767

$1.30 R 21.41

-60.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 IQD 661

$1.13 R 18.60

-61.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.85 IQD 2,795

$3.60 R 59.3

-48.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.37 IQD 14.2K

$6.15 R 101

52.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 IQD 2,251

$1.38 R 22.66

7.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 IQD 2,537

$2.14 R 35.20

-21.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 IQD 567

$1.50 R 24.65

-74.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.78 IQD 32.9K

$60.8 R 1,001

-64.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.98 IQD 2,990

$0.59 R 9.71

235.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 IQD 2,007

$1.50 R 24.65

-11.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.35 IQD 9,602

$5.11 R 84.2

24.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 IQD 885

$1.55 R 25.50

-61.94%

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

$17.4K IQD 26.3M

$36.2K R 596.5K

-51.86%

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

$19.2K IQD 29.1M

$31.2K R 514.8K

-38.43%

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

$75.0 IQD 113.3K

$114 R 1,883

-34.39%

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

$11.17 IQD 16.9K

$28.91 R 476

-61.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.29 IQD 33.7K

$39.73 R 654

-43.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.46 IQD 58.1K

$49.01 R 808

-21.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 R 181

Cinema Ticket

$9.03 IQD 13.6K

$9.15 R 151

-1.31%

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

$157 IQD 237.9K

$259 R 4,264

-39.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,436 IQD 3.7M

$6,794 R 111.9K

-64.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.33 IQD 30.7K

$56.2 R 926

-63.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.82 IQD 36.0K

$32.41 R 534

-26.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$43.76 IQD 66.1K

$121 R 1,987

-63.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$30.83 IQD 46.6K

$108 R 1,781

-71.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$166 IQD 251.4K

$1,021 R 16.8K

-83.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$125 IQD 188.3K

$717 R 11.8K

-82.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$420 IQD 634.1K

$1,824 R 30.1K

-76.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$351 IQD 530.1K

$1,327 R 21.9K

-73.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$643 IQD 971.0K

$2,391 R 39.4K

-73.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$493 IQD 744.3K

$1,542 R 25.4K

-68.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,639 R 27.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.33

10.97

-69.64%

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

Last update for Az Zubayr: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Az Zubayr

$152 24.2%

Cape Town

$225 14.2% 47.7% $73

Accommodation & Living

Az Zubayr

$125 19.8%

Cape Town

$717 45.2% 475% $592

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Az Zubayr

$108 17.2%

Cape Town

$183 11.5% 68.7% $75

Eating Out

Az Zubayr

$103 16.3%

Cape Town

$176 11.1% 71.7% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Az Zubayr

$57 9%

Cape Town

$67 4.2% 19.1% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Az Zubayr

$53 8.5%

Cape Town

$143 9% 167% $89

Getting Around

Az Zubayr

$32 5.1%

Cape Town

$75 4.7% 134% $43

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $166 in Az Zubayr and $1,021 in Cape Town. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $21.00 in Az Zubayr vs $45.00 in Cape Town for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $152 vs $225 per month, with Az Zubayr cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Az Zubayr

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

20:42 8:42 PM

19:42 7:42 PM

1 h behind Az Zubayr

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

370,000

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to IQD – Iraqi Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇶 Iraqi Dinar (ع.د)

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to IQD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Az Zubayr Cape Town 7,780 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Az Zubayr
Cape Town

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

Az Zubayr vs Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Az Zubayr and Cape Town differ by about 152% in total monthly costs ($630 vs $1,586 including rent). Az Zubayr is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $945 in Az Zubayr and $2,379 in Cape Town to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $166 in Az Zubayr versus $1,021 in Cape Town. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Cape Town. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Az Zubayr – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $45.00 in Cape Town. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $630 in Az Zubayr versus $1,586 in Cape Town, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Az Zubayr but tight or insufficient in Cape Town. The gap between the two cities makes Az Zubayr 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.

Expats usually find Az Zubayr gentler on the wallet – expenses run 152% less than in Cape Town. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.