Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Az Zubayr and Sulaymaniyah

For one person, living costs are similar in Az Zubayr and in Sulaymaniyah: $656 and $663 a month, rent and utilities included.

32

Cost of Living Index in Az Zubayr
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Az Zubayr Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Sulaymaniyah
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Sulaymaniyah Living Index

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Az Zubayr

🇮🇶 Iraq

$656

/mo nomad

Sulaymaniyah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Az Zubayr and in Sulaymaniyah

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $656 in Az Zubayr versus $663 in Sulaymaniyah.

Az Zubayr $656
Sulaymaniyah $663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,021 in Az Zubayr versus $1,034 in Sulaymaniyah.

Az Zubayr $1,021
Sulaymaniyah $1,034

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,387 in Az Zubayr versus $1,406 in Sulaymaniyah.

Az Zubayr $1,387
Sulaymaniyah $1,406

Monthly costs are close between Az Zubayr and Sulaymaniyah; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Az Zubayr 52% lower, Sulaymaniyah 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.37 IQD 6,602

$4.21 IQD 6,363

3.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.52 IQD 29.5K

$19.75 IQD 29.8K

-1.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.58 IQD 8,436

$5.90 IQD 8,916

-5.42%

Cappuccino

$2.65 IQD 4,001

$2.45 IQD 3,702

8.16%

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

$0.33 IQD 497

$0.43 IQD 650

-23.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 IQD 297

$0.20 IQD 302

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 IQD 5,107

$3.22 IQD 4,873

4.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 IQD 3,447

$2.04 IQD 3,080

11.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 IQD 1,513

$1.11 IQD 1,677

-9.91%

White Bread (500g)

$0.76 IQD 1,152

$0.89 IQD 1,339

-14.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 IQD 2,399

$1.66 IQD 2,516

-4.22%

Eggs

$1.46 IQD 2,203

$1.55 IQD 2,345

-5.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.38 IQD 6,621

$4.31 IQD 6,509

1.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 IQD 5,189

$3.66 IQD 5,536

-6.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.09 IQD 18.3K

$13.27 IQD 20.1K

-8.89%

Apples (1kg)

$1.07 IQD 1,623

$1.11 IQD 1,680

-3.60%

Banana (1kg)

$0.99 IQD 1,502

$1.09 IQD 1,646

-9.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 IQD 1,561

$1.04 IQD 1,579

-0.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.66 IQD 994

$0.56 IQD 843

17.86%

Potato (1kg)

$0.57 IQD 855

$0.49 IQD 740

16.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 IQD 1,012

$0.63 IQD 957

6.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 IQD 852

$0.58 IQD 883

-3.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 IQD 671

$0.45 IQD 685

-2.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.47 IQD 2,225

$2.02 IQD 3,049

-27.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.27 IQD 17.0K

$9.76 IQD 14.7K

15.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 IQD 2,149

$1.66 IQD 2,509

-14.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 IQD 2,450

$1.25 IQD 1,896

29.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 IQD 479

$0.52 IQD 786

-38.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.74 IQD 29.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 IQD 2,543

$1.92 IQD 2,904

-12.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 IQD 1,698

$1.96 IQD 2,961

-42.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 IQD 8,146

$4.48 IQD 6,774

20.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.53 IQD 803

$0.57 IQD 865

-7.02%

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

$15.9K IQD 24.0M

$17.6K IQD 26.6M

-9.72%

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

$16.5K IQD 24.9M

$17.0K IQD 25.6M

-2.87%

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

$94.9 IQD 143.4K

$85.2 IQD 128.7K

11.40%

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

$11.70 IQD 17.7K

$10.12 IQD 15.3K

15.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.28 IQD 41.2K

$24.03 IQD 36.3K

13.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.31 IQD 59.4K

$33.78 IQD 51.0K

16.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.92 IQD 27.1K

Cinema Ticket

$7.83 IQD 11.8K

$6.56 IQD 9,916

19.36%

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

$137 IQD 206.7K

$153 IQD 231.1K

-10.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,772 IQD 4.2M

$2,546 IQD 3.8M

8.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.27 IQD 27.6K

$16.75 IQD 25.3K

9.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.75 IQD 32.9K

$22.28 IQD 33.7K

-2.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.7 IQD 81.2K

$36.83 IQD 55.7K

45.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.29 IQD 59.4K

$33.01 IQD 49.9K

19.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$200 IQD 302.7K

$187 IQD 282.6K

7.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$133 IQD 200.3K

$147 IQD 221.9K

-9.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$418 IQD 631.5K

$419 IQD 632.8K

-0.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$315 IQD 476.0K

$314 IQD 474.4K

0.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$833 IQD 1.3M

$695 IQD 1.1M

19.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$479 IQD 723.6K

$548 IQD 828.2K

-12.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 IQD 757.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.12

5.77

-28.60%

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

Last update for Az Zubayr: October 27, 2026

Last update for Sulaymaniyah: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Az Zubayr

$159 24.2%

Sulaymaniyah

$164 24.7% 3.2% $5.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Az Zubayr

$134 20.4%

Sulaymaniyah

$119 18% 10.9% $15

Accommodation & Living

Az Zubayr

$133 20.2%

Sulaymaniyah

$147 22.2% 10.8% $14

Eating Out

Az Zubayr

$107 16.3%

Sulaymaniyah

$104 15.6% 3.3% $3.5

Clothing & Footwear

Az Zubayr

$60 9.1%

Sulaymaniyah

$49 7.4% 18.2% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Az Zubayr

$55 8.4%

Sulaymaniyah

$47 7.1% 14.7% $8.1

Getting Around

Az Zubayr

$8.6 * 1.3%

Sulaymaniyah

$34 5.1% 291% $25

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $200 in Az Zubayr and $187 in Sulaymaniyah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $20 in Az Zubayr vs $20 in Sulaymaniyah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $159 vs $164 per month, with Az Zubayr cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Az Zubayr

🇮🇶 Sulaymaniyah

🕒 Local time

11:49 11:49 AM

Same time as Az Zubayr

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

370,000

823,199

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Az Zubayr Sulaymaniyah 610 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Az Zubayr
Sulaymaniyah

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 Sulaymaniyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

You’d need roughly $983 in Az Zubayr and $994 in Sulaymaniyah 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: $200 in Az Zubayr versus $187 in Sulaymaniyah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $137 in Az Zubayr versus $153 in Sulaymaniyah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Sulaymaniyah. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Az Zubayr gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.