Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baghdad and Al-'amarah

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-’amarah: $672 a month against $1,048 in Baghdad, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Baghdad
Learn more

Baghdad Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Al-'amarah
Learn more

Al-'amarah Living Index

Jump to prices

Baghdad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$1,048

/mo nomad

Al-'amarah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$672

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baghdad and in Al-'amarah

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

A single person spends $1,048 per month in Baghdad vs $672 in Al-’amarah, rent included.

Baghdad $1,048
Al-'amarah $672

A couple spends around $1,508 per month in Baghdad vs $1,023 in Al-’amarah, rent included.

Baghdad $1,508
Al-'amarah $1,023

A family of three spends $1,968 per month in Baghdad vs $1,373 in Al-’amarah, rent included.

Baghdad $1,968
Al-'amarah $1,373

Baghdad costs about 56% more than Al-’amarah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Baghdad and Al-’amarah are more affordable than the global median – Baghdad 23% lower, Al-’amarah 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.54 IQD 6,866

$4.08 IQD 6,163

11.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.64 IQD 40.3K

$19.39 IQD 29.3K

37.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.47 IQD 9,781

$6.29 IQD 9,501

2.86%

Cappuccino

$2.68 IQD 4,054

$2.23 IQD 3,364

20.18%

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

$0.39 IQD 584

$0.38 IQD 575

2.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 IQD 302

$0.21 IQD 311

-4.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.31 IQD 5,009

$3.01 IQD 4,555

9.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 IQD 4,866

$2.45 IQD 3,705

31.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 IQD 1,390

$0.99 IQD 1,494

-7.07%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 IQD 1,078

$0.67 IQD 1,014

5.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 IQD 1,999

$1.38 IQD 2,090

-4.35%

Eggs

$1.71 IQD 2,577

$1.59 IQD 2,409

7.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.30 IQD 4,989

$3.88 IQD 5,856

-14.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.15 IQD 6,269

$3.44 IQD 5,192

20.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.24 IQD 18.5K

$13.32 IQD 20.1K

-8.11%

Apples (1kg)

$1.00 IQD 1,513

$0.95 IQD 1,440

5.26%

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 IQD 1,487

$0.98 IQD 1,474

Oranges (1kg)

$0.95 IQD 1,440

$0.91 IQD 1,368

4.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 IQD 1,021

$0.63 IQD 951

7.94%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 IQD 877

$0.55 IQD 836

5.45%

Onion (1kg)

$0.57 IQD 854

$0.63 IQD 950

-9.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 IQD 903

$0.56 IQD 848

7.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 IQD 927

$0.47 IQD 715

29.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.67 IQD 2,531

$1.48 IQD 2,231

12.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.64 IQD 17.6K

$12.09 IQD 18.3K

-3.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 IQD 3,005

$1.68 IQD 2,545

18.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 IQD 2,962

$1.85 IQD 2,798

5.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 IQD 480

$0.29 IQD 438

10.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.04 IQD 30.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 IQD 3,045

$1.79 IQD 2,712

12.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 IQD 1,964

$1.17 IQD 1,766

11.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.67 IQD 10.1K

$5.46 IQD 8,252

22.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.58 IQD 870

$0.58 IQD 878

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

$16.5K IQD 25.0M

$17.6K IQD 26.6M

-6.09%

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

$16.7K IQD 25.2M

$14.7K IQD 22.2M

13.87%

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

$188 IQD 284.5K

$97.8 IQD 147.8K

92.54%

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

$19.25 IQD 29.1K

$14.57 IQD 22.0K

32.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.51 IQD 56.7K

$28.47 IQD 43.0K

31.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.97 IQD 60.4K

$36.45 IQD 55.1K

9.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.38 IQD 27.8K

Cinema Ticket

$9.70 IQD 14.7K

$9.04 IQD 13.7K

7.30%

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

$145 IQD 219.6K

$143 IQD 216.2K

1.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,297 IQD 5.0M

$2,964 IQD 4.5M

11.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.60 IQD 38.7K

$23.18 IQD 35.0K

10.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.32 IQD 50.3K

$22.01 IQD 33.3K

51.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.2 IQD 90.9K

$68.2 IQD 103.0K

-11.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.85 IQD 63.2K

$32.78 IQD 49.5K

27.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$537 IQD 811.6K

$204 IQD 308.8K

162.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$364 IQD 550.5K

$140 IQD 211.8K

159.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 IQD 1.5M

$368 IQD 555.9K

161.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 IQD 943.1K

$287 IQD 433.4K

117.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,276 IQD 6.5M

$863 IQD 1.3M

395.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,379 IQD 2.1M

$486 IQD 733.7K

184.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$518 IQD 782.8K

$434 IQD 655.1K

19.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.12

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

Last update for Baghdad: October 24, 2026

Last update for Al-'amarah: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baghdad

$364 34.8%

Al-'amarah

$140 20.9% 61.5% $224

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baghdad

$245 23.4%

Al-'amarah

$141 21% 42.5% $104

Groceries & Markets

Baghdad

$164 15.6%

Al-'amarah

$162 24.1% 1.1% $1.9

Eating Out

Baghdad

$113 10.8%

Al-'amarah

$101 15% 11.3% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Baghdad

$72 6.9%

Al-'amarah

$66 9.8% 9.2% $6.7

Sport & Entertainment

Baghdad

$59 5.7%

Al-'amarah

$55 8.1% 8.2% $4.9

Getting Around

Baghdad

$30 2.9%

Al-'amarah

$8.8 * 1.3% 70.5% $21

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $537 in Baghdad versus $204 in Al-’amarah. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 20% higher in Baghdad, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27 in Baghdad versus $19 in Al-’amarah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $164 vs $162 – making Al-’amarah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Baghdad

🇮🇶 Al-'amarah

🕒 Local time

01:17 1:17 AM

Same time as Baghdad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,216,040 Capital

511,542

💱 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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Between locations

Baghdad Al-'amarah 310 km

From you

Baghdad
Al-'amarah

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

Baghdad vs Al-'amarah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Baghdad is pricier by about 56%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,572 per month in Baghdad and $1,009 in Al-’amarah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Al-’amarah, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $204 there versus $537 in Baghdad.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27 in Baghdad and $19 in Al-’amarah. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Kindergarten costs $145 per month in Baghdad and $143 in Al-’amarah. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Al-’amarah, where all-in costs run around $672, than in Baghdad at $1,048. In Al-’amarah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Baghdad it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Baghdad has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $672 in Al-’amarah to $1,048 in Baghdad. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Al-’amarah. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Baghdad makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.