Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baghdad and Al Hillah

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Hillah: $693 a month against $1,048 in Baghdad, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Baghdad
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Baghdad Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Al Hillah
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Al Hillah Living Index

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Baghdad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$1,048

/mo nomad

Al Hillah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$693

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baghdad and in Al Hillah

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

A single person spends $1,048 per month in Baghdad vs $693 in Al Hillah, rent included.

Baghdad $1,048
Al Hillah $693

A couple spends around $1,508 per month in Baghdad vs $1,067 in Al Hillah, rent included.

Baghdad $1,508
Al Hillah $1,067

A family of three spends $1,968 per month in Baghdad vs $1,442 in Al Hillah, rent included.

Baghdad $1,968
Al Hillah $1,442

Baghdad costs about 51% more than Al Hillah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Baghdad and Al Hillah are more affordable than the global median – Baghdad 23% lower, Al Hillah 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.54 IQD 6,866

$4.69 IQD 7,083

-3.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.64 IQD 40.3K

$26.52 IQD 40.1K

0.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.47 IQD 9,781

$5.51 IQD 8,326

17.42%

Cappuccino

$2.68 IQD 4,054

$2.69 IQD 4,068

-0.37%

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

$0.39 IQD 584

$0.34 IQD 519

14.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 IQD 302

$0.20 IQD 309

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.31 IQD 5,009

$2.73 IQD 4,121

21.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 IQD 4,866

$3.35 IQD 5,063

-3.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 IQD 1,390

$0.97 IQD 1,463

-5.15%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 IQD 1,078

$0.64 IQD 963

10.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 IQD 1,999

$1.38 IQD 2,080

-4.35%

Eggs

$1.71 IQD 2,577

$1.54 IQD 2,330

11.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.30 IQD 4,989

$3.36 IQD 5,083

-1.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.15 IQD 6,269

$4.01 IQD 6,065

3.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.24 IQD 18.5K

$12.29 IQD 18.6K

-0.41%

Apples (1kg)

$1.00 IQD 1,513

$0.96 IQD 1,450

4.17%

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 IQD 1,487

$0.95 IQD 1,443

3.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.95 IQD 1,440

$0.90 IQD 1,367

5.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 IQD 1,021

$0.68 IQD 1,032

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 IQD 877

$0.58 IQD 883

Onion (1kg)

$0.57 IQD 854

$0.60 IQD 912

-5.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 IQD 903

$0.52 IQD 786

15.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 IQD 927

$0.52 IQD 780

17.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.67 IQD 2,531

$1.66 IQD 2,515

0.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.64 IQD 17.6K

$11.71 IQD 17.7K

-0.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 IQD 3,005

$1.90 IQD 2,876

4.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 IQD 2,962

$1.96 IQD 2,966

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 IQD 480

$0.34 IQD 518

-5.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.04 IQD 30.3K

$55.0 IQD 83.1K

-63.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 IQD 3,045

$1.96 IQD 2,968

3.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 IQD 1,964

$1.28 IQD 1,939

1.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.67 IQD 10.1K

$2.98 IQD 4,506

123.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.58 IQD 870

$0.50 IQD 757

16.00%

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

$16.5K IQD 25.0M

$14.8K IQD 22.4M

11.44%

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

$16.7K IQD 25.2M

$16.6K IQD 25.1M

0.61%

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

$188 IQD 284.5K

$65.1 IQD 98.3K

189.41%

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

$19.25 IQD 29.1K

$13.34 IQD 20.2K

44.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.51 IQD 56.7K

$33.35 IQD 50.4K

12.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.97 IQD 60.4K

$19.62 IQD 29.7K

103.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.38 IQD 27.8K

$16.36 IQD 24.7K

12.35%

Cinema Ticket

$9.70 IQD 14.7K

$6.44 IQD 9,724

50.62%

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

$145 IQD 219.6K

$81.2 IQD 122.6K

79.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,297 IQD 5.0M

$664 IQD 1.0M

396.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.60 IQD 38.7K

$18.98 IQD 28.7K

34.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.32 IQD 50.3K

$21.34 IQD 32.2K

56.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.2 IQD 90.9K

$57.8 IQD 87.4K

4.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.85 IQD 63.2K

$42.36 IQD 64.0K

-1.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$537 IQD 811.6K

$245 IQD 369.5K

119.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$364 IQD 550.5K

$151 IQD 228.6K

140.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 IQD 1.5M

$436 IQD 659.1K

120.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 IQD 943.1K

$258 IQD 389.8K

141.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,276 IQD 6.5M

$1,477 IQD 2.2M

189.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,379 IQD 2.1M

$483 IQD 729.4K

185.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$518 IQD 782.8K

$436 IQD 659.3K

18.74%

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 Hillah: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baghdad

$364 34.8%

Al Hillah

$151 21.8% 58.5% $213

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baghdad

$245 23.4%

Al Hillah

$112 16.1% 54.4% $133

Groceries & Markets

Baghdad

$164 15.6%

Al Hillah

$160 23.2% 2% $3.3

Eating Out

Baghdad

$113 10.8%

Al Hillah

$109 15.7% 3.9% $4.4

Clothing & Footwear

Baghdad

$72 6.9%

Al Hillah

$63 9.1% 12.7% $9.2

Sport & Entertainment

Baghdad

$59 5.7%

Al Hillah

$32 4.7% 45.3% $27

Getting Around

Baghdad

$30 2.9%

Al Hillah

$65 9.4% 117% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $537 in Baghdad versus $245 in Al Hillah. 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 19% 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 $27 in Al Hillah. Groceries tell a different story – $164 in Baghdad vs $160 in Al Hillah – so Al Hillah wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Baghdad

🇮🇶 Al Hillah

🕒 Local time

16:08 4:08 PM

Same time as Baghdad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,216,040 Capital

1,729,666

💱 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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Baghdad Al Hillah 92 km

From you

Baghdad
Al Hillah

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 Hillah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Baghdad is pricier by about 51%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,572 per month in Baghdad and $1,039 in Al Hillah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Al Hillah, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $245 there versus $537 in Baghdad.

Public transport costs about 64% less in Baghdad. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $145 per month in Baghdad and $81 in Al Hillah. 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 Hillah, where all-in costs run around $693, than in Baghdad at $1,048. In Al Hillah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Baghdad it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Al Hillah – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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