Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baghdad and Al Kazimiyah

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Kazimiyah: $668 a month against $1,048 in Baghdad, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 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 Kazimiyah
Learn more

Al Kazimiyah Living Index

Jump to prices

Baghdad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$1,048

/mo nomad

Al Kazimiyah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$668

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,048 in Baghdad versus $668 in Al Kazimiyah.

Baghdad $1,048
Al Kazimiyah $668

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,508 in Baghdad versus $1,012 in Al Kazimiyah.

Baghdad $1,508
Al Kazimiyah $1,012

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,968 in Baghdad versus $1,356 in Al Kazimiyah.

Baghdad $1,968
Al Kazimiyah $1,356

Living in Baghdad is roughly 57% more expensive than in Al Kazimiyah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baghdad 23% lower, Al Kazimiyah 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.54 IQD 6,866

$4.17 IQD 6,294

8.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.64 IQD 40.3K

$19.25 IQD 29.1K

38.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.47 IQD 9,781

$7.11 IQD 10.7K

-9.00%

Cappuccino

$2.68 IQD 4,054

$2.19 IQD 3,313

22.37%

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

$0.39 IQD 584

$0.37 IQD 564

5.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 IQD 302

$0.20 IQD 296

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.31 IQD 5,009

$3.54 IQD 5,343

-6.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 IQD 4,866

$2.82 IQD 4,264

14.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 IQD 1,390

$0.86 IQD 1,303

6.98%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 IQD 1,078

$0.62 IQD 931

14.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 IQD 1,999

$1.54 IQD 2,328

-14.29%

Eggs

$1.71 IQD 2,577

$1.46 IQD 2,205

17.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.30 IQD 4,989

$4.38 IQD 6,614

-24.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.15 IQD 6,269

$3.58 IQD 5,402

15.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.24 IQD 18.5K

$13.05 IQD 19.7K

-6.21%

Apples (1kg)

$1.00 IQD 1,513

$1.10 IQD 1,656

-9.09%

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 IQD 1,487

$0.86 IQD 1,296

13.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.95 IQD 1,440

$0.97 IQD 1,459

-2.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 IQD 1,021

$0.62 IQD 934

9.68%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 IQD 877

$0.59 IQD 893

-1.69%

Onion (1kg)

$0.57 IQD 854

$0.65 IQD 977

-12.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 IQD 903

$0.62 IQD 932

-3.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 IQD 927

$0.52 IQD 792

17.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.67 IQD 2,531

$1.46 IQD 2,207

14.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.64 IQD 17.6K

$12.06 IQD 18.2K

-3.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 IQD 3,005

$1.60 IQD 2,415

24.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 IQD 2,962

$1.65 IQD 2,487

18.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 IQD 480

$0.38 IQD 570

-15.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.04 IQD 30.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 IQD 3,045

$1.97 IQD 2,979

2.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 IQD 1,964

$1.19 IQD 1,804

9.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.67 IQD 10.1K

$5.97 IQD 9,014

11.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.58 IQD 870

$0.64 IQD 968

-9.38%

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

$16.5K IQD 25.0M

$18.1K IQD 27.4M

-8.74%

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

$16.7K IQD 25.2M

$19.1K IQD 28.8M

-12.44%

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

$188 IQD 284.5K

$81.9 IQD 123.8K

129.88%

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

$19.25 IQD 29.1K

$11.68 IQD 17.6K

64.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.51 IQD 56.7K

$25.31 IQD 38.2K

48.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.97 IQD 60.4K

$39.65 IQD 59.9K

0.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.38 IQD 27.8K

Cinema Ticket

$9.70 IQD 14.7K

$8.96 IQD 13.5K

8.26%

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

$145 IQD 219.6K

$152 IQD 229.6K

-4.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,297 IQD 5.0M

$2,394 IQD 3.6M

37.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.60 IQD 38.7K

$22.57 IQD 34.1K

13.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.32 IQD 50.3K

$22.79 IQD 34.4K

46.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.2 IQD 90.9K

$53.3 IQD 80.6K

12.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.85 IQD 63.2K

$32.17 IQD 48.6K

30.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$537 IQD 811.6K

$234 IQD 354.1K

129.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$364 IQD 550.5K

$154 IQD 233.4K

135.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 IQD 1.5M

$322 IQD 486.0K

199.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 IQD 943.1K

$294 IQD 444.6K

112.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,276 IQD 6.5M

$984 IQD 1.5M

334.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,379 IQD 2.1M

$564 IQD 852.3K

144.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$518 IQD 782.8K

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 Kazimiyah: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baghdad

$364 34.8%

Al Kazimiyah

$154 23.1% 57.6% $210

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baghdad

$245 23.4%

Al Kazimiyah

$119 17.8% 51.5% $126

Groceries & Markets

Baghdad

$164 15.6%

Al Kazimiyah

$162 24.2% 1.2% $1.9

Eating Out

Baghdad

$113 10.8%

Al Kazimiyah

$107 16% 6% $6.8

Clothing & Footwear

Baghdad

$72 6.9%

Al Kazimiyah

$59 8.8% 18.7% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Baghdad

$59 5.7%

Al Kazimiyah

$58 8.6% 3% $1.8

Getting Around

Baghdad

$30 2.9%

Al Kazimiyah

$9.5 * 1.4% 68.3% $20

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 $537 in Baghdad and $234 in Al Kazimiyah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $27 in Baghdad vs $19 in Al Kazimiyah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $164 vs $162 per month, with Al Kazimiyah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Baghdad

🇮🇶 Al Kazimiyah

🕒 Local time

09:27 9:27 AM

Same time as Baghdad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,216,040 Capital

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.91 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.91 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Baghdad Al Kazimiyah 9 km

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Baghdad
Al Kazimiyah

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 Kazimiyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al Kazimiyah is about 36% cheaper overall, especially in transport, utilities, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,572 in Baghdad and $1,001 in Al Kazimiyah 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: $537 in Baghdad versus $234 in Al Kazimiyah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Al Kazimiyah – a meal for two runs $19 versus $27 in Baghdad. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Childcare runs $145 in Baghdad versus $152 in Al Kazimiyah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $668 in Al Kazimiyah versus $1,048 in Baghdad, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Al Kazimiyah but tight or insufficient in Baghdad. The gap between the two cities makes Al Kazimiyah 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.