Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baghdad and Al Kut

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Kut: $657 a month against $1,032 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
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Baghdad Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Al Kut
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Al Kut Living Index

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Baghdad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$1,032

/mo nomad

Al Kut

🇮🇶 Iraq

$657

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,032 per month in Baghdad vs $657 in Al Kut, rent included.

Baghdad $1,032
Al Kut $657

A couple spends around $1,490 per month in Baghdad vs $1,024 in Al Kut, rent included.

Baghdad $1,490
Al Kut $1,024

A family of three spends $1,949 per month in Baghdad vs $1,391 in Al Kut, rent included.

Baghdad $1,949
Al Kut $1,391

Baghdad costs about 57% more than Al Kut, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Baghdad and Al Kut are more affordable than the global median – Baghdad 24% lower, Al Kut 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.34 IQD 6,556

$4.25 IQD 6,426

2.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.47 IQD 40.0K

$21.06 IQD 31.8K

25.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.40 IQD 9,677

$6.29 IQD 9,511

1.75%

Cappuccino

$2.67 IQD 4,034

$2.48 IQD 3,748

7.66%

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

$0.39 IQD 587

$0.35 IQD 534

11.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 IQD 333

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 IQD 4,857

$3.36 IQD 5,072

-4.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 IQD 4,937

$2.60 IQD 3,934

25.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 IQD 1,378

$0.99 IQD 1,499

-8.08%

White Bread (500g)

$0.67 IQD 1,006

$0.73 IQD 1,108

-8.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 IQD 2,077

$1.48 IQD 2,234

-7.43%

Eggs

$1.69 IQD 2,557

$1.54 IQD 2,321

9.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.37 IQD 5,091

$3.76 IQD 5,679

-10.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.90 IQD 5,900

$3.48 IQD 5,256

12.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.44 IQD 18.8K

$11.64 IQD 17.6K

6.87%

Apples (1kg)

$1.03 IQD 1,557

$0.87 IQD 1,311

18.39%

Banana (1kg)

$0.90 IQD 1,356

$1.05 IQD 1,582

-14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.94 IQD 1,418

$0.86 IQD 1,292

9.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 IQD 963

$0.67 IQD 1,019

-4.48%

Potato (1kg)

$0.60 IQD 904

$0.54 IQD 820

11.11%

Onion (1kg)

$0.57 IQD 861

$0.61 IQD 927

-6.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 IQD 883

$0.58 IQD 873

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 IQD 935

$0.51 IQD 775

21.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.54 IQD 2,331

$1.70 IQD 2,563

-9.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.95 IQD 18.1K

$11.12 IQD 16.8K

7.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 IQD 2,874

$1.58 IQD 2,382

20.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 IQD 2,833

$1.88 IQD 2,837

-0.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 IQD 518

$0.32 IQD 481

6.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.50 IQD 29.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 IQD 3,059

$1.87 IQD 2,823

8.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 IQD 1,976

$1.34 IQD 2,019

-2.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.76 IQD 10.2K

$5.55 IQD 8,382

21.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.58 IQD 870

$0.58 IQD 871

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

$16.4K IQD 24.7M

$16.8K IQD 25.4M

-2.48%

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

$16.4K IQD 24.7M

$16.4K IQD 24.8M

-0.46%

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

$191 IQD 288.4K

$85.1 IQD 128.6K

124.24%

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

$20.02 IQD 30.3K

$13.61 IQD 20.6K

47.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.64 IQD 58.4K

$28.70 IQD 43.4K

34.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.72 IQD 60.0K

$36.94 IQD 55.8K

7.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.37 IQD 27.8K

Cinema Ticket

$9.98 IQD 15.1K

$9.11 IQD 13.8K

9.55%

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

$145 IQD 218.4K

$146 IQD 220.6K

-0.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,369 IQD 8.1M

$2,793 IQD 4.2M

92.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.76 IQD 37.4K

$21.30 IQD 32.2K

16.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.12 IQD 50.0K

$22.72 IQD 34.3K

45.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.3 IQD 89.6K

$60.6 IQD 91.5K

-2.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.11 IQD 63.6K

$37.16 IQD 56.1K

13.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$530 IQD 800.5K

$211 IQD 318.6K

151.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$348 IQD 526.3K

$138 IQD 209.0K

151.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 IQD 1.5M

$368 IQD 556.5K

169.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$611 IQD 923.3K

$315 IQD 476.3K

93.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,348 IQD 6.6M

$849 IQD 1.3M

411.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,403 IQD 2.1M

$488 IQD 737.0K

187.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$517 IQD 780.9K

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 31, 2026

Last update for Al Kut: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baghdad

$348 33.8%

Al Kut

$138 21.1% 60.3% $210

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baghdad

$250 24.2%

Al Kut

$127 19.4% 48.9% $122

Groceries & Markets

Baghdad

$162 15.7%

Al Kut

$156 23.7% 4.2% $6.8

Eating Out

Baghdad

$111 10.8%

Al Kut

$107 16.3% 3.6% $4

Clothing & Footwear

Baghdad

$72 7%

Al Kut

$64 9.7% 11% $7.9

Sport & Entertainment

Baghdad

$60 5.8%

Al Kut

$55 8.4% 7.6% $4.5

Getting Around

Baghdad

$29 2.9%

Al Kut

$9.8 * 1.5% 66.6% $20

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $530 in Baghdad versus $211 in Al Kut. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Baghdad versus $21 in Al Kut. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $162 vs $156 – making Al Kut the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Baghdad

🇮🇶 Al Kut

🕒 Local time

10:43 10:43 AM

Same time as Baghdad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,216,040 Capital

422,793

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Baghdad Al Kut 160 km

From you

Baghdad
Al Kut

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 Kut: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,032 in Baghdad, $657 in Al Kut – Al Kut comes out roughly 36% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,548 per month in Baghdad and $985 in Al Kut. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Al Kut, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $211 there versus $530 in Baghdad.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,032 in Baghdad and $657 in Al Kut. That makes Al Kut about 36% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $145 per month in Baghdad and $146 in Al Kut. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,032 in Baghdad and $657 in Al Kut, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Baghdad has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $657 in Al Kut to $1,032 in Baghdad. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.