Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baghdad and Al-mawsil

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-mawsil: $598 a month against $1,048 in Baghdad, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 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
29

Cost of Living Index in Al-mawsil
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Al-mawsil Living Index

Jump to prices

Baghdad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$1,048

/mo nomad

Al-mawsil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$598

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,048 in Baghdad versus $598 in Al-mawsil.

Baghdad $1,048
Al-mawsil $598

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,508 in Baghdad versus $903 in Al-mawsil.

Baghdad $1,508
Al-mawsil $903

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,968 in Baghdad versus $1,207 in Al-mawsil.

Baghdad $1,968
Al-mawsil $1,207

Living in Baghdad is roughly 75% more expensive than in Al-mawsil, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baghdad 23% lower, Al-mawsil 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.54 IQD 6,866

$4.07 IQD 6,148

11.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.64 IQD 40.3K

$10.40 IQD 15.7K

156.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.47 IQD 9,781

$5.01 IQD 7,571

29.14%

Cappuccino

$2.68 IQD 4,054

$0.64 IQD 974

318.75%

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

$0.39 IQD 584

$0.35 IQD 522

11.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 IQD 302

$0.18 IQD 279

11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.31 IQD 5,009

$0.87 IQD 1,311

280.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 IQD 4,866

$1.36 IQD 2,051

136.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 IQD 1,390

$0.64 IQD 970

43.75%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 IQD 1,078

$0.65 IQD 978

9.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 IQD 1,999

$0.55 IQD 830

140.00%

Eggs

$1.71 IQD 2,577

$0.95 IQD 1,440

80.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.30 IQD 4,989

$7.19 IQD 10.9K

-54.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.15 IQD 6,269

$2.88 IQD 4,353

44.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.24 IQD 18.5K

$8.14 IQD 12.3K

50.37%

Apples (1kg)

$1.00 IQD 1,513

$0.64 IQD 963

56.25%

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 IQD 1,487

$0.64 IQD 972

53.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.95 IQD 1,440

$0.48 IQD 728

97.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 IQD 1,021

$0.22 IQD 331

209.09%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 IQD 877

$0.25 IQD 375

132.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.57 IQD 854

$0.31 IQD 474

83.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 IQD 903

$0.60 IQD 911

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 IQD 927

$0.49 IQD 740

24.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.67 IQD 2,531

$1.61 IQD 2,439

3.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.64 IQD 17.6K

$10.94 IQD 16.5K

6.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 IQD 3,005

$1.45 IQD 2,195

37.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 IQD 2,962

$1.80 IQD 2,714

8.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 IQD 480

$0.31 IQD 475

3.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.04 IQD 30.3K

$26.19 IQD 39.6K

-23.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 IQD 3,045

$1.61 IQD 2,438

25.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 IQD 1,964

$1.60 IQD 2,420

-18.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.67 IQD 10.1K

$3.98 IQD 6,021

67.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.58 IQD 870

$0.31 IQD 472

87.10%

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

$16.5K IQD 25.0M

$13.0K IQD 19.7M

26.96%

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

$16.7K IQD 25.2M

$15.3K IQD 23.2M

8.84%

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

$188 IQD 284.5K

$93.7 IQD 141.5K

101.07%

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

$19.25 IQD 29.1K

$12.00 IQD 18.1K

60.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.51 IQD 56.7K

$22.95 IQD 34.7K

63.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.97 IQD 60.4K

$37.48 IQD 56.6K

6.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.38 IQD 27.8K

$6.48 IQD 9,784

183.64%

Cinema Ticket

$9.70 IQD 14.7K

$6.42 IQD 9,708

51.09%

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

$145 IQD 219.6K

$301 IQD 455.1K

-51.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,297 IQD 5.0M

$604 IQD 912.4K

446.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.60 IQD 38.7K

$16.49 IQD 24.9K

55.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.32 IQD 50.3K

$12.99 IQD 19.6K

156.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.2 IQD 90.9K

$60.0 IQD 90.6K

0.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.85 IQD 63.2K

$15.65 IQD 23.6K

167.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$537 IQD 811.6K

$211 IQD 318.8K

154.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$364 IQD 550.5K

$139 IQD 209.6K

162.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 IQD 1.5M

$369 IQD 557.1K

161.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 IQD 943.1K

$309 IQD 466.9K

102.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,276 IQD 6.5M

$851 IQD 1.3M

402.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,379 IQD 2.1M

$435 IQD 657.4K

217.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$518 IQD 782.8K

$521 IQD 787.2K

-0.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.12

2.53

62.85%

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

Last update for Baghdad: October 24, 2026

Last update for Al-mawsil: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baghdad

$364 34.8%

Al-mawsil

$139 23.2% 61.9% $226

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baghdad

$245 23.4%

Al-mawsil

$129 21.5% 47.5% $116

Groceries & Markets

Baghdad

$164 15.6%

Al-mawsil

$132 22% 19.5% $32

Eating Out

Baghdad

$113 10.8%

Al-mawsil

$64 10.8% 43.1% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Baghdad

$72 6.9%

Al-mawsil

$47 7.9% 34.7% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Baghdad

$59 5.7%

Al-mawsil

$50 8.4% 15.2% $9.1

Getting Around

Baghdad

$30 2.9%

Al-mawsil

$37 6.2% 24.3% $7.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $537 in Baghdad and $211 in Al-mawsil. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $27 in Baghdad vs $10 in Al-mawsil for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $164 vs $132 per month, with Al-mawsil cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Baghdad

🇮🇶 Al-mawsil

🕒 Local time

22:44 10:44 PM

Same time as Baghdad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,216,040 Capital

1,683,000

💱 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-mawsil 360 km

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Baghdad
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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-mawsil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al-mawsil is about 43% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,572 in Baghdad and $897 in Al-mawsil 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 $211 in Al-mawsil. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $145 in Baghdad versus $301 in Al-mawsil. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Baghdad. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $598 in Al-mawsil versus $1,048 in Baghdad, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Al-mawsil but tight or insufficient in Baghdad. The gap between the two cities makes Al-mawsil 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.