Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baghdad and Al-miqdadiyah

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-miqdadiyah: $767 a month against $1,048 in Baghdad, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Baghdad outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

50

Cost of Living Index in Baghdad
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Baghdad Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Al-miqdadiyah
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Al-miqdadiyah Living Index

Jump to prices

Baghdad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$1,048

/mo nomad

Al-miqdadiyah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$767

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,048 in Baghdad versus $767 in Al-miqdadiyah.

Baghdad $1,048
Al-miqdadiyah $767

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,508 in Baghdad versus $1,190 in Al-miqdadiyah.

Baghdad $1,508
Al-miqdadiyah $1,190

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,968 in Baghdad versus $1,614 in Al-miqdadiyah.

Baghdad $1,968
Al-miqdadiyah $1,614

Living in Baghdad is roughly 37% more expensive than in Al-miqdadiyah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baghdad 23% lower, Al-miqdadiyah 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.54 IQD 6,866

$4.02 IQD 6,077

12.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.64 IQD 40.3K

$36.99 IQD 55.9K

-27.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.47 IQD 9,781

$7.47 IQD 11.3K

-13.39%

Cappuccino

$2.68 IQD 4,054

$3.25 IQD 4,907

-17.54%

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

$0.39 IQD 584

$0.82 IQD 1,244

-52.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 IQD 302

$0.33 IQD 503

-39.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.31 IQD 5,009

$5.70 IQD 8,620

-41.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 IQD 4,866

$3.85 IQD 5,822

-16.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 IQD 1,390

$1.11 IQD 1,671

-17.12%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 IQD 1,078

$0.69 IQD 1,037

2.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 IQD 1,999

$1.46 IQD 2,204

-9.59%

Eggs

$1.71 IQD 2,577

$1.59 IQD 2,401

7.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.30 IQD 4,989

$7.19 IQD 10.9K

-54.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.15 IQD 6,269

$4.22 IQD 6,384

-1.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.24 IQD 18.5K

$12.98 IQD 19.6K

-5.70%

Apples (1kg)

$1.00 IQD 1,513

$0.97 IQD 1,463

3.09%

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 IQD 1,487

$1.00 IQD 1,506

-2.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.95 IQD 1,440

$1.02 IQD 1,539

-6.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 IQD 1,021

$0.71 IQD 1,070

-4.23%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 IQD 877

$0.65 IQD 983

-10.77%

Onion (1kg)

$0.57 IQD 854

$0.62 IQD 943

-8.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 IQD 903

$0.60 IQD 905

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

$2.12 IQD 3,207

-21.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.64 IQD 17.6K

$10.55 IQD 15.9K

10.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 IQD 3,005

$1.41 IQD 2,126

41.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 IQD 2,962

$1.85 IQD 2,800

5.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 IQD 480

$0.29 IQD 440

10.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.04 IQD 30.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 IQD 3,045

$1.68 IQD 2,540

20.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 IQD 1,964

$1.61 IQD 2,427

-19.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.67 IQD 10.1K

$5.44 IQD 8,223

22.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.58 IQD 870

$0.57 IQD 866

1.75%

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

$16.5K IQD 25.0M

$16.8K IQD 25.3M

-1.37%

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

$16.7K IQD 25.2M

$16.9K IQD 25.6M

-1.45%

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

$188 IQD 284.5K

$114 IQD 172.8K

64.70%

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

$19.25 IQD 29.1K

$12.20 IQD 18.4K

57.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.51 IQD 56.7K

$23.98 IQD 36.2K

56.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.97 IQD 60.4K

$38.74 IQD 58.5K

3.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.38 IQD 27.8K

Cinema Ticket

$9.70 IQD 14.7K

$9.98 IQD 15.1K

-2.81%

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

$145 IQD 219.6K

$291 IQD 440.3K

-50.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,297 IQD 5.0M

$2,756 IQD 4.2M

19.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.60 IQD 38.7K

$27.15 IQD 41.0K

-5.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.32 IQD 50.3K

$38.74 IQD 58.5K

-13.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.2 IQD 90.9K

$59.0 IQD 89.1K

2.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.85 IQD 63.2K

$59.5 IQD 90.0K

-29.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$537 IQD 811.6K

$204 IQD 308.7K

162.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$364 IQD 550.5K

$156 IQD 235.3K

133.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 IQD 1.5M

$341 IQD 515.6K

182.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 IQD 943.1K

$291 IQD 439.2K

114.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,276 IQD 6.5M

$921 IQD 1.4M

364.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,379 IQD 2.1M

$518 IQD 782.9K

166.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$518 IQD 782.8K

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-miqdadiyah: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baghdad

$364 34.8%

Al-miqdadiyah

$156 20.3% 57.3% $209

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baghdad

$245 23.4%

Al-miqdadiyah

$151 19.6% 38.6% $95

Groceries & Markets

Baghdad

$164 15.6%

Al-miqdadiyah

$173 22.6% 6% $9.8

Eating Out

Baghdad

$113 10.8%

Al-miqdadiyah

$134 17.5% 18.6% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Baghdad

$72 6.9%

Al-miqdadiyah

$83 10.8% 14.6% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Baghdad

$59 5.7%

Al-miqdadiyah

$59 7.7% 1.1% $0.7

Getting Around

Baghdad

$30 2.9%

Al-miqdadiyah

$11 * 1.4% 63.5% $19

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 $204 in Al-miqdadiyah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $27 in Baghdad vs $37 in Al-miqdadiyah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $164 vs $174 per month, with Baghdad cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Baghdad

🇮🇶 Al-miqdadiyah

🕒 Local time

19:57 7:57 PM

Same time as Baghdad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,216,040 Capital

155,968

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.95 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.95 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Baghdad Al-miqdadiyah 92 km

From you

Baghdad
Al-miqdadiyah

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-miqdadiyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baghdad and Al-miqdadiyah differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($1,048 vs $767 including rent). Al-miqdadiyah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $1,572 in Baghdad and $1,150 in Al-miqdadiyah 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 $204 in Al-miqdadiyah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Baghdad pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $1,048 per month in Baghdad versus $767 in Al-miqdadiyah – a 37% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Al-miqdadiyah gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.