Cost of Living Comparison Between Baghdad and Al-miqdadiyah Cost of Living Comparison Between Baghdad and Al-miqdadiyah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,066 in Baghdad versus $867 in Al-miqdadiyah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,598 in Baghdad versus $1,334 in Al-miqdadiyah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,130 in Baghdad versus $1,800 in Al-miqdadiyah.

Living in Baghdad is roughly 23% more expensive than in Al-miqdadiyah, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baghdad 20% lower, Al-miqdadiyah 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.30 IQD 6,947

$7.74 IQD 10.1K

-31.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.81 IQD 48.2K

$23.30 IQD 30.5K

57.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.78 IQD 10.2K

$8.61 IQD 11.3K

-9.64%

Cappuccino

$3.11 IQD 4,074

$3.15 IQD 4,123

-1.27%

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

$0.40 IQD 522

$0.52 IQD 683

-23.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.18 IQD 233

$0.20 IQD 262

-10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 IQD 4,576

$1.94 IQD 2,535

79.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 IQD 3,686

$2.04 IQD 2,670

38.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 IQD 1,722

$1.32 IQD 1,726

-0.76%

White Bread (500g)

$0.84 IQD 1,100

$0.80 IQD 1,046

5.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 IQD 2,152

$1.80 IQD 2,362

-8.89%

Eggs

$1.81 IQD 2,364

$1.91 IQD 2,506

-5.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.52 IQD 5,923

$7.50 IQD 9,820

-39.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.86 IQD 6,364

$4.81 IQD 6,297

1.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.16 IQD 18.5K

$13.95 IQD 18.3K

1.51%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 IQD 1,615

$1.20 IQD 1,575

2.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 IQD 1,519

$1.14 IQD 1,497

1.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 IQD 1,366

$1.18 IQD 1,541

-11.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.75 IQD 984

$0.81 IQD 1,057

-7.41%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 IQD 843

$0.72 IQD 948

-11.11%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 IQD 873

$0.71 IQD 932

-5.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 IQD 828

$0.72 IQD 942

-12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 IQD 858

$0.52 IQD 682

26.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.07 IQD 2,707

$2.70 IQD 3,535

-23.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.33 IQD 17.5K

$12.57 IQD 16.5K

6.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 IQD 2,354

$1.37 IQD 1,794

31.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 IQD 2,762

$2.03 IQD 2,655

3.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 IQD 965

$0.37 IQD 480

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.86 IQD 36.5K

$30.79 IQD 40.3K

-9.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.72 IQD 4,870

$2.24 IQD 2,937

66.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 IQD 2,026

$2.33 IQD 3,047

-33.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.49 IQD 9,803

$7.08 IQD 9,270

5.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.53 IQD 700

$0.69 IQD 899

-23.19%

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

$20.0K IQD 26.2M

$18.9K IQD 24.7M

6.17%

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

$20.3K IQD 26.6M

$20.9K IQD 27.3M

-2.63%

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

$175 IQD 229.3K

$103 IQD 134.5K

70.47%

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

$26.17 IQD 34.3K

$17.78 IQD 23.3K

47.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.52 IQD 53.1K

$29.62 IQD 38.8K

36.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.04 IQD 55.1K

$36.50 IQD 47.8K

15.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.31 IQD 24.0K

$16.77 IQD 22.0K

9.18%

Cinema Ticket

$7.49 IQD 9,813

$11.63 IQD 15.2K

-35.60%

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

$166 IQD 217.8K

$269 IQD 352.6K

-38.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,526 IQD 4.6M

$3,226 IQD 4.2M

9.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.00 IQD 36.7K

$32.94 IQD 43.1K

-15.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.12 IQD 39.4K

$49.23 IQD 64.5K

-38.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.9 IQD 83.7K

$83.8 IQD 109.7K

-23.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$43.06 IQD 56.4K

$77.3 IQD 101.2K

-44.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$548 IQD 717.9K

$240 IQD 313.9K

128.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$323 IQD 422.7K

$182 IQD 238.1K

77.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$834 IQD 1.1M

$588 IQD 769.4K

41.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 IQD 781.1K

$346 IQD 452.7K

72.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,734 IQD 6.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,570 IQD 2.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$629 IQD 823.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.67

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

Last update for Baghdad: July 14, 2026

Last update for Al-miqdadiyah: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $548 in Baghdad and $240 in Al-miqdadiyah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $37.00 in Baghdad vs $23.00 in Al-miqdadiyah. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $195, with Baghdad cheaper for home cooking.

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 23% in total monthly costs ($1,066 vs $867 including rent). Al-miqdadiyah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,600 in Baghdad and $1,301 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: $548 in Baghdad versus $240 in Al-miqdadiyah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $166 in Baghdad versus $269 in Al-miqdadiyah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Baghdad pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $867 in Al-miqdadiyah versus $1,066 in Baghdad, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Al-miqdadiyah but tight or insufficient in Baghdad. The gap between the two cities makes Al-miqdadiyah 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.

Expats usually find Al-miqdadiyah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Baghdad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.