Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baghdad and An Najaf

For one person, living is cheaper in An Najaf: $590 a month against $1,050 in Baghdad, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

51

Cost of Living Index in Baghdad
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Baghdad Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in An Najaf
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An Najaf Living Index

Jump to prices

Baghdad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$1,050

/mo nomad

An Najaf

🇮🇶 Iraq

$590

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baghdad and in An Najaf

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

A single person spends $1,050 per month in Baghdad vs $590 in An Najaf, rent included.

Baghdad $1,050
An Najaf $590

A couple spends around $1,501 per month in Baghdad vs $886 in An Najaf, rent included.

Baghdad $1,501
An Najaf $886

A family of three spends $1,953 per month in Baghdad vs $1,182 in An Najaf, rent included.

Baghdad $1,953
An Najaf $1,182

Baghdad costs about 78% more than An Najaf, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Baghdad and An Najaf are more affordable than the global median – Baghdad 23% lower, An Najaf 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 IQD 6,887

$3.87 IQD 5,846

17.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.95 IQD 39.2K

$19.87 IQD 30.0K

30.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.45 IQD 9,741

$4.23 IQD 6,392

52.48%

Cappuccino

$2.80 IQD 4,231

$2.29 IQD 3,457

22.27%

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

$0.36 IQD 538

$0.35 IQD 531

2.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 IQD 302

$0.22 IQD 333

-9.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 IQD 5,092

$3.22 IQD 4,868

4.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 IQD 4,860

$2.06 IQD 3,113

56.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 IQD 1,352

$0.89 IQD 1,351

1.12%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 IQD 1,031

$0.67 IQD 1,020

1.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 IQD 2,075

$1.35 IQD 2,045

1.48%

Eggs

$1.64 IQD 2,479

$1.51 IQD 2,276

8.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.32 IQD 5,015

$3.32 IQD 5,009

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.02 IQD 6,077

$4.03 IQD 6,083

-0.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.30 IQD 18.6K

$9.31 IQD 14.1K

32.12%

Apples (1kg)

$1.02 IQD 1,547

$0.96 IQD 1,448

6.25%

Banana (1kg)

$0.93 IQD 1,404

$0.95 IQD 1,436

-2.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.94 IQD 1,428

$0.93 IQD 1,412

1.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.69 IQD 1,039

$0.67 IQD 1,017

2.99%

Potato (1kg)

$0.59 IQD 888

$0.58 IQD 882

1.72%

Onion (1kg)

$0.60 IQD 905

$0.59 IQD 894

1.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 IQD 844

$0.57 IQD 866

-1.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 IQD 870

$0.45 IQD 683

28.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.67 IQD 2,516

$1.67 IQD 2,523

Wine (Bottle)

$11.53 IQD 17.4K

$11.61 IQD 17.5K

-0.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 IQD 2,865

$1.99 IQD 3,001

-4.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 IQD 2,981

$1.94 IQD 2,930

1.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 IQD 913

$0.32 IQD 485

87.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.45 IQD 29.4K

$19.55 IQD 29.5K

-0.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 IQD 2,904

$1.34 IQD 2,021

43.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 IQD 2,021

$1.35 IQD 2,038

-0.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.72 IQD 10.1K

$5.32 IQD 8,045

26.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.54 IQD 815

$0.38 IQD 581

42.11%

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

$16.7K IQD 25.2M

$12.1K IQD 18.3M

37.56%

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

$16.8K IQD 25.3M

$16.4K IQD 24.8M

1.91%

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

$187 IQD 283.1K

$35.08 IQD 53.0K

434.15%

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

$19.24 IQD 29.1K

$14.83 IQD 22.4K

29.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.71 IQD 58.5K

$33.33 IQD 50.4K

16.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.32 IQD 59.4K

$24.89 IQD 37.6K

57.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.99 IQD 28.7K

Cinema Ticket

$10.00 IQD 15.1K

$8.14 IQD 12.3K

22.85%

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

$147 IQD 221.6K

$143 IQD 216.6K

2.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,282 IQD 5.0M

$797 IQD 1.2M

311.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.81 IQD 39.0K

$15.09 IQD 22.8K

71.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.68 IQD 50.9K

$24.14 IQD 36.5K

39.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.1 IQD 90.8K

$59.9 IQD 90.5K

0.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.45 IQD 62.6K

$41.94 IQD 63.4K

-1.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$540 IQD 816.0K

$229 IQD 345.7K

136.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$366 IQD 552.5K

$129 IQD 194.8K

183.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$955 IQD 1.4M

$319 IQD 481.3K

199.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 IQD 925.1K

$187 IQD 282.8K

227.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,298 IQD 6.5M

$1,111 IQD 1.7M

286.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,402 IQD 2.1M

$443 IQD 668.8K

216.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$516 IQD 779.1K

$668 IQD 1.0M

-22.76%

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 18, 2026

Last update for An Najaf: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baghdad

$366 34.9%

An Najaf

$129 21.9% 64.8% $237

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baghdad

$245 23.4%

An Najaf

$83 14.1% 66.1% $162

Groceries & Markets

Baghdad

$161 15.4%

An Najaf

$150 25.5% 6.8% $11

Eating Out

Baghdad

$115 11%

An Najaf

$94 15.9% 18.5% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Baghdad

$72 6.9%

An Najaf

$63 10.8% 12.4% $9

Sport & Entertainment

Baghdad

$59 5.7%

An Najaf

$41 7% 30.6% $18

Getting Around

Baghdad

$30 2.9%

An Najaf

$29 4.9% 5.1% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $540 in Baghdad versus $229 in An Najaf. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 29% higher in An Najaf, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26.00 in Baghdad versus $20.00 in An Najaf. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $161 vs $150 – making An Najaf the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Baghdad

🇮🇶 An Najaf

🕒 Local time

19:28 7:28 PM

Same time as Baghdad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,216,040 Capital

1,221,248

💱 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

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Baghdad An Najaf 150 km

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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 An Najaf: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baghdad costs about 78% more than An Najaf, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,574 per month in Baghdad and $885 in An Najaf. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in An Najaf, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,050 in Baghdad and $590 in An Najaf. That's a gap of about 78%.

Public transport costs about 1% less in An Najaf. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in An Najaf, where all-in costs run around $590, than in Baghdad at $1,050. In An Najaf it covers expenses comfortably, while in Baghdad it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward An Najaf – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with An Najaf. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Baghdad makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.