Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baghdad and As Samawah

For one person, living is cheaper in As Samawah: $651 a month against $1,032 in Baghdad, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 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 As Samawah
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As Samawah Living Index

Jump to prices

Baghdad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$1,032

/mo nomad

As Samawah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$651

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baghdad and in As Samawah

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,032 in Baghdad versus $651 in As Samawah.

Baghdad $1,032
As Samawah $651

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,490 in Baghdad versus $1,052 in As Samawah.

Baghdad $1,490
As Samawah $1,052

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,949 in Baghdad versus $1,452 in As Samawah.

Baghdad $1,949
As Samawah $1,452

Living in Baghdad is roughly 58% more expensive than in As Samawah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baghdad 24% lower, As Samawah 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.34 IQD 6,556

$4.66 IQD 7,041

-6.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.47 IQD 40.0K

$26.87 IQD 40.6K

-1.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.40 IQD 9,677

$6.63 IQD 10.0K

-3.47%

Cappuccino

$2.67 IQD 4,034

$2.82 IQD 4,266

-5.32%

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

$0.39 IQD 587

$0.35 IQD 522

11.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 IQD 333

$0.19 IQD 281

15.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 IQD 4,857

$3.36 IQD 5,079

-4.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 IQD 4,937

$3.24 IQD 4,889

0.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 IQD 1,378

$0.90 IQD 1,367

1.11%

White Bread (500g)

$0.67 IQD 1,006

$0.63 IQD 951

6.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 IQD 2,077

$1.31 IQD 1,978

4.58%

Eggs

$1.69 IQD 2,557

$1.61 IQD 2,436

4.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.37 IQD 5,091

$1.34 IQD 2,019

151.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.90 IQD 5,900

$4.02 IQD 6,070

-2.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.44 IQD 18.8K

$11.86 IQD 17.9K

4.89%

Apples (1kg)

$1.03 IQD 1,557

$0.96 IQD 1,455

7.29%

Banana (1kg)

$0.90 IQD 1,356

$0.92 IQD 1,383

-2.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.94 IQD 1,418

$0.83 IQD 1,256

13.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 IQD 963

$0.40 IQD 606

60.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.60 IQD 904

$0.52 IQD 784

15.38%

Onion (1kg)

$0.57 IQD 861

$0.56 IQD 851

1.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 IQD 883

$0.59 IQD 892

-1.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 IQD 935

$0.58 IQD 878

6.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.54 IQD 2,331

$1.69 IQD 2,548

-8.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.95 IQD 18.1K

$6.66 IQD 10.1K

79.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 IQD 2,874

$1.97 IQD 2,973

-3.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 IQD 2,833

$1.89 IQD 2,854

-1.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 IQD 518

$0.34 IQD 517

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.50 IQD 29.5K

$19.98 IQD 30.2K

-2.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 IQD 3,059

$1.96 IQD 2,968

3.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 IQD 1,976

$1.28 IQD 1,940

2.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.76 IQD 10.2K

$2.61 IQD 3,937

159.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.58 IQD 870

$0.57 IQD 866

1.75%

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

$16.4K IQD 24.7M

$16.7K IQD 25.3M

-2.15%

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

$16.4K IQD 24.7M

$16.6K IQD 25.1M

-1.59%

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

$191 IQD 288.4K

$69.4 IQD 104.9K

175.01%

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

$20.02 IQD 30.3K

$16.69 IQD 25.2K

19.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.64 IQD 58.4K

$16.78 IQD 25.3K

130.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.72 IQD 60.0K

$36.45 IQD 55.1K

8.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.37 IQD 27.8K

$16.68 IQD 25.2K

10.13%

Cinema Ticket

$9.98 IQD 15.1K

$7.81 IQD 11.8K

27.78%

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

$145 IQD 218.4K

$49.72 IQD 75.1K

190.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,369 IQD 8.1M

$1,297 IQD 2.0M

313.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.76 IQD 37.4K

$25.54 IQD 38.6K

-3.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.12 IQD 50.0K

$33.33 IQD 50.4K

-0.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.3 IQD 89.6K

$58.9 IQD 89.0K

0.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.11 IQD 63.6K

$41.08 IQD 62.1K

2.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$530 IQD 800.5K

$209 IQD 316.2K

153.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$348 IQD 526.3K

$137 IQD 207.7K

153.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 IQD 1.5M

$168 IQD 254.1K

489.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$611 IQD 923.3K

$309 IQD 467.1K

97.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,348 IQD 6.6M

$867 IQD 1.3M

401.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,403 IQD 2.1M

$496 IQD 750.1K

182.65%

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 As Samawah: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baghdad

$348 33.8%

As Samawah

$137 21.1% 60.5% $211

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baghdad

$250 24.2%

As Samawah

$103 15.8% 58.8% $147

Groceries & Markets

Baghdad

$162 15.7%

As Samawah

$141 21.7% 13% $21

Eating Out

Baghdad

$111 10.8%

As Samawah

$116 17.9% 4.9% $5.5

Clothing & Footwear

Baghdad

$72 7%

As Samawah

$71 11% 0.3% $0.2

Sport & Entertainment

Baghdad

$60 5.8%

As Samawah

$52 8% 12.8% $7.6

Getting Around

Baghdad

$29 2.9%

As Samawah

$30 4.6% 1% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $530 in Baghdad and $209 in As Samawah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $26 in Baghdad vs $27 in As Samawah. Groceries flip the comparison at $162 vs $141, with As Samawah cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Baghdad

🇮🇶 As Samawah

🕒 Local time

11:56 11:56 AM

Same time as Baghdad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,216,040 Capital

250,000

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Baghdad As Samawah 240 km

From you

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 As Samawah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

As Samawah is about 37% cheaper overall, especially in utilities, groceries, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,548 in Baghdad and $977 in As Samawah 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: $530 in Baghdad versus $209 in As Samawah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $145 in Baghdad versus $50 in As Samawah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Baghdad – a meal for two runs $26 versus $27 in As Samawah. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $651 in As Samawah versus $1,032 in Baghdad, a $1,000 budget is realistic in As Samawah but tight or insufficient in Baghdad. The gap between the two cities makes As Samawah 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.