Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baghdad and Ba'qubah

For one person, living is cheaper in Ba’qubah: $511 a month against $1,048 in Baghdad, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Baghdad
Learn more

Baghdad Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Ba'qubah
Learn more

Ba'qubah Living Index

Jump to prices

Baghdad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$1,048

/mo nomad

Ba'qubah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$511

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baghdad and in Ba'qubah

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 Ba'qubah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,048 in Baghdad versus $511 in Ba’qubah.

Baghdad $1,048
Ba'qubah $511

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,508 in Baghdad versus $819 in Ba’qubah.

Baghdad $1,508
Ba'qubah $819

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,968 in Baghdad versus $1,128 in Ba’qubah.

Baghdad $1,968
Ba'qubah $1,128

Living in Baghdad is roughly 105% more expensive than in Ba’qubah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baghdad 23% lower, Ba’qubah 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.54 IQD 6,866

$4.16 IQD 6,289

9.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.64 IQD 40.3K

$13.19 IQD 19.9K

101.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.47 IQD 9,781

$5.46 IQD 8,250

18.50%

Cappuccino

$2.68 IQD 4,054

$1.03 IQD 1,555

160.19%

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

$0.39 IQD 584

$0.48 IQD 726

-18.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 IQD 302

$0.16 IQD 246

25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.31 IQD 5,009

$1.60 IQD 2,421

106.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 IQD 4,866

$4.04 IQD 6,101

-20.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 IQD 1,390

$0.95 IQD 1,432

-3.16%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 IQD 1,078

$0.52 IQD 780

36.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 IQD 1,999

$0.95 IQD 1,438

38.95%

Eggs

$1.71 IQD 2,577

$1.24 IQD 1,873

37.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.30 IQD 4,989

$1.96 IQD 2,966

68.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.15 IQD 6,269

$2.11 IQD 3,183

96.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.24 IQD 18.5K

$9.04 IQD 13.7K

35.40%

Apples (1kg)

$1.00 IQD 1,513

$0.87 IQD 1,310

14.94%

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 IQD 1,487

$0.96 IQD 1,456

2.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.95 IQD 1,440

$0.82 IQD 1,237

15.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 IQD 1,021

$0.49 IQD 737

38.78%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 IQD 877

$0.52 IQD 791

11.54%

Onion (1kg)

$0.57 IQD 854

$0.60 IQD 901

-5.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 IQD 903

$0.43 IQD 649

39.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 IQD 927

$0.19 IQD 287

221.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.67 IQD 2,531

$2.13 IQD 3,216

-21.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.64 IQD 17.6K

$10.90 IQD 16.5K

6.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 IQD 3,005

$1.42 IQD 2,153

40.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 IQD 2,962

$1.84 IQD 2,782

6.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 IQD 480

$0.32 IQD 477

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.04 IQD 30.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 IQD 3,045

$1.69 IQD 2,550

19.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 IQD 1,964

$1.56 IQD 2,358

-16.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.67 IQD 10.1K

$4.58 IQD 6,926

45.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.58 IQD 870

$0.29 IQD 431

100.00%

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

$16.5K IQD 25.0M

$16.5K IQD 24.9M

0.42%

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

$16.7K IQD 25.2M

$17.2K IQD 26.0M

-3.04%

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

$188 IQD 284.5K

$50.2 IQD 75.9K

274.84%

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

$19.25 IQD 29.1K

$12.09 IQD 18.3K

59.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.51 IQD 56.7K

$22.87 IQD 34.6K

64.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.97 IQD 60.4K

$16.35 IQD 24.7K

144.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.38 IQD 27.8K

Cinema Ticket

$9.70 IQD 14.7K

$3.38 IQD 5,107

186.98%

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

$145 IQD 219.6K

$23.01 IQD 34.8K

531.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,297 IQD 5.0M

$550 IQD 831.0K

499.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.60 IQD 38.7K

$16.83 IQD 25.4K

52.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.32 IQD 50.3K

$16.36 IQD 24.7K

103.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.2 IQD 90.9K

$59.4 IQD 89.8K

1.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.85 IQD 63.2K

$23.44 IQD 35.4K

78.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$537 IQD 811.6K

$205 IQD 309.3K

162.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$364 IQD 550.5K

$137 IQD 206.9K

166.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 IQD 1.5M

$381 IQD 576.1K

152.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 IQD 943.1K

$348 IQD 525.6K

79.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,276 IQD 6.5M

$860 IQD 1.3M

397.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,379 IQD 2.1M

$489 IQD 738.4K

182.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$518 IQD 782.8K

$626 IQD 946.4K

-17.28%

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 Ba'qubah: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baghdad

$364 34.8%

Ba'qubah

$137 26.8% 62.4% $227

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baghdad

$245 23.4%

Ba'qubah

$85 16.7% 65.2% $160

Groceries & Markets

Baghdad

$164 15.6%

Ba'qubah

$122 23.9% 25.4% $42

Eating Out

Baghdad

$113 10.8%

Ba'qubah

$81 15.8% 28.8% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Baghdad

$72 6.9%

Ba'qubah

$52 10.2% 27.9% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Baghdad

$59 5.7%

Ba'qubah

$23 4.5% 61.1% $36

Getting Around

Baghdad

$30 2.9%

Ba'qubah

$11 * 2.1% 64% $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 $205 in Ba’qubah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ba’qubah pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $27 in Baghdad vs $13 in Ba’qubah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $164 vs $122 per month, with Ba’qubah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Baghdad

🇮🇶 Ba'qubah

🕒 Local time

19:07 7:07 PM

Same time as Baghdad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,216,040 Capital

268,866

💱 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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Baghdad Ba'qubah 54 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 Ba'qubah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ba’qubah is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and eating out. The 105% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 17% lower in Baghdad. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $537 in Baghdad versus $205 in Ba’qubah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $145 in Baghdad versus $23 in Ba’qubah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ba’qubah – a meal for two runs $13 versus $27 in Baghdad. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $511 in Ba’qubah versus $1,048 in Baghdad, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ba’qubah but tight or insufficient in Baghdad. The gap between the two cities makes Ba’qubah 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.