Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baghdad and Baghdadi

For one person, living is cheaper in Baghdadi: $641 a month against $1,032 in Baghdad, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 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 Baghdadi
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Baghdadi Living Index

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Baghdad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$1,032

/mo nomad

Baghdadi

🇮🇶 Iraq

$641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baghdad and in Baghdadi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,032 in Baghdad versus $641 in Baghdadi.

Baghdad $1,032
Baghdadi $641

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,490 in Baghdad versus $978 in Baghdadi.

Baghdad $1,490
Baghdadi $978

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,949 in Baghdad versus $1,316 in Baghdadi.

Baghdad $1,949
Baghdadi $1,316

Living in Baghdad is roughly 61% more expensive than in Baghdadi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baghdad 24% lower, Baghdadi 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.34 IQD 6,556

$4.02 IQD 6,071

7.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.47 IQD 40.0K

$13.93 IQD 21.1K

90.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.40 IQD 9,677

$6.17 IQD 9,325

3.73%

Cappuccino

$2.67 IQD 4,034

$1.88 IQD 2,846

42.02%

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

$0.39 IQD 587

$0.42 IQD 628

-7.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 IQD 333

$0.18 IQD 274

22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 IQD 4,857

$3.25 IQD 4,906

-1.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 IQD 4,937

$2.57 IQD 3,890

27.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 IQD 1,378

$1.03 IQD 1,553

-11.65%

White Bread (500g)

$0.67 IQD 1,006

$0.48 IQD 729

39.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 IQD 2,077

$2.75 IQD 4,159

-50.18%

Eggs

$1.69 IQD 2,557

$1.85 IQD 2,790

-8.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.37 IQD 5,091

$3.83 IQD 5,790

-12.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.90 IQD 5,900

$3.29 IQD 4,969

18.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.44 IQD 18.8K

$8.24 IQD 12.5K

50.97%

Apples (1kg)

$1.03 IQD 1,557

$0.94 IQD 1,418

9.57%

Banana (1kg)

$0.90 IQD 1,356

$1.00 IQD 1,507

-10.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.94 IQD 1,418

$0.93 IQD 1,406

1.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 IQD 963

$0.68 IQD 1,023

-5.88%

Potato (1kg)

$0.60 IQD 904

$0.60 IQD 902

Onion (1kg)

$0.57 IQD 861

$0.67 IQD 1,009

-14.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 IQD 883

$0.51 IQD 777

13.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 IQD 935

$0.54 IQD 814

14.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.54 IQD 2,331

$1.70 IQD 2,569

-9.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.95 IQD 18.1K

$11.28 IQD 17.0K

5.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 IQD 2,874

$1.59 IQD 2,401

19.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 IQD 2,833

$1.81 IQD 2,740

3.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 IQD 518

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.50 IQD 29.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 IQD 3,059

$1.80 IQD 2,727

12.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 IQD 1,976

$1.29 IQD 1,948

1.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.76 IQD 10.2K

$5.64 IQD 8,529

19.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.58 IQD 870

$0.58 IQD 875

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

$16.4K IQD 24.7M

$16.4K IQD 24.8M

-0.23%

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

$16.4K IQD 24.7M

$17.0K IQD 25.6M

-3.47%

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

$191 IQD 288.4K

$87.6 IQD 132.3K

117.94%

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

$20.02 IQD 30.3K

$13.62 IQD 20.6K

46.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.64 IQD 58.4K

$28.52 IQD 43.1K

35.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.72 IQD 60.0K

$36.52 IQD 55.2K

8.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.37 IQD 27.8K

Cinema Ticket

$9.98 IQD 15.1K

$9.06 IQD 13.7K

10.15%

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

$145 IQD 218.4K

$143 IQD 216.5K

0.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,369 IQD 8.1M

$2,771 IQD 4.2M

93.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.76 IQD 37.4K

$21.10 IQD 31.9K

17.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.12 IQD 50.0K

$22.93 IQD 34.6K

44.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.3 IQD 89.6K

$60.6 IQD 91.6K

-2.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.11 IQD 63.6K

$37.63 IQD 56.9K

11.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$530 IQD 800.5K

$207 IQD 313.2K

155.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$348 IQD 526.3K

$136 IQD 205.3K

156.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 IQD 1.5M

$382 IQD 576.4K

159.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$611 IQD 923.3K

$313 IQD 472.7K

95.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,348 IQD 6.6M

$870 IQD 1.3M

399.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,403 IQD 2.1M

$487 IQD 735.4K

188.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$517 IQD 780.9K

$499 IQD 753.6K

3.63%

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 Baghdadi: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baghdad

$348 33.8%

Baghdadi

$136 21.2% 61% $212

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baghdad

$250 24.2%

Baghdadi

$130 20.2% 48% $120

Groceries & Markets

Baghdad

$162 15.7%

Baghdadi

$150 23.4% 7.8% $13

Eating Out

Baghdad

$111 10.8%

Baghdadi

$97 15.2% 12.6% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Baghdad

$72 7%

Baghdadi

$64 10% 10.7% $7.7

Sport & Entertainment

Baghdad

$60 5.8%

Baghdadi

$55 8.5% 8.4% $5

Getting Around

Baghdad

$29 2.9%

Baghdadi

$9.6 * 1.5% 67.3% $20

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 $530 in Baghdad and $207 in Baghdadi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Baghdad pays 4% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $26 in Baghdad vs $14 in Baghdadi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $162 vs $150 per month, with Baghdadi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Baghdad

🇮🇶 Baghdadi

🕒 Local time

16:36 4:36 PM

Same time as Baghdad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,216,040 Capital

💱 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

On the map

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Baghdad Baghdadi 180 km

From you

Baghdad
Baghdadi

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 Baghdadi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baghdadi wins on cost – living expenses run 38% lower than in Baghdad. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Baghdadi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 4% higher in Baghdad, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $530 in Baghdad versus $207 in Baghdadi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Baghdad. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,032 per month in Baghdad versus $641 in Baghdadi – Baghdadi is about 38% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $641 in Baghdadi versus $1,032 in Baghdad, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Baghdadi but tight or insufficient in Baghdad. The gap between the two cities makes Baghdadi 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.

It comes down to priorities – Baghdadi wins on affordability, Baghdad on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.