Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baghdad and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Baghdad: $1,148 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Baghdad
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Baghdad Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Baghdad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$1,148

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baghdad and in Budapest

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,148 in Baghdad versus $1,621 in Budapest.

Baghdad $1,148
Budapest $1,621

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,702 in Baghdad versus $2,555 in Budapest.

Baghdad $1,702
Budapest $2,555

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,256 in Baghdad versus $3,489 in Budapest.

Baghdad $2,256
Budapest $3,489

Living in Baghdad costs roughly 29% less than in Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Baghdad is 14% below, Budapest is 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.87 IQD 7,354

$13.99 Ft 4,551

-65.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.91 IQD 52.7K

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

-42.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 IQD 11.4K

$9.96 Ft 3,241

-24.50%

Cappuccino

$3.19 IQD 4,827

$3.38 Ft 1,100

-5.62%

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

$0.36 IQD 548

$2.13 Ft 692

-83.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 IQD 379

$1.87 Ft 608

-86.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.83 IQD 5,788

$3.75 Ft 1,221

2.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 IQD 5,892

$3.57 Ft 1,162

9.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 IQD 1,563

$1.13 Ft 368

-8.85%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 IQD 1,284

$1.84 Ft 599

-53.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 IQD 2,308

$2.39 Ft 777

-35.98%

Eggs

$1.92 IQD 2,901

$3.83 Ft 1,245

-49.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.95 IQD 5,965

$11.33 Ft 3,686

-65.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.60 IQD 6,954

$6.74 Ft 2,192

-31.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.07 IQD 21.3K

$14.69 Ft 4,780

-4.22%

Apples (1kg)

$1.14 IQD 1,722

$1.84 Ft 597

-38.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 IQD 1,647

$2.01 Ft 653

-45.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 IQD 1,567

$2.36 Ft 767

-55.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.74 IQD 1,125

$3.77 Ft 1,226

-80.37%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 IQD 1,034

$0.96 Ft 313

-29.17%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 IQD 970

$1.03 Ft 334

-37.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 IQD 1,003

$1.56 Ft 509

-57.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 IQD 1,020

$0.66 Ft 216

3.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.93 IQD 2,922

$7.96 Ft 2,591

-75.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.58 IQD 20.5K

$6.01 Ft 1,954

125.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 IQD 3,219

$1.30 Ft 421

63.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 IQD 3,296

$2.08 Ft 676

4.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 IQD 1,030

$1.50 Ft 489

-54.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.19 IQD 35.0K

$27.61 Ft 8,982

-16.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.25 IQD 3,402

$3.30 Ft 1,074

-31.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 IQD 2,373

$1.30 Ft 424

20.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.68 IQD 11.6K

$19.78 Ft 6,436

-61.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.68 IQD 1,030

$1.81 Ft 591

-62.43%

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

$19.1K IQD 28.8M

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

-34.96%

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

$19.4K IQD 29.3M

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-43.14%

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

$218 IQD 330.0K

$170 Ft 55.3K

28.52%

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

$19.65 IQD 29.7K

$23.98 Ft 7,802

-18.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.88 IQD 64.8K

$23.42 Ft 7,621

83.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.30 IQD 71.5K

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-28.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.47 IQD 32.4K

$19.18 Ft 6,239

11.94%

Cinema Ticket

$10.64 IQD 16.1K

$9.52 Ft 3,098

11.76%

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

$168 IQD 253.1K

$537 Ft 174.6K

-68.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,430 IQD 5.2M

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

-79.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.72 IQD 43.4K

$101 Ft 33.0K

-71.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.11 IQD 48.5K

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

-25.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.4 IQD 103.3K

$113 Ft 36.7K

-39.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.01 IQD 74.1K

$119 Ft 38.6K

-58.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$577 IQD 871.8K

$805 Ft 262.0K

-28.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 IQD 545.2K

$629 Ft 204.7K

-42.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 IQD 1.5M

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

-34.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 IQD 1.0M

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

-42.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,647 IQD 7.0M

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-17.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,569 IQD 2.4M

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-60.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$593 IQD 895.6K

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

-63.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.12

6.43

-35.93%

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

Last update for Baghdad: October 5, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baghdad

$361 31.6%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 74.4% $268

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baghdad

$281 24.6%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 22.6% $64

Groceries & Markets

Baghdad

$186 16.3%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 38.4% $72

Eating Out

Baghdad

$129 11.3%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 73.5% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Baghdad

$80 7%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 111% $89

Sport & Entertainment

Baghdad

$69 6%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 24.4% $17

Getting Around

Baghdad

$36 3.2%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 20.6% $7.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $577 in Baghdad and $805 in Budapest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Budapest pays 174% 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: $35.00 in Baghdad vs $60.0 in Budapest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $186 vs $258 per month, with Baghdad cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Baghdad

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

07:58 7:58 AM

06:58 6:58 AM

1 h behind Baghdad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,216,040 Capital

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to IQD – Iraqi Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇶 Iraqi Dinar (ع.د)

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,695 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

USD to IQD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Baghdad Budapest 2,640 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Baghdad
Budapest

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 Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baghdad wins on cost – living expenses run 41% lower than in Budapest. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Baghdad the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 174% lower in Budapest. 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: $577 in Baghdad versus $805 in Budapest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Baghdad runs roughly 19% less than in Budapest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $168 in Baghdad versus $537 in Budapest. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,148 in Baghdad versus $1,621 in Budapest, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Baghdad but tight or insufficient in Budapest. The gap between the two cities makes Baghdad the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Baghdad delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,148 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Baghdad hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Baghdad and Budapest are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Baghdad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Budapest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.