Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baghdad and Delhi

For one person, living is cheaper in Delhi: $520 a month against $1,148 in Baghdad, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Baghdad
Learn more

Baghdad Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Delhi
Learn more

Delhi Living Index

Jump to prices

Baghdad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$1,148

/mo nomad

Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$520

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baghdad and in Delhi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,148 in Baghdad versus $520 in Delhi.

Baghdad $1,148
Delhi $520

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,702 in Baghdad versus $858 in Delhi.

Baghdad $1,702
Delhi $858

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,256 in Baghdad versus $1,195 in Delhi.

Baghdad $2,256
Delhi $1,195

Living in Baghdad is roughly 121% more expensive than in Delhi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baghdad 14% lower, Delhi 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.87 IQD 7,354

$3.67 ₹355

32.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.91 IQD 52.7K

$20.95 ₹2,027

66.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 IQD 11.4K

$3.74 ₹362

101.07%

Cappuccino

$3.19 IQD 4,827

$2.33 ₹226

36.91%

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

$0.36 IQD 548

$0.37 ₹35.82

-2.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 IQD 379

$0.20 ₹18.91

25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.83 IQD 5,788

$2.02 ₹195

89.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 IQD 5,892

$3.19 ₹308

22.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 IQD 1,563

$0.68 ₹65.9

51.47%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 IQD 1,284

$0.52 ₹50.2

63.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 IQD 2,308

$0.83 ₹80.0

84.34%

Eggs

$1.92 IQD 2,901

$1.07 ₹104

79.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.95 IQD 5,965

$4.43 ₹428

-10.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.60 IQD 6,954

$3.37 ₹326

36.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.07 IQD 21.3K

Apples (1kg)

$1.14 IQD 1,722

$1.99 ₹192

-42.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 IQD 1,647

$0.72 ₹70.1

51.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 IQD 1,567

$1.02 ₹98.4

1.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.74 IQD 1,125

$0.52 ₹50.1

42.31%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 IQD 1,034

$0.27 ₹25.96

151.85%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 IQD 970

$0.37 ₹35.42

72.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 IQD 1,003

$0.43 ₹41.64

53.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 IQD 1,020

$0.31 ₹30.39

119.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.93 IQD 2,922

$4.92 ₹476

-60.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.58 IQD 20.5K

$8.34 ₹808

62.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 IQD 3,219

$1.64 ₹159

29.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 IQD 3,296

$2.70 ₹261

-19.26%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.15 ₹596

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 IQD 1,030

$0.46 ₹44.04

47.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.19 IQD 35.0K

$15.29 ₹1,480

51.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.25 IQD 3,402

$1.03 ₹99.8

118.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 IQD 2,373

$0.27 ₹26.38

481.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.68 IQD 11.6K

$1.53 ₹148

401.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.68 IQD 1,030

$1.05 ₹102

-35.24%

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

$19.1K IQD 28.8M

$10.5K ₹1.0M

82.30%

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

$19.4K IQD 29.3M

$18.4K ₹1.8M

5.59%

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

$218 IQD 330.0K

$42.67 ₹4,129

411.86%

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

$19.65 IQD 29.7K

$4.04 ₹391

386.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.88 IQD 64.8K

$6.75 ₹653

535.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.30 IQD 71.5K

$19.40 ₹1,878

143.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.47 IQD 32.4K

$8.06 ₹780

166.38%

Cinema Ticket

$10.64 IQD 16.1K

$5.08 ₹492

109.45%

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

$168 IQD 253.1K

$100 ₹9,696

67.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,430 IQD 5.2M

$2,268 ₹219.5K

51.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.72 IQD 43.4K

$24.14 ₹2,336

18.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.11 IQD 48.5K

$28.38 ₹2,747

13.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.4 IQD 103.3K

$53.3 ₹5,160

28.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.01 IQD 74.1K

$44.13 ₹4,271

11.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$577 IQD 871.8K

$264 ₹25.5K

118.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 IQD 545.2K

$154 ₹14.9K

134.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 IQD 1.5M

$736 ₹71.2K

36.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 IQD 1.0M

$397 ₹38.5K

68.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,647 IQD 7.0M

$2,494 ₹241.4K

86.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,569 IQD 2.4M

$1,017 ₹98.4K

54.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$593 IQD 895.6K

$585 ₹56.7K

1.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.12

8.33

-50.54%

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

Last update for Baghdad: October 5, 2026

Last update for Delhi: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baghdad

$361 31.6%

Delhi

$154 29.7% 57.3% $207

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baghdad

$281 24.6%

Delhi

$53 10.3% 81% $227

Groceries & Markets

Baghdad

$186 16.3%

Delhi

$108 20.8% 42% $78

Eating Out

Baghdad

$129 11.3%

Delhi

$87 16.8% 32.5% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Baghdad

$80 7%

Delhi

$67 13% 15.8% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Baghdad

$69 6%

Delhi

$30 5.7% 56.9% $39

Getting Around

Baghdad

$36 3.2%

Delhi

$20 3.8% 45.8% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $577 in Baghdad and $264 in Delhi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Baghdad pays 1% 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 $21.00 in Delhi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $186 vs $108 per month, with Delhi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Baghdad

🇮🇳 Delhi

🕒 Local time

17:03 5:03 PM

19:33 7:33 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Baghdad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,216,040 Capital

16,787,941 Capital

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.91 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.33 USD

1,000 INR = 9.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, 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 = 1,693 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.91 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 96.78 INR (100 INR = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 108 INR (1,000 INR = 9.22 EUR).

USD to IQD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Baghdad Delhi 3,160 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Baghdad
Delhi

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 Delhi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Delhi wins on cost – living expenses run 121% lower than in Baghdad. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Delhi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1% 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: $577 in Baghdad versus $264 in Delhi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Delhi runs roughly 52% less than in Baghdad. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $168 in Baghdad versus $100 in Delhi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $520 in Delhi versus $1,148 in Baghdad, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Delhi but tight or insufficient in Baghdad. The gap between the two cities makes Delhi 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.

Expats usually find Delhi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 121% less than in Baghdad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.