Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baghdad and Duhok

For one person, living is cheaper in Duhok: $608 a month against $1,050 in Baghdad, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

51

Cost of Living Index in Baghdad
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Baghdad Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Duhok
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Duhok Living Index

Jump to prices

Baghdad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$1,050

/mo nomad

Duhok

🇮🇶 Iraq

$608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baghdad and in Duhok

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,050 in Baghdad versus $608 in Duhok.

Baghdad $1,050
Duhok $608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,501 in Baghdad versus $978 in Duhok.

Baghdad $1,501
Duhok $978

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,953 in Baghdad versus $1,349 in Duhok.

Baghdad $1,953
Duhok $1,349

Living in Baghdad is roughly 73% more expensive than in Duhok, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baghdad 23% lower, Duhok 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 IQD 6,887

$3.38 IQD 5,111

34.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.95 IQD 39.2K

$16.59 IQD 25.1K

56.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.45 IQD 9,741

$7.40 IQD 11.2K

-12.84%

Cappuccino

$2.80 IQD 4,231

$2.43 IQD 3,665

15.23%

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

$0.36 IQD 538

$0.32 IQD 481

12.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 IQD 302

$0.19 IQD 294

5.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 IQD 5,092

$1.69 IQD 2,550

99.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 IQD 4,860

$1.94 IQD 2,932

65.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 IQD 1,352

$1.11 IQD 1,680

-18.92%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 IQD 1,031

$0.67 IQD 1,016

1.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 IQD 2,075

$1.48 IQD 2,232

-7.43%

Eggs

$1.64 IQD 2,479

$1.58 IQD 2,391

3.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.32 IQD 5,015

$4.87 IQD 7,359

-31.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.02 IQD 6,077

$2.96 IQD 4,478

35.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.30 IQD 18.6K

$10.95 IQD 16.6K

12.33%

Apples (1kg)

$1.02 IQD 1,547

$0.99 IQD 1,489

3.03%

Banana (1kg)

$0.93 IQD 1,404

$0.97 IQD 1,461

-4.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.94 IQD 1,428

$0.75 IQD 1,136

25.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.69 IQD 1,039

$0.63 IQD 959

9.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.59 IQD 888

$0.61 IQD 919

-3.28%

Onion (1kg)

$0.60 IQD 905

$0.62 IQD 940

-3.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 IQD 844

$0.61 IQD 926

-8.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 IQD 870

$0.52 IQD 787

11.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.67 IQD 2,516

$1.73 IQD 2,609

-3.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.53 IQD 17.4K

$10.97 IQD 16.6K

5.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 IQD 2,865

$1.40 IQD 2,121

35.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 IQD 2,981

$1.79 IQD 2,700

10.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 IQD 913

$0.30 IQD 459

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.45 IQD 29.4K

$15.64 IQD 23.6K

24.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 IQD 2,904

$1.60 IQD 2,420

20.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 IQD 2,021

$1.29 IQD 1,945

3.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.72 IQD 10.1K

$5.52 IQD 8,343

21.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.54 IQD 815

$0.54 IQD 819

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

$16.7K IQD 25.2M

$16.6K IQD 25.1M

0.34%

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

$16.8K IQD 25.3M

$17.1K IQD 25.9M

-2.10%

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

$187 IQD 283.1K

$87.3 IQD 131.8K

114.76%

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

$19.24 IQD 29.1K

$8.86 IQD 13.4K

117.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.71 IQD 58.5K

$23.83 IQD 36.0K

62.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.32 IQD 59.4K

$50.1 IQD 75.7K

-21.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.99 IQD 28.7K

$26.55 IQD 40.1K

-28.47%

Cinema Ticket

$10.00 IQD 15.1K

$7.52 IQD 11.4K

32.98%

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

$147 IQD 221.6K

$106 IQD 160.6K

37.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,282 IQD 5.0M

$2,727 IQD 4.1M

20.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.81 IQD 39.0K

$10.02 IQD 15.1K

157.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.68 IQD 50.9K

$20.32 IQD 30.7K

65.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.1 IQD 90.8K

$30.27 IQD 45.7K

98.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.45 IQD 62.6K

$19.60 IQD 29.6K

111.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$540 IQD 816.0K

$157 IQD 237.0K

244.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$366 IQD 552.5K

$116 IQD 174.7K

216.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$955 IQD 1.4M

$329 IQD 496.7K

190.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 IQD 925.1K

$324 IQD 489.1K

89.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,298 IQD 6.5M

$445 IQD 671.8K

866.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,402 IQD 2.1M

$362 IQD 547.1K

287.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$516 IQD 779.1K

$415 IQD 627.4K

24.18%

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 18, 2026

Last update for Duhok: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baghdad

$366 34.9%

Duhok

$116 19% 68.4% $250

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baghdad

$245 23.4%

Duhok

$120 19.7% 51.1% $125

Groceries & Markets

Baghdad

$161 15.4%

Duhok

$154 25.3% 4.8% $7.7

Eating Out

Baghdad

$115 11%

Duhok

$93 15.3% 19.3% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Baghdad

$72 6.9%

Duhok

$36 5.9% 50.2% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Baghdad

$59 5.7%

Duhok

$65 10.7% 9.9% $5.9

Getting Around

Baghdad

$30 2.9%

Duhok

$25 4.1% 18.3% $5.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $540 in Baghdad and $157 in Duhok. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Baghdad pays 24% 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: $26.00 in Baghdad vs $17.00 in Duhok for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $161 vs $154 per month, with Duhok cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Baghdad

🇮🇶 Duhok

🕒 Local time

01:14 1:14 AM

Same time as Baghdad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,216,040 Capital

340,900

💱 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 Duhok 420 km

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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 Duhok: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Duhok wins on cost – living expenses run 73% lower than in Baghdad. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Duhok the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 24% 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: $540 in Baghdad versus $157 in Duhok. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Duhok runs roughly 24% less than in Baghdad. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $147 in Baghdad versus $106 in Duhok. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $608 in Duhok versus $1,050 in Baghdad, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Duhok but tight or insufficient in Baghdad. The gap between the two cities makes Duhok 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.

Safety-wise, Baghdad and Duhok 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 Duhok gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Baghdad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.