Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baghdad and Halabjah

For one person, living is cheaper in Halabjah: $634 a month against $1,048 in Baghdad, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 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 Halabjah
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Halabjah Living Index

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Baghdad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$1,048

/mo nomad

Halabjah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$634

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baghdad and in Halabjah

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,048 in Baghdad versus $634 in Halabjah.

Baghdad $1,048
Halabjah $634

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,508 in Baghdad versus $962 in Halabjah.

Baghdad $1,508
Halabjah $962

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,968 in Baghdad versus $1,291 in Halabjah.

Baghdad $1,968
Halabjah $1,291

Living in Baghdad is roughly 65% more expensive than in Halabjah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baghdad 23% lower, Halabjah 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.54 IQD 6,862

$3.24 IQD 4,892

40.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.64 IQD 40.2K

$16.71 IQD 25.2K

59.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.47 IQD 9,774

$6.77 IQD 10.2K

-4.43%

Cappuccino

$2.68 IQD 4,051

$1.68 IQD 2,541

59.52%

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

$0.39 IQD 583

$0.35 IQD 535

11.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 IQD 301

$0.22 IQD 333

-9.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.31 IQD 5,005

$2.28 IQD 3,443

45.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 IQD 4,863

$3.27 IQD 4,935

-1.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 IQD 1,389

$0.51 IQD 769

80.39%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 IQD 1,077

$0.69 IQD 1,046

2.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 IQD 1,998

$1.31 IQD 1,972

0.76%

Eggs

$1.71 IQD 2,575

$1.34 IQD 2,026

27.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.30 IQD 4,986

$3.29 IQD 4,974

0.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.15 IQD 6,265

$1.69 IQD 2,547

145.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.24 IQD 18.5K

$8.54 IQD 12.9K

43.33%

Apples (1kg)

$1.00 IQD 1,512

$0.68 IQD 1,031

47.06%

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 IQD 1,486

$0.96 IQD 1,449

2.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.95 IQD 1,439

$0.69 IQD 1,039

37.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 IQD 1,020

$0.69 IQD 1,035

-1.45%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 IQD 877

$0.55 IQD 834

5.45%

Onion (1kg)

$0.57 IQD 854

$0.59 IQD 895

-3.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 IQD 902

$0.55 IQD 831

9.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 IQD 926

$0.57 IQD 866

7.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.67 IQD 2,529

$1.63 IQD 2,454

2.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.64 IQD 17.6K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 IQD 3,003

$1.66 IQD 2,508

19.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 IQD 2,960

$0.84 IQD 1,270

133.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 IQD 480

$0.32 IQD 482

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.04 IQD 30.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 IQD 3,043

$1.35 IQD 2,040

49.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 IQD 1,963

$1.30 IQD 1,967

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.67 IQD 10.1K

$2.02 IQD 3,049

230.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.58 IQD 869

$0.58 IQD 880

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

$16.5K IQD 25.0M

$16.2K IQD 24.5M

1.82%

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

$16.7K IQD 25.2M

$8,168 IQD 12.3M

104.46%

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

$188 IQD 284.4K

$132 IQD 199.0K

42.86%

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

$19.25 IQD 29.1K

$9.67 IQD 14.6K

99.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.51 IQD 56.6K

$25.32 IQD 38.2K

48.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.97 IQD 60.4K

$37.13 IQD 56.1K

7.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.38 IQD 27.8K

Cinema Ticket

$9.70 IQD 14.7K

$10.17 IQD 15.3K

-4.62%

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

$145 IQD 219.5K

$144 IQD 217.2K

1.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,297 IQD 5.0M

$3,251 IQD 4.9M

1.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.60 IQD 38.6K

$6.72 IQD 10.1K

280.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.32 IQD 50.3K

$34.06 IQD 51.4K

-2.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.2 IQD 90.9K

$59.6 IQD 90.0K

0.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.85 IQD 63.2K

$41.04 IQD 62.0K

1.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$537 IQD 811.1K

$186 IQD 281.6K

188.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$364 IQD 550.2K

$123 IQD 185.4K

196.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 IQD 1.5M

$363 IQD 547.7K

165.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 IQD 942.5K

$311 IQD 469.7K

100.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,276 IQD 6.5M

$840 IQD 1.3M

409.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,379 IQD 2.1M

$446 IQD 674.1K

209.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$518 IQD 782.3K

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 24, 2026

Last update for Halabjah: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baghdad

$364 34.8%

Halabjah

$123 19.4% 66.3% $242

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baghdad

$245 23.4%

Halabjah

$167 26.3% 31.9% $78

Groceries & Markets

Baghdad

$164 15.6%

Halabjah

$127 20.1% 22.4% $37

Eating Out

Baghdad

$113 10.8%

Halabjah

$87 13.7% 23.5% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Baghdad

$72 6.9%

Halabjah

$64 10% 12.1% $8.8

Sport & Entertainment

Baghdad

$59 5.7%

Halabjah

$57 9.1% 3.2% $1.9

Getting Around

Baghdad

$30 2.9%

Halabjah

$9.1 * 1.4% 69.4% $21

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 $186 in Halabjah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $27 in Baghdad vs $17 in Halabjah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $164 vs $127 per month, with Halabjah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Baghdad

🇮🇶 Halabjah

🕒 Local time

11:18 11:18 AM

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 = 5.93 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Halabjah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Halabjah wins on cost – living expenses run 40% lower than in Baghdad. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Halabjah the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,572 in Baghdad and $950 in Halabjah to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $537 in Baghdad versus $186 in Halabjah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Baghdad. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,048 per month in Baghdad versus $634 in Halabjah – Halabjah is about 40% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Halabjah gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.