Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baghdad and Mosul

For one person, living is cheaper in Mosul: $573 a month against $1,048 in Baghdad, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 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
28

Cost of Living Index in Mosul
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Mosul Living Index

Jump to prices

Baghdad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$1,048

/mo nomad

Mosul

🇮🇶 Iraq

$573

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baghdad and in Mosul

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,048 in Baghdad versus $573 in Mosul.

Baghdad $1,048
Mosul $573

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,508 in Baghdad versus $906 in Mosul.

Baghdad $1,508
Mosul $906

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,968 in Baghdad versus $1,239 in Mosul.

Baghdad $1,968
Mosul $1,239

Living in Baghdad is roughly 83% more expensive than in Mosul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baghdad 23% lower, Mosul 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.54 IQD 6,866

$4.07 IQD 6,154

11.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.64 IQD 40.3K

$16.30 IQD 24.6K

63.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.47 IQD 9,781

$5.21 IQD 7,870

24.18%

Cappuccino

$2.68 IQD 4,054

$1.44 IQD 2,171

86.11%

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

$0.39 IQD 584

$0.37 IQD 552

5.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 IQD 302

$0.16 IQD 241

25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.31 IQD 5,009

$1.35 IQD 2,045

145.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 IQD 4,866

$1.30 IQD 1,965

147.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 IQD 1,390

$0.72 IQD 1,086

27.78%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 IQD 1,078

$0.63 IQD 955

12.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 IQD 1,999

$1.09 IQD 1,645

21.10%

Eggs

$1.71 IQD 2,577

$1.35 IQD 2,045

26.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.30 IQD 4,989

$3.05 IQD 4,611

8.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.15 IQD 6,269

$3.63 IQD 5,481

14.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.24 IQD 18.5K

$10.20 IQD 15.4K

20.00%

Apples (1kg)

$1.00 IQD 1,513

$0.60 IQD 900

66.67%

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 IQD 1,487

$0.89 IQD 1,347

10.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.95 IQD 1,440

$0.61 IQD 915

55.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 IQD 1,021

$0.43 IQD 650

58.14%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 IQD 877

$0.41 IQD 617

41.46%

Onion (1kg)

$0.57 IQD 854

$0.41 IQD 621

39.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 IQD 903

$0.36 IQD 544

66.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 IQD 927

$0.52 IQD 785

17.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.67 IQD 2,531

$1.67 IQD 2,528

Wine (Bottle)

$11.64 IQD 17.6K

$6.47 IQD 9,779

79.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 IQD 3,005

$1.47 IQD 2,222

35.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 IQD 2,962

$1.67 IQD 2,516

17.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 IQD 480

$0.34 IQD 518

-5.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.04 IQD 30.3K

$75.0 IQD 113.4K

-73.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 IQD 3,045

$1.29 IQD 1,954

56.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 IQD 1,964

$1.36 IQD 2,051

-4.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.67 IQD 10.1K

$3.99 IQD 6,032

67.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.58 IQD 870

$0.44 IQD 661

31.82%

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

$16.5K IQD 25.0M

$15.0K IQD 22.7M

10.31%

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

$16.7K IQD 25.2M

$17.3K IQD 26.2M

-3.60%

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

$188 IQD 284.5K

$76.1 IQD 115.0K

147.46%

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

$19.25 IQD 29.1K

$12.24 IQD 18.5K

57.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.51 IQD 56.7K

$23.78 IQD 35.9K

57.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.97 IQD 60.4K

$20.66 IQD 31.2K

93.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.38 IQD 27.8K

$22.72 IQD 34.3K

-19.10%

Cinema Ticket

$9.70 IQD 14.7K

$8.09 IQD 12.2K

19.90%

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

$145 IQD 219.6K

$172 IQD 259.6K

-15.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,297 IQD 5.0M

$2,729 IQD 4.1M

20.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.60 IQD 38.7K

$10.79 IQD 16.3K

137.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.32 IQD 50.3K

$16.25 IQD 24.6K

105.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.2 IQD 90.9K

$23.17 IQD 35.0K

159.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.85 IQD 63.2K

$22.08 IQD 33.4K

89.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$537 IQD 811.6K

$142 IQD 215.2K

277.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$364 IQD 550.5K

$103 IQD 155.9K

253.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 IQD 1.5M

$247 IQD 373.8K

289.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 IQD 943.1K

$252 IQD 380.7K

147.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,276 IQD 6.5M

$730 IQD 1.1M

485.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,379 IQD 2.1M

$502 IQD 758.5K

174.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$518 IQD 782.8K

$420 IQD 634.2K

23.43%

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 24, 2026

Last update for Mosul: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baghdad

$364 34.8%

Mosul

$103 18% 71.7% $261

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baghdad

$245 23.4%

Mosul

$112 19.6% 54.2% $133

Groceries & Markets

Baghdad

$164 15.6%

Mosul

$127 22.2% 22.2% $36

Eating Out

Baghdad

$113 10.8%

Mosul

$77 13.4% 32.1% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Baghdad

$72 6.9%

Mosul

$33 5.7% 55.1% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Baghdad

$59 5.7%

Mosul

$37 6.4% 38% $23

Getting Around

Baghdad

$30 2.9%

Mosul

$84 14.7% 183% $55

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $537 in Baghdad and $142 in Mosul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Baghdad pays 23% 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: $27 in Baghdad vs $16 in Mosul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $164 vs $127 per month, with Mosul cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Baghdad

🇮🇶 Mosul

🕒 Local time

17:54 5:54 PM

Same time as Baghdad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,216,040 Capital

1,683,000

💱 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

On the map

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Between locations

Baghdad Mosul 360 km

From you

Baghdad
Mosul

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 Mosul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mosul wins on cost – living expenses run 45% lower than in Baghdad. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Mosul the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 23% 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: $537 in Baghdad versus $142 in Mosul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Baghdad runs roughly 73% less than in Mosul. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $145 in Baghdad versus $172 in Mosul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Mosul 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.

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