Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baghdad and Tikrit

For one person, living is cheaper in Tikrit: $646 a month against $1,048 in Baghdad, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 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
32

Cost of Living Index in Tikrit
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Tikrit Living Index

Jump to prices

Baghdad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$1,048

/mo nomad

Tikrit

🇮🇶 Iraq

$646

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baghdad and in Tikrit

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,048 in Baghdad versus $646 in Tikrit.

Baghdad $1,048
Tikrit $646

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,508 in Baghdad versus $997 in Tikrit.

Baghdad $1,508
Tikrit $997

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,968 in Baghdad versus $1,349 in Tikrit.

Baghdad $1,968
Tikrit $1,349

Living in Baghdad is roughly 62% more expensive than in Tikrit, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.54 IQD 6,866

$4.21 IQD 6,365

7.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.64 IQD 40.3K

$20.27 IQD 30.6K

31.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.47 IQD 9,781

$6.52 IQD 9,850

-0.77%

Cappuccino

$2.68 IQD 4,054

$2.66 IQD 4,019

0.75%

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

$0.39 IQD 584

$0.34 IQD 511

14.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 IQD 302

$0.23 IQD 352

-13.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.31 IQD 5,009

$3.15 IQD 4,755

5.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 IQD 4,866

$2.49 IQD 3,762

29.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 IQD 1,390

$1.14 IQD 1,719

-19.30%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 IQD 1,078

$0.60 IQD 905

18.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 IQD 1,999

$1.32 IQD 1,992

Eggs

$1.71 IQD 2,577

$1.56 IQD 2,353

9.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.30 IQD 4,989

$4.21 IQD 6,361

-21.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.15 IQD 6,269

$3.67 IQD 5,544

13.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.24 IQD 18.5K

$10.24 IQD 15.5K

19.53%

Apples (1kg)

$1.00 IQD 1,513

$0.98 IQD 1,479

2.04%

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 IQD 1,487

$1.05 IQD 1,588

-6.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.95 IQD 1,440

$0.86 IQD 1,306

10.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 IQD 1,021

$0.62 IQD 935

9.68%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 IQD 877

$0.65 IQD 987

-10.77%

Onion (1kg)

$0.57 IQD 854

$0.53 IQD 803

7.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 IQD 903

$0.56 IQD 844

7.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 IQD 927

$0.55 IQD 831

10.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.67 IQD 2,531

$1.64 IQD 2,485

1.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.64 IQD 17.6K

$10.59 IQD 16.0K

9.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 IQD 3,005

$1.59 IQD 2,404

25.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 IQD 2,962

$1.59 IQD 2,403

23.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 IQD 480

$0.37 IQD 552

-13.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.04 IQD 30.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 IQD 3,045

$1.87 IQD 2,830

8.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 IQD 1,964

$1.26 IQD 1,901

3.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.67 IQD 10.1K

$4.98 IQD 7,523

33.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.58 IQD 870

$0.54 IQD 819

7.41%

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

$16.5K IQD 25.0M

$15.6K IQD 23.6M

5.72%

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

$16.7K IQD 25.2M

$18.1K IQD 27.3M

-7.50%

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

$188 IQD 284.5K

$89.4 IQD 135.0K

110.72%

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

$19.25 IQD 29.1K

$14.36 IQD 21.7K

34.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.51 IQD 56.7K

$29.25 IQD 44.2K

28.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.97 IQD 60.4K

$31.36 IQD 47.4K

27.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.38 IQD 27.8K

Cinema Ticket

$9.70 IQD 14.7K

$10.09 IQD 15.2K

-3.87%

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

$145 IQD 219.6K

$129 IQD 194.8K

12.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,297 IQD 5.0M

$2,947 IQD 4.5M

11.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.60 IQD 38.7K

$21.87 IQD 33.0K

17.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.32 IQD 50.3K

$20.35 IQD 30.7K

63.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.2 IQD 90.9K

$51.3 IQD 77.5K

17.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.85 IQD 63.2K

$38.33 IQD 57.9K

9.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$537 IQD 811.6K

$183 IQD 276.0K

194.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$364 IQD 550.5K

$131 IQD 198.5K

177.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 IQD 1.5M

$398 IQD 601.7K

141.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 IQD 943.1K

$292 IQD 441.4K

113.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,276 IQD 6.5M

$958 IQD 1.4M

346.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,379 IQD 2.1M

$543 IQD 820.3K

154.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$518 IQD 782.8K

$302 IQD 457.0K

71.30%

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 Tikrit: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baghdad

$364 34.8%

Tikrit

$131 20.4% 63.9% $233

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baghdad

$245 23.4%

Tikrit

$133 20.6% 45.7% $112

Groceries & Markets

Baghdad

$164 15.6%

Tikrit

$152 23.6% 6.8% $11

Eating Out

Baghdad

$113 10.8%

Tikrit

$108 16.8% 4.5% $5.1

Clothing & Footwear

Baghdad

$72 6.9%

Tikrit

$59 9.2% 18.1% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Baghdad

$59 5.7%

Tikrit

$52 8% 13.2% $7.9

Getting Around

Baghdad

$30 2.9%

Tikrit

$9.6 * 1.5% 67.8% $20

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 $183 in Tikrit. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Baghdad pays 71% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $27 in Baghdad vs $20 in Tikrit for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $164 vs $152 per month, with Tikrit cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Baghdad

🇮🇶 Tikrit

🕒 Local time

10:16 10:16 AM

Same time as Baghdad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,216,040 Capital

260,000

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.91 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.91 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Baghdad Tikrit 160 km

From you

Baghdad
Tikrit

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 Tikrit: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tikrit wins on cost – living expenses run 38% lower than in Baghdad. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Tikrit the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 71% 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 $183 in Tikrit. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% 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 $646 in Tikrit – Tikrit is about 38% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $646 in Tikrit versus $1,048 in Baghdad, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tikrit but tight or insufficient in Baghdad. The gap between the two cities makes Tikrit 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.

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