Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baghdadi and Erbil

For one person, living is cheaper in Baghdadi: $641 a month against $960 in Erbil, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Baghdadi
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Baghdadi Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Erbil
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Erbil Living Index

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Baghdadi

🇮🇶 Iraq

$641

/mo nomad

Erbil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$960

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baghdadi and in Erbil

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Baghdadi and in Erbil actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $641 per month in Baghdadi vs $960 in Erbil, rent included.

Baghdadi $641
Erbil $960

A couple spends around $978 per month in Baghdadi vs $1,439 in Erbil, rent included.

Baghdadi $978
Erbil $1,439

A family of three spends $1,316 per month in Baghdadi vs $1,918 in Erbil, rent included.

Baghdadi $1,316
Erbil $1,918

Baghdadi is about 33% cheaper than Erbil, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Baghdadi and Erbil are more affordable than the global median – Baghdadi 53% lower, Erbil 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.02 IQD 6,071

$6.65 IQD 10.1K

-39.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.93 IQD 21.1K

$37.28 IQD 56.3K

-62.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.17 IQD 9,325

$7.27 IQD 11.0K

-15.13%

Cappuccino

$1.88 IQD 2,846

$3.25 IQD 4,914

-42.15%

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

$0.42 IQD 628

$0.89 IQD 1,350

-52.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.18 IQD 274

$0.36 IQD 545

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 IQD 4,906

$5.76 IQD 8,706

-43.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 IQD 3,890

$4.52 IQD 6,834

-43.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 IQD 1,553

$1.05 IQD 1,587

-1.90%

White Bread (500g)

$0.48 IQD 729

$0.64 IQD 970

-25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.75 IQD 4,159

$1.44 IQD 2,180

90.97%

Eggs

$1.85 IQD 2,790

$1.52 IQD 2,298

21.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.83 IQD 5,790

$7.04 IQD 10.6K

-45.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.29 IQD 4,969

$4.41 IQD 6,661

-25.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.24 IQD 12.5K

$12.64 IQD 19.1K

-34.81%

Apples (1kg)

$0.94 IQD 1,418

$0.99 IQD 1,501

-5.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.00 IQD 1,507

$0.99 IQD 1,493

1.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.93 IQD 1,406

$1.07 IQD 1,612

-13.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 IQD 1,023

$0.69 IQD 1,050

-1.45%

Potato (1kg)

$0.60 IQD 902

$0.64 IQD 972

-6.25%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 IQD 1,009

$0.57 IQD 865

17.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.51 IQD 777

$0.66 IQD 998

-22.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 IQD 814

$0.51 IQD 770

5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.70 IQD 2,569

$2.12 IQD 3,209

-19.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.28 IQD 17.0K

$10.56 IQD 16.0K

6.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 IQD 2,401

$1.46 IQD 2,209

8.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 IQD 2,740

$1.82 IQD 2,750

-0.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 IQD 518

$0.50 IQD 759

-32.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.67 IQD 59.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.80 IQD 2,727

$1.67 IQD 2,520

7.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 IQD 1,948

$1.54 IQD 2,325

-16.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 IQD 8,529

$5.48 IQD 8,286

2.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.58 IQD 875

$0.58 IQD 884

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

$16.4K IQD 24.8M

$16.7K IQD 25.3M

-1.92%

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

$17.0K IQD 25.6M

$17.0K IQD 25.7M

-0.44%

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

$87.6 IQD 132.3K

$116 IQD 174.8K

-24.30%

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

$13.62 IQD 20.6K

$11.96 IQD 18.1K

13.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.52 IQD 43.1K

$24.50 IQD 37.0K

16.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.52 IQD 55.2K

$57.0 IQD 86.1K

-35.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.43 IQD 20.3K

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 IQD 13.7K

$9.99 IQD 15.1K

-9.31%

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

$143 IQD 216.5K

$297 IQD 448.2K

-51.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,771 IQD 4.2M

$4,080 IQD 6.2M

-32.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.10 IQD 31.9K

$26.29 IQD 39.7K

-19.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.93 IQD 34.6K

$38.72 IQD 58.5K

-40.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.6 IQD 91.6K

$60.8 IQD 91.8K

-0.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$37.63 IQD 56.9K

$58.8 IQD 88.9K

-36.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$207 IQD 313.2K

$441 IQD 666.1K

-52.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$136 IQD 205.3K

$268 IQD 404.7K

-49.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$382 IQD 576.4K

$696 IQD 1.1M

-45.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 IQD 472.7K

$414 IQD 626.0K

-24.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$870 IQD 1.3M

$1,047 IQD 1.6M

-16.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$487 IQD 735.4K

$600 IQD 906.7K

-18.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$499 IQD 753.6K

$514 IQD 776.4K

-2.94%

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 Baghdadi: November 2, 2026

Last update for Erbil: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Baghdadi

$150 23.4%

Erbil

$172 18% 15.1% $23

Accommodation & Living

Baghdadi

$136 21.2%

Erbil

$268 27.9% 97.1% $132

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baghdadi

$130 20.2%

Erbil

$152 15.8% 17.3% $22

Eating Out

Baghdadi

$97 15.2%

Erbil

$157 16.3% 61.8% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Baghdadi

$64 10%

Erbil

$83 8.7% 29.7% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Baghdadi

$55 8.5%

Erbil

$77 8% 40.8% $22

Getting Around

Baghdadi

$9.6 * 1.5%

Erbil

$51 5.3% 431% $41

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $207 in Baghdadi versus $441 in Erbil. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 3% higher in Erbil, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $14 in Baghdadi versus $37 in Erbil. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $150 vs $172 – making Baghdadi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Baghdadi

🇮🇶 Erbil

🕒 Local time

03:02 3:02 AM

Same time as Baghdadi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,713,461

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Baghdadi Erbil 290 km

From you

Baghdadi
Erbil

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

Baghdadi vs Erbil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Erbil is pricier by about 50%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $961 per month in Baghdadi and $1,441 in Erbil. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Baghdadi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $207 there versus $441 in Erbil.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $14 in Baghdadi and $37 in Erbil. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 15% more in Erbil, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Baghdadi – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Baghdadi. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Erbil makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.