Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Baghdad

For one person, living is cheaper in Baghdad: $1,148 a month against $2,545 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $16,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Berlin
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Berlin Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Baghdad
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Baghdad Living Index

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Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,545

/mo nomad

Baghdad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$1,148

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin and in Baghdad

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,545 in Berlin versus $1,148 in Baghdad.

Berlin $2,545
Baghdad $1,148

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,901 in Berlin versus $1,702 in Baghdad.

Berlin $3,901
Baghdad $1,702

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,257 in Berlin versus $2,256 in Baghdad.

Berlin $5,257
Baghdad $2,256

Living in Berlin is roughly 122% more expensive than in Baghdad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Berlin is 90% above, Baghdad is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.81 €15.00

$4.87 IQD 7,354

245.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.6 €71.0

$34.91 IQD 52.7K

127.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.38 €11.94

$7.52 IQD 11.4K

77.93%

Cappuccino

$4.27 €3.81

$3.19 IQD 4,827

33.86%

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

$3.40 €3.03

$0.36 IQD 548

844.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 €2.79

$0.25 IQD 379

1148.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.48 €4.89

$3.83 IQD 5,788

43.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 €4.07

$3.90 IQD 5,892

16.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.03 IQD 1,563

23.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 €2.19

$0.85 IQD 1,284

188.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.30 €2.94

$1.53 IQD 2,308

115.69%

Eggs

$4.45 €3.97

$1.92 IQD 2,901

131.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.10 €15.26

$3.95 IQD 5,965

332.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.19 €10.88

$4.60 IQD 6,954

165.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.30 €16.33

$14.07 IQD 21.3K

30.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 €3.19

$1.14 IQD 1,722

214.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 €1.77

$1.09 IQD 1,647

81.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 €2.92

$1.04 IQD 1,567

214.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.81 €3.40

$0.74 IQD 1,125

414.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 €1.90

$0.68 IQD 1,034

213.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 €1.97

$0.64 IQD 970

245.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.33

$0.66 IQD 1,003

125.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 €0.90

$0.68 IQD 1,020

48.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.49 €9.37

$1.93 IQD 2,922

443.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.76 €6.03

$13.58 IQD 20.5K

-50.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 €1.20

$2.13 IQD 3,219

-37.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.87

$2.18 IQD 3,296

-3.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.37 €3.90

$0.68 IQD 1,030

542.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.0 €63.3

$23.19 IQD 35.0K

205.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.29 €4.72

$2.25 IQD 3,402

135.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.05 €2.73

$1.57 IQD 2,373

94.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.30 €32.39

$7.68 IQD 11.6K

372.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$0.68 IQD 1,030

235.29%

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

$33.2K €29.7K

$19.1K IQD 28.8M

74.25%

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

$39.1K €34.9K

$19.4K IQD 29.3M

101.37%

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

$379 €339

$218 IQD 330.0K

73.68%

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

$19.31 €17.23

$19.65 IQD 29.7K

-1.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.41 €43.20

$42.88 IQD 64.8K

12.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.31 €35.97

$47.30 IQD 71.5K

-14.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.51 €31.69

$21.47 IQD 32.4K

65.39%

Cinema Ticket

$15.53 €13.86

$10.64 IQD 16.1K

45.96%

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

$144 €128

$168 IQD 253.1K

-14.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K €14.1K

$3,430 IQD 5.2M

359.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.6 €84.5

$28.72 IQD 43.4K

229.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.33 €41.34

$32.11 IQD 48.5K

44.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €92.2

$68.4 IQD 103.3K

51.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €126

$49.01 IQD 74.1K

188.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,488 €1,328

$577 IQD 871.8K

157.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 €980

$361 IQD 545.2K

204.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,665 €2,378

$1,008 IQD 1.5M

164.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,080 €1,856

$669 IQD 1.0M

211.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,578 €7,655

$4,647 IQD 7.0M

84.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,438 €4,853

$1,569 IQD 2.4M

246.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,487 €3,112

$593 IQD 895.6K

488.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

4.12

-7.77%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Berlin: October 3, 2026

Last update for Baghdad: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Berlin

$1.1K 43.3%

Baghdad

$361 31.6% 67.1% $737

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berlin

$447 17.6%

Baghdad

$281 24.6% 37.2% $166

Groceries & Markets

Berlin

$351 13.8%

Baghdad

$186 16.3% 46.9% $164

Eating Out

Berlin

$289 11.4%

Baghdad

$129 11.3% 55.2% $159

Clothing & Footwear

Berlin

$174 6.8%

Baghdad

$80 7% 53.8% $93

Getting Around

Berlin

$109 4.3%

Baghdad

$36 3.2% 67% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Berlin

$71 2.8%

Baghdad

$69 6% 3.9% $2.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,488 in Berlin and $577 in Baghdad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Berlin pays 488% 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: $80.0 in Berlin vs $35.00 in Baghdad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $351 vs $186 per month, with Baghdad cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Berlin

🇮🇶 Baghdad

🕒 Local time

13:15 1:15 PM

14:15 2:15 PM

1 h ahead of Berlin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,769,962 Capital

7,216,040 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.91 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,693 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.91 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Berlin Baghdad 3,260 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Berlin
Baghdad

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

Berlin vs Baghdad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baghdad wins on cost – living expenses run 122% lower than in Berlin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Baghdad the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 488% higher in Berlin, 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: $1,488 in Berlin versus $577 in Baghdad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Baghdad runs roughly 206% less than in Berlin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $144 in Berlin versus $168 in Baghdad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,148 in Baghdad versus $2,545 in Berlin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Baghdad but tight or insufficient in Berlin. The gap between the two cities makes Baghdad the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Baghdad delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,148 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Baghdad hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Berlin and Baghdad 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 Baghdad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 122% less than in Berlin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.