Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and An Nasiriyah

For one person, living is cheaper in An Nasiriyah: $730 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
Learn more

Cape Town Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in An Nasiriyah
Learn more

An Nasiriyah Living Index

Jump to prices

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

An Nasiriyah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$730

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cape Town and in An Nasiriyah

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

A single person spends $1,586 per month in Cape Town vs $730 in An Nasiriyah, rent included.

Cape Town $1,586
An Nasiriyah $730

A couple spends around $2,425 per month in Cape Town vs $1,020 in An Nasiriyah, rent included.

Cape Town $2,425
An Nasiriyah $1,020

A family of three spends $3,263 per month in Cape Town vs $1,311 in An Nasiriyah, rent included.

Cape Town $3,263
An Nasiriyah $1,311

Cape Town costs about 117% more than An Nasiriyah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Cape Town sits 17% above the global median, while An Nasiriyah is 46% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 R 200

$2.79 IQD 4,210

335.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.34 R 745

$10.54 IQD 15.9K

330.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 R 96.7

$6.05 IQD 9,137

-2.81%

Cappuccino

$2.50 R 41.09

$2.38 IQD 3,593

5.04%

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

$1.27 R 20.90

$0.34 IQD 515

273.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 R 16.11

$0.15 IQD 221

553.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 R 49.23

$3.25 IQD 4,917

-8.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 R 61.2

$3.24 IQD 4,897

14.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 R 21.36

$0.81 IQD 1,221

60.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 R 20.63

$0.63 IQD 959

98.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 R 36.69

$0.85 IQD 1,290

162.35%

Eggs

$3.11 R 51.1

$1.61 IQD 2,437

93.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 R 149

$2.50 IQD 3,785

262.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.92 R 114

$3.76 IQD 5,676

84.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.30 R 153

$8.40 IQD 12.7K

10.71%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 R 30.19

$1.02 IQD 1,538

80.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 R 32.22

$0.98 IQD 1,473

100.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.39

$0.69 IQD 1,036

142.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 R 35.63

$0.39 IQD 597

456.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.76

$0.32 IQD 478

390.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.40

$0.47 IQD 709

214.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.37

$0.51 IQD 777

154.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 R 18.57

$0.43 IQD 655

162.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.60 R 59.2

$1.33 IQD 2,010

170.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.15 R 101

$11.93 IQD 18.0K

-48.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.61

$1.89 IQD 2,854

-26.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 R 35.12

$1.89 IQD 2,854

13.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 R 24.60

$0.26 IQD 396

476.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 999

$18.55 IQD 28.0K

227.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 R 9.69

$1.93 IQD 2,914

-69.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 R 24.60

$1.28 IQD 1,941

17.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 R 84.0

$1.92 IQD 2,907

166.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 R 25.45

$0.57 IQD 867

171.93%

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

$36.2K R 595.3K

$16.2K IQD 24.5M

123.31%

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

$31.2K R 513.7K

$16.0K IQD 24.2M

95.43%

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

$114 R 1,880

$190 IQD 287.3K

-39.87%

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

$28.91 R 475

$17.43 IQD 26.3K

65.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.73 R 653

$36.64 IQD 55.4K

8.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.01 R 806

$16.38 IQD 24.8K

199.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 R 181

Cinema Ticket

$9.15 R 150

$9.83 IQD 14.9K

-6.92%

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

$259 R 4,256

$144 IQD 217.8K

79.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,794 R 111.7K

$2,975 IQD 4.5M

128.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 R 924

$9.64 IQD 14.6K

482.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.41 R 533

$28.66 IQD 43.3K

13.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,983

$23.00 IQD 34.8K

424.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 R 1,777

$32.42 IQD 49.0K

233.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 R 16.8K

$200 IQD 301.8K

411.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 R 11.8K

$148 IQD 223.9K

383.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 R 30.0K

$427 IQD 645.6K

326.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 R 21.8K

$292 IQD 440.9K

354.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,391 R 39.3K

$613 IQD 926.9K

289.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,542 R 25.3K

$610 IQD 921.7K

152.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,639 R 26.9K

$659 IQD 995.6K

148.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

4.12

166.26%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Last update for An Nasiriyah: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$717 45.2%

An Nasiriyah

$148 20.3% 79.3% $569

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$225 14.2%

An Nasiriyah

$138 18.9% 38.8% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$183 11.5%

An Nasiriyah

$244 33.5% 33.5% $61

Eating Out

Cape Town

$176 11.1%

An Nasiriyah

$94 12.8% 46.8% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$143 9%

An Nasiriyah

$42 5.8% 70.5% $101

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.7%

An Nasiriyah

$28 3.8% 62.6% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

An Nasiriyah

$36 4.9% 46.4% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,021 in Cape Town versus $200 in An Nasiriyah. 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 149% higher in Cape Town, 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 $45.00 in Cape Town versus $11.00 in An Nasiriyah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $225 vs $138 – making An Nasiriyah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇮🇶 An Nasiriyah

🕒 Local time

07:04 7:04 AM

08:04 8:04 AM

1 h ahead of Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

745,000

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.08 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.88 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 16.44 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.08 USD). 1 EUR = 18.51 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,701 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.88 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cape Town An Nasiriyah 7,790 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
An Nasiriyah

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

Cape Town vs An Nasiriyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,586 in Cape Town, $730 in An Nasiriyah – roughly 117% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,379 per month in Cape Town and $1,095 in An Nasiriyah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in An Nasiriyah, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 227% less in An Nasiriyah. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $259 per month in Cape Town and $144 in An Nasiriyah. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in An Nasiriyah, where all-in costs run around $730, than in Cape Town at $1,586. In An Nasiriyah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Cape Town has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $730 in An Nasiriyah to $1,586 in Cape Town. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with An Nasiriyah. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cape Town makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.