Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Sulaymaniyah

For one person, living is cheaper in Sulaymaniyah: $773 a month against $1,568 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Sulaymaniyah
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Sulaymaniyah Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,568

/mo nomad

Sulaymaniyah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$773

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cape Town and in Sulaymaniyah

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

A single person spends $1,568 per month in Cape Town vs $773 in Sulaymaniyah, rent included.

Cape Town $1,568
Sulaymaniyah $773

A couple spends around $2,438 per month in Cape Town vs $1,194 in Sulaymaniyah, rent included.

Cape Town $2,438
Sulaymaniyah $1,194

A family of three spends $3,307 per month in Cape Town vs $1,615 in Sulaymaniyah, rent included.

Cape Town $3,307
Sulaymaniyah $1,615

Cape Town costs about 103% more than Sulaymaniyah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Cape Town sits 17% above the global median, while Sulaymaniyah is 42% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.78 R 194

$5.07 IQD 7,660

132.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 R 768

$22.93 IQD 34.6K

103.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.96 R 98.4

$7.04 IQD 10.6K

-15.34%

Cappuccino

$2.47 R 40.80

$2.88 IQD 4,344

-14.24%

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

$1.33 R 21.91

$0.50 IQD 759

166.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R 16.99

$0.25 IQD 378

312.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 R 49.72

$3.93 IQD 5,943

-23.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 R 60.4

$2.27 IQD 3,427

61.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 R 22.96

$1.28 IQD 1,935

8.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 R 19.60

$1.01 IQD 1,519

17.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 R 34.84

$1.86 IQD 2,812

13.44%

Eggs

$3.01 R 49.58

$1.77 IQD 2,672

70.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.96 R 148

$4.96 IQD 7,490

80.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.65 R 110

$4.22 IQD 6,382

57.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.29 R 153

$15.30 IQD 23.1K

-39.28%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.13

$1.28 IQD 1,935

42.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 R 31.31

$1.28 IQD 1,937

48.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 R 28.83

$1.15 IQD 1,737

52.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 R 34.41

$0.68 IQD 1,025

207.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 R 25.64

$0.56 IQD 847

176.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.53

$0.73 IQD 1,096

104.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

$0.73 IQD 1,101

78.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 R 19.19

$0.50 IQD 752

132.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 R 61.2

$2.28 IQD 3,444

62.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.06 R 100

$11.23 IQD 17.0K

-46.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.85

$1.95 IQD 2,949

-28.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 R 36.32

$1.42 IQD 2,141

54.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 R 24.98

$0.60 IQD 902

151.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.0 R 1,006

$22.68 IQD 34.3K

168.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 R 10.33

$2.22 IQD 3,361

-71.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 R 25.29

$2.34 IQD 3,531

-34.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.81 R 79.4

$5.50 IQD 8,306

-12.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 R 26.08

$0.69 IQD 1,045

128.99%

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

$35.5K R 585.7K

$20.9K IQD 31.5M

70.06%

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

$31.7K R 523.8K

$18.9K IQD 28.6M

67.62%

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

$116 R 1,920

$100 IQD 151.7K

15.95%

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

$28.37 R 468

$11.49 IQD 17.4K

146.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.69 R 671

$28.04 IQD 42.4K

45.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.85 R 806

$39.70 IQD 60.0K

23.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.13 R 184

$20.09 IQD 30.4K

-44.60%

Cinema Ticket

$8.83 R 146

$7.58 IQD 11.5K

16.49%

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

$261 R 4,314

$173 IQD 261.0K

51.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,702 R 110.6K

$2,946 IQD 4.5M

127.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 R 914

$18.91 IQD 28.6K

192.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.27 R 532

$25.19 IQD 38.1K

28.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 R 1,939

$43.24 IQD 65.3K

171.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 R 1,766

$38.64 IQD 58.4K

177.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 R 16.7K

$215 IQD 324.7K

372.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 R 11.8K

$175 IQD 264.2K

309.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,801 R 29.7K

$492 IQD 743.9K

265.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 R 22.0K

$363 IQD 548.8K

266.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,331 R 38.5K

$786 IQD 1.2M

196.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,513 R 25.0K

$630 IQD 952.4K

140.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,636 R 27.0K

$584 IQD 882.1K

180.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

5.77

90.12%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 4, 2026

Last update for Sulaymaniyah: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$715 45.3%

Sulaymaniyah

$175 22.5% 75.6% $541

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$222 14.1%

Sulaymaniyah

$188 24.2% 15.3% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$185 11.7%

Sulaymaniyah

$140 18% 24.6% $46

Eating Out

Cape Town

$174 11%

Sulaymaniyah

$123 15.9% 28.9% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$141 8.9%

Sulaymaniyah

$57 7.3% 59.7% $84

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.8%

Sulaymaniyah

$39 5% 48.2% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Sulaymaniyah

$55 7.1% 17.5% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,015 in Cape Town versus $215 in Sulaymaniyah. 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 180% 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 $47.00 in Cape Town versus $23.00 in Sulaymaniyah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $222 vs $188 – making Sulaymaniyah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇮🇶 Sulaymaniyah

🕒 Local time

09:47 9:47 AM

10:47 10:47 AM

1 h ahead of Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

823,199

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.06 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.9 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.06 USD). 1 EUR = 18.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,695 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cape Town Sulaymaniyah 8,220 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Sulaymaniyah

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 Sulaymaniyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 103% more than Sulaymaniyah, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,352 per month in Cape Town and $1,160 in Sulaymaniyah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,568 in Cape Town and $773 in Sulaymaniyah. That's a gap of about 103%.

Public transport costs about 169% less in Sulaymaniyah. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sulaymaniyah, where all-in costs run around $773, than in Cape Town at $1,568. In Sulaymaniyah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Sulaymaniyah costs $773 versus $1,568 in Cape Town. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Sulaymaniyah. 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.