Cost of Living Comparison Between Chengdu and Duhok Cost of Living Comparison Between Chengdu and Duhok

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $759 per month in Chengdu vs $675 in Duhok, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,226 per month in Chengdu vs $1,077 in Duhok, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,692 per month in Chengdu vs $1,479 in Duhok, rent included.

Chengdu costs about 12% more than Duhok, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Chengdu and Duhok are more affordable than the global median – Chengdu 44% lower, Duhok 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.91 ¥19.51

$3.92 IQD 5,138

-25.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.82 ¥133

$19.38 IQD 25.4K

2.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.34 ¥35.77

$8.56 IQD 11.2K

-37.62%

Cappuccino

$2.89 ¥19.39

$2.75 IQD 3,601

5.09%

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

$0.50 ¥3.36

$0.37 IQD 480

35.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.88

$0.17 IQD 224

64.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.46 ¥9.79

$1.96 IQD 2,563

-25.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 ¥16.37

$2.30 IQD 3,014

6.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥12.08

$1.29 IQD 1,685

39.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 ¥11.16

$0.84 IQD 1,095

98.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.25

$1.71 IQD 2,238

-45.61%

Eggs

$1.54 ¥10.30

$1.84 IQD 2,403

-16.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.12 ¥94.6

$5.08 IQD 6,655

177.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.50 ¥23.44

$3.02 IQD 3,955

15.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.43 ¥76.6

$12.77 IQD 16.7K

-10.49%

Apples (1kg)

$1.85 ¥12.40

$1.13 IQD 1,474

63.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.48

$1.16 IQD 1,523

9.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.06 ¥7.12

$0.86 IQD 1,125

23.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.36

$0.69 IQD 908

81.16%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.71

$0.75 IQD 987

-6.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.86

$0.68 IQD 893

7.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ¥4.58

$0.76 IQD 993

-10.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥3.70

$0.60 IQD 783

-8.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.78 ¥25.31

$1.96 IQD 2,561

92.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.45 ¥36.48

$12.39 IQD 16.2K

-56.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥5.12

$1.69 IQD 2,207

-55.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 ¥9.82

$2.15 IQD 2,811

-31.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 ¥3.11

$0.35 IQD 464

31.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.55 ¥164

$15.56 IQD 20.4K

57.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 ¥8.82

$1.96 IQD 2,567

-32.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$1.40 IQD 1,828

-79.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.45 ¥29.78

$5.96 IQD 7,799

-25.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ¥8.30

$0.64 IQD 834

93.75%

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

$19.6K ¥131.0K

$17.9K IQD 23.4M

9.53%

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

$17.6K ¥118.1K

$20.1K IQD 26.3M

-12.26%

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

$41.28 ¥276

$94.2 IQD 123.3K

-56.17%

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

$9.61 ¥64.4

$9.42 IQD 12.3K

2.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.79 ¥85.7

$27.70 IQD 36.3K

-53.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.65 ¥179

$53.3 IQD 69.8K

-50.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ¥74.1

$30.18 IQD 39.5K

-63.32%

Cinema Ticket

$5.93 ¥39.74

$7.32 IQD 9,583

-18.99%

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

$411 ¥2,752

$112 IQD 146.9K

266.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ¥98.9K

$3,093 IQD 4.1M

377.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.38 ¥197

$10.04 IQD 13.1K

192.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.00 ¥201

$20.06 IQD 26.3K

49.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.5 ¥405

$29.69 IQD 38.9K

103.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.1 ¥343

$20.02 IQD 26.2K

155.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 ¥3,247

$180 IQD 235.9K

169.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$261 ¥1,747

$124 IQD 162.8K

109.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$860 ¥5,761

$365 IQD 477.5K

135.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$561 ¥3,755

$348 IQD 456.2K

60.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,788 ¥25.4K

$474 IQD 621.4K

698.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,965 ¥13.2K

$387 IQD 506.6K

407.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,276 ¥8,546

$443 IQD 580.3K

187.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.38

2.53

33.60%

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

Last update for Chengdu: September 13, 2026

Last update for Duhok: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $485 in Chengdu versus $180 in Duhok. 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 188% higher in Chengdu, 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 $20.00 in Chengdu versus $19.00 in Duhok. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $197 vs $175 – making Duhok the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Chengdu vs Duhok: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $759 in Chengdu, $675 in Duhok – roughly 12% apart. Chengdu costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,139 per month in Chengdu and $1,013 in Duhok. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chengdu and $19.00 in Duhok. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $759 in Chengdu and $675 in Duhok. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $759 in Chengdu and $675 in Duhok, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

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 Duhok. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chengdu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.