Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Iraq Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Iraq

Name: Iraq
Address: IQ

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $712 in China versus $760 in Iraq.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,131 in China versus $1,167 in Iraq.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,549 in China versus $1,574 in Iraq.

Living in China costs about 6% less than in Iraq on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 47% lower, Iraq 43% lower.

China ($533–$1,212) and Iraq ($521–$1,055) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.77 ¥18.72

$4.70 IQD 6,157

-41.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.05 ¥162

$23.21 IQD 30.4K

3.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.73 ¥31.93

$6.49 IQD 8,494

-27.12%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ¥20.78

$2.25 IQD 2,950

36.89%

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

$0.44 ¥3.00

$0.39 IQD 506

12.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.98

$0.22 IQD 282

31.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ¥6.80

$2.26 IQD 2,956

-55.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 ¥14.03

$2.62 IQD 3,431

-20.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 ¥12.39

$1.28 IQD 1,675

42.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.94

$0.82 IQD 1,072

97.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ¥6.58

$1.56 IQD 2,045

-37.82%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.90

$1.73 IQD 2,268

-6.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 ¥90.1

$4.89 IQD 6,402

172.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.37 ¥22.75

$4.15 IQD 5,429

-18.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 ¥72.2

$12.49 IQD 16.4K

-14.49%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.26

$1.03 IQD 1,345

75.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.44

$1.18 IQD 1,541

5.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 ¥9.88

$1.01 IQD 1,322

44.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.73

$0.68 IQD 896

69.12%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.92

$0.66 IQD 858

10.61%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 ¥5.99

$0.65 IQD 853

36.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ¥4.05

$0.62 IQD 810

-3.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ¥3.59

$0.55 IQD 721

-3.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.39 ¥22.93

$1.93 IQD 2,531

75.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.73 ¥79.3

$12.15 IQD 15.9K

-3.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥5.23

$1.78 IQD 2,328

-56.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥10.98

$2.21 IQD 2,890

-26.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ¥2.77

$0.36 IQD 477

13.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.24 ¥143

$32.91 IQD 43.1K

-35.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ¥9.13

$2.23 IQD 2,923

-39.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 ¥2.40

$1.71 IQD 2,244

-78.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.70 ¥45.26

$5.99 IQD 7,841

11.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ¥7.98

$0.59 IQD 774

100.00%

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

$19.8K ¥133.4K

$18.2K IQD 23.8M

8.77%

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

$16.5K ¥111.7K

$20.1K IQD 26.4M

-17.93%

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

$51.7 ¥349

$98.1 IQD 128.4K

-47.23%

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

$10.09 ¥68.2

$19.26 IQD 25.2K

-47.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.38 ¥76.9

$31.85 IQD 41.7K

-64.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.24 ¥265

$34.85 IQD 45.6K

12.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.84 ¥100

$14.57 IQD 19.1K

1.85%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 ¥42.56

$7.75 IQD 10.2K

-18.71%

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

$414 ¥2,795

$133 IQD 174.4K

210.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K ¥117.6K

$2,672 IQD 3.5M

551.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.77 ¥316

$22.72 IQD 29.8K

105.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.08 ¥223

$25.90 IQD 33.9K

27.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.9 ¥479

$56.9 IQD 74.5K

24.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.5 ¥503

$39.49 IQD 51.7K

88.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$440 ¥2,972

$303 IQD 397.0K

45.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$253 ¥1,707

$198 IQD 259.8K

27.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$911 ¥6,153

$549 IQD 718.8K

65.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$531 ¥3,584

$378 IQD 494.8K

40.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,778 ¥32.3K

$1,559 IQD 2.0M

206.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,403 ¥16.2K

$789 IQD 1.0M

204.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,058 ¥7,144

$562 IQD 736.3K

88.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

8.23

-50.67%

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

Last update for China: July 28, 2026

Last update for Iraq: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $287 in China, $254 in Iraq. Capital cities: $909 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $554 in Baghdad.

National salary averages: $857 in China, $562 in Iraq. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 13% higher in China.

Dining out costs 14% more in Iraq.

Public transport is 78% more expensive in Iraq.

Salaries are 52% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

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

China vs Iraq: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $873 per month in China and $788 in Iraq, there's a 11% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Iraq: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in China is consistently higher than in Iraq across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Iraq, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in China it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Iraq wins on affordability; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.