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: $720 in China versus $561 in Iraq.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,148 in China versus $864 in Iraq.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,576 in China versus $1,166 in Iraq.

Living in China is roughly 28% more expensive than in Iraq on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 48% lower, Iraq 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.93 ¥19.60

$4.51 IQD 5,902

-35.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.72 ¥152

$22.77 IQD 29.8K

-0.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 ¥33.95

$7.44 IQD 9,743

-31.85%

Cappuccino

$2.94 ¥19.70

$2.75 IQD 3,597

6.91%

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

$0.48 ¥3.21

$0.42 IQD 551

14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.02

$0.24 IQD 315

25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ¥7.10

$3.84 IQD 5,028

-72.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ¥15.07

$3.86 IQD 5,060

-41.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ¥11.99

$1.14 IQD 1,497

57.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 ¥11.35

$0.85 IQD 1,112

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ¥6.45

$1.52 IQD 1,987

-36.84%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.79

$1.73 IQD 2,271

-6.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.60 ¥91.1

$4.85 IQD 6,352

180.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.41 ¥22.84

$4.26 IQD 5,573

-19.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.07 ¥74.2

$12.93 IQD 16.9K

-14.39%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.09

$1.05 IQD 1,373

72.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.74

$1.13 IQD 1,480

15.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 ¥9.91

$0.96 IQD 1,263

54.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.72

$0.67 IQD 871

94.03%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.82

$0.68 IQD 886

5.88%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.31

$0.61 IQD 792

54.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ¥4.08

$0.67 IQD 880

-8.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.73

$0.51 IQD 666

9.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.67 ¥24.58

$1.87 IQD 2,450

96.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.90 ¥79.7

$11.95 IQD 15.7K

-0.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.56

$1.98 IQD 2,594

-58.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥11.08

$2.11 IQD 2,769

-21.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$0.39 IQD 511

-25.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.61 ¥151

$26.00 IQD 34.0K

-13.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 ¥9.72

$2.26 IQD 2,955

-35.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 ¥2.31

$1.66 IQD 2,175

-79.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.27 ¥48.72

$5.97 IQD 7,817

21.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ¥8.26

$0.66 IQD 860

86.36%

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

$19.5K ¥130.9K

$16.9K IQD 22.2M

15.31%

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

$17.2K ¥115.5K

$19.1K IQD 25.0M

-9.75%

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

$55.5 ¥371

$113 IQD 148.2K

-51.01%

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

$8.51 ¥57.0

$15.84 IQD 20.7K

-46.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.81 ¥72.4

$33.79 IQD 44.2K

-68.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.02 ¥268

$35.74 IQD 46.8K

11.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.80 ¥99.1

$18.36 IQD 24.0K

-19.39%

Cinema Ticket

$6.73 ¥45.09

$7.78 IQD 10.2K

-13.50%

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

$454 ¥3,042

$171 IQD 224.2K

165.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K ¥130.8K

$2,756 IQD 3.6M

608.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.95 ¥301

$21.41 IQD 28.0K

109.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.81 ¥240

$27.13 IQD 35.5K

31.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.8 ¥514

$59.7 IQD 78.1K

28.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.3 ¥518

$44.36 IQD 58.1K

74.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$385 ¥2,581

$308 IQD 403.0K

25.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ¥1,623

$210 IQD 275.6K

15.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 ¥5,603

$551 IQD 722.0K

51.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 ¥3,177

$400 IQD 524.4K

18.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,619 ¥30.9K

$1,557 IQD 2.0M

196.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,316 ¥15.5K

$789 IQD 1.0M

193.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,062 ¥7,110

$582 IQD 762.0K

82.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.47

6.32

-45.09%

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

Last update for China: September 5, 2026

Last update for Iraq: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $295 in China, $133 in Iraq. Capital cities: $957 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $566 in Baghdad.

National salary averages: $865 in China, $551 in Iraq. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 122% higher in China.

Public transport is 55% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 57% 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 $852 per month in China and $562 in Iraq, there's a 52% 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.