Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Delhi and Erbil

For one person, living is cheaper in Delhi: $520 a month against $1,096 in Erbil, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Delhi
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Delhi Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Erbil
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Erbil Living Index

Jump to prices

Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$520

/mo nomad

Erbil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$1,096

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Delhi and in Erbil

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

A single person spends $520 per month in Delhi vs $1,096 in Erbil, rent included.

Delhi $520
Erbil $1,096

A couple spends around $858 per month in Delhi vs $1,634 in Erbil, rent included.

Delhi $858
Erbil $1,634

A family of three spends $1,195 per month in Delhi vs $2,173 in Erbil, rent included.

Delhi $1,195
Erbil $2,173

Delhi is about 53% cheaper than Erbil, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Delhi and Erbil are more affordable than the global median – Delhi 61% lower, Erbil 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.67 ₹355

$7.75 IQD 11.7K

-52.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.95 ₹2,027

$42.93 IQD 64.9K

-51.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.74 ₹362

$8.55 IQD 12.9K

-56.26%

Cappuccino

$2.33 ₹226

$3.92 IQD 5,918

-40.56%

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

$0.37 ₹35.82

$0.98 IQD 1,476

-62.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 ₹18.91

$0.42 IQD 635

-52.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 ₹195

$6.10 IQD 9,213

-66.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₹308

$4.68 IQD 7,074

-31.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.68 ₹65.9

$1.23 IQD 1,866

-44.72%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 ₹50.2

$0.82 IQD 1,244

-36.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.83 ₹80.0

$1.74 IQD 2,626

-52.30%

Eggs

$1.07 ₹104

$1.80 IQD 2,716

-40.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.43 ₹428

$8.03 IQD 12.1K

-44.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.37 ₹326

$4.96 IQD 7,488

-32.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.57 IQD 22.0K

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 ₹192

$1.09 IQD 1,642

82.57%

Banana (1kg)

$0.72 ₹70.1

$1.11 IQD 1,679

-35.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 ₹98.4

$1.23 IQD 1,860

-17.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.52 ₹50.1

$0.76 IQD 1,151

-31.58%

Potato (1kg)

$0.27 ₹25.96

$0.73 IQD 1,104

-63.01%

Onion (1kg)

$0.37 ₹35.42

$0.73 IQD 1,100

-49.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 ₹41.64

$0.69 IQD 1,050

-37.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹30.39

$0.60 IQD 903

-48.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.92 ₹476

$2.44 IQD 3,683

101.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.34 ₹808

$12.42 IQD 18.8K

-32.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 ₹159

$1.62 IQD 2,449

1.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 ₹261

$2.16 IQD 3,270

25.00%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.15 ₹596

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 ₹44.04

$0.59 IQD 896

-22.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.29 ₹1,480

$42.79 IQD 64.7K

-64.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 ₹99.8

$1.94 IQD 2,934

-46.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ₹26.38

$1.78 IQD 2,686

-84.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ₹148

$6.34 IQD 9,572

-75.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 ₹102

$0.68 IQD 1,029

54.41%

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

$10.5K ₹1.0M

$17.7K IQD 26.7M

-40.72%

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

$18.4K ₹1.8M

$20.3K IQD 30.6M

-9.34%

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

$42.67 ₹4,129

$131 IQD 197.2K

-67.31%

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

$4.04 ₹391

$13.79 IQD 20.8K

-70.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.75 ₹653

$27.61 IQD 41.7K

-75.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.40 ₹1,878

$65.3 IQD 98.7K

-70.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.06 ₹780

$14.26 IQD 21.6K

-43.48%

Cinema Ticket

$5.08 ₹492

$11.35 IQD 17.2K

-55.24%

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

$100 ₹9,696

$326 IQD 493.1K

-69.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,268 ₹219.5K

$3,186 IQD 4.8M

-28.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.14 ₹2,336

$31.25 IQD 47.2K

-22.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.38 ₹2,747

$44.50 IQD 67.2K

-36.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.3 ₹5,160

$68.7 IQD 103.8K

-22.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.13 ₹4,271

$69.0 IQD 104.3K

-36.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$264 ₹25.5K

$463 IQD 700.1K

-43.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$154 ₹14.9K

$293 IQD 442.5K

-47.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$736 ₹71.2K

$725 IQD 1.1M

1.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 ₹38.5K

$439 IQD 662.8K

-9.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,494 ₹241.4K

$1,110 IQD 1.7M

124.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,017 ₹98.4K

$645 IQD 975.2K

57.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$585 ₹56.7K

$590 IQD 891.2K

-0.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.33

2.53

229.25%

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

Last update for Delhi: October 6, 2026

Last update for Erbil: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Delhi

$154 29.7%

Erbil

$293 27% 90% $139

Groceries & Markets

Delhi

$108 20.8%

Erbil

$199 18.4% 84.3% $91

Eating Out

Delhi

$87 16.8%

Erbil

$180 16.6% 106% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Delhi

$67 13%

Erbil

$96 8.9% 42.4% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Delhi

$53 10.3%

Erbil

$172 15.9% 222% $118

Sport & Entertainment

Delhi

$30 5.7%

Erbil

$88 8.1% 198% $58

Getting Around

Delhi

$20 3.8%

Erbil

$56 5.2% 187% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $264 in Delhi versus $463 in Erbil. 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 1% higher in Erbil, 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 $21.00 in Delhi versus $43.00 in Erbil. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $108 vs $199 – making Delhi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Delhi

🇮🇶 Erbil

🕒 Local time

10:46 10:46 AM

08:16 8:16 AM

2 h 30 min behind Delhi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,787,941 Capital

1,713,461

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.33 USD

1,000 INR = 9.21 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 96.78 INR (100 INR = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 109 INR (1,000 INR = 9.21 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 INR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Delhi Erbil 3,210 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Delhi
Erbil

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

Delhi vs Erbil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $520 in Delhi, $1,096 in Erbil – roughly 111% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $780 per month in Delhi and $1,644 in Erbil. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Delhi, 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 $21.00 in Delhi and $43.00 in Erbil. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $520 in Delhi and $1,096 in Erbil. That's a gap of about 111%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Delhi, where all-in costs run around $520, than in Erbil at $1,096. In Delhi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Erbil it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Delhi – 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 Delhi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Erbil makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.