For one person, living is cheaper in Delhi: $526 a month against $759 in Zakho, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.
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 Zakho actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $526 per month in Delhi vs $759 in Zakho, rent included.
Delhi $526
Zakho $759
A couple spends around $882 per month in Delhi vs $1,210 in Zakho, rent included.
Delhi $882
Zakho $1,210
A family of three spends $1,239 per month in Delhi vs $1,661 in Zakho, rent included.
Delhi $1,239
Zakho $1,661
🙂
Delhi is about 31% cheaper than Zakho, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
Both Delhi and Zakho are more affordable than the global median – Delhi61% lower, Zakho44% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Delhi
Zakho
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.70₹352
$6.52IQD 9,855
-43.25%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$21.33₹2,026
$36.45IQD 55.1K
-41.48%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$3.69₹351
$7.08IQD 10.7K
-47.88%
Cappuccino
$2.30₹218
$3.38IQD 5,101
-31.95%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.39₹36.82
$0.90IQD 1,356
-56.67%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.15₹14.05
$0.36IQD 550
-58.33%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.05₹195
$5.36IQD 8,101
-61.75%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.13₹297
$4.06IQD 6,130
-22.91%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Delhi
Zakho
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$0.69₹65.9
$1.07IQD 1,613
-35.51%
White Bread(500g)
$0.58₹54.6
$0.67IQD 1,019
-13.43%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$0.78₹74.0
$1.47IQD 2,221
-46.94%
Eggs
$1.15₹109
$1.52IQD 2,290
-24.34%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$4.28₹407
$7.21IQD 10.9K
-40.64%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.52₹334
$4.32IQD 6,524
-18.52%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
-
$12.87IQD 19.4K
-
Apples(1kg)
$1.93₹184
$0.97IQD 1,463
98.97%
Banana(1kg)
$0.79₹75.1
$0.95IQD 1,437
-16.84%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.01₹95.6
$1.02IQD 1,543
-0.98%
Tomato(1kg)
$0.53₹50.0
$0.69IQD 1,046
-23.19%
Potato(1kg)
$0.28₹26.21
$0.59IQD 895
-52.54%
Onion(1kg)
$0.37₹35.46
$0.58IQD 874
-36.21%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.44₹41.89
$0.66IQD 997
-33.33%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.31₹29.89
$0.51IQD 777
-39.22%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.95₹470
$2.11IQD 3,189
134.60%
Wine(Bottle)
$8.57₹814
$10.84IQD 16.4K
-20.94%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.61₹152
$1.45IQD 2,197
11.03%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.66₹253
$1.84IQD 2,782
44.57%
Buffalo Round(or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat)(1kg)
$6.40₹608
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Delhi
Zakho
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.51₹48.63
$0.39IQD 594
30.77%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$15.59₹1,481
$20.25IQD 30.6K
-23.01%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.04₹98.4
$1.64IQD 2,474
-36.59%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.27₹25.79
$1.60IQD 2,418
-83.13%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$1.54₹146
$5.53IQD 8,350
-72.15%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.11₹106
$0.57IQD 863
94.74%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$11.5K₹1.1M
$16.7KIQD 25.3M
-31.39%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.9K₹1.8M
$17.3KIQD 26.2M
8.72%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Delhi
Zakho
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$42.45₹4,031
$113IQD 170.8K
-62.46%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.20₹399
$11.83IQD 17.9K
-64.50%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$6.89₹654
$24.03IQD 36.3K
-71.33%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Delhi
Zakho
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$20.09₹1,908
$37.45IQD 56.6K
-46.36%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.89₹749
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.31₹504
$9.95IQD 15.0K
-46.63%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Delhi
Zakho
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$101₹9,571
$313IQD 473.3K
-67.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$2,315₹219.8K
$2,762IQD 4.2M
-16.19%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Delhi
Zakho
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$24.64₹2,340
$26.29IQD 39.7K
-6.28%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.82₹2,737
$19.70IQD 29.8K
46.29%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$53.6₹5,088
$49.08IQD 74.2K
9.17%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$44.17₹4,194
$40.75IQD 61.6K
8.39%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Delhi
Zakho
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$271₹25.8K
$172IQD 260.4K
57.42%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$157₹14.9K
$132IQD 199.9K
18.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$744₹70.6K
$379IQD 572.2K
96.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$405₹38.4K
$308IQD 466.0K
31.15%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,574₹244.4K
$711IQD 1.1M
262.16%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,003₹95.2K
$576IQD 870.1K
74.17%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Delhi
Zakho
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$615₹58.4K
$660IQD 997.7K
-6.80%
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 18, 2026
Last update for Zakho: October 20, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Delhi
$157 29.9%
Zakho
$132 17.4% ↓ 15.7%$25
🛒Groceries & Markets
Delhi
$110 20.8%
Zakho
$174 22.9% ↑ 58.5%$64
🍽Eating Out
Delhi
$87 16.5%
Zakho
$154 20.3% ↑ 77.1%$67
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Delhi
$68 12.9%
Zakho
$61 8.1% ↓ 10.2%$6.9
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Delhi
$54 10.2%
Zakho
$149 19.6% ↑ 178%$95
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Delhi
$31 5.8%
Zakho
$57 7.6% ↑ 86.8%$27
🚌Getting Around
Delhi
$20 3.8%
Zakho
$31 4.2% ↑ 57%$11
🏠Accommodation & Living
Delhi
$405 32.7%
Zakho
$308 18.6% ↓ 23.8%$96
🛒Groceries & Markets
Delhi
$236 19.1%
Zakho
$394 23.8% ↑ 67%$158
🍽Eating Out
Delhi
$279 22.5%
Zakho
$483 29.1% ↑ 73%$204
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Delhi
$151 12.2%
Zakho
$136 8.2% ↓ 10.2%$15
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Delhi
$58 4.7%
Zakho
$161 9.7% ↑ 178%$103
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Delhi
$69 5.6%
Zakho
$115 * 6.9% ↑ 65.5%$45
🚌Getting Around
Delhi
$41 3.3%
Zakho
$64 3.8% ↑ 55%$23
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
Cost Breakdown
🏠A central one-bedroom costs $271 in Delhi versus $172 in Zakho. 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 7% higher in Zakho, 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 $36.00 in Zakho. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $110 vs $174 – making Delhi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.
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 Zakho: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Delhi and in Zakho compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $526 in Delhi, $759 in Zakho – roughly 44% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Delhi compared to Zakho?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $789 per month in Delhi and $1,138 in Zakho. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Delhi and Zakho?
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.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $21.00 in Delhi and $36.00 in Zakho. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Delhi or Zakho?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $526 in Delhi and $759 in Zakho. That's a gap of about 44%.
How far does $1,200 go in Delhi compared to Zakho?
$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $526 in Delhi and $759 in Zakho, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Where should families live: Delhi or Zakho?
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.
Is Delhi or Zakho safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Delhi and Zakho?
If budget matters most, go with Delhi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Zakho makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.