Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Al-mawsil

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-mawsil: $601 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $27,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

140

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
Learn more

Dubai Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Al-mawsil
Learn more

Al-mawsil Living Index

Jump to prices

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Al-mawsil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$601

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Al-mawsil

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,896 in Dubai versus $601 in Al-mawsil.

Dubai $2,896
Al-mawsil $601

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,384 in Dubai versus $917 in Al-mawsil.

Dubai $4,384
Al-mawsil $917

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,872 in Dubai versus $1,233 in Al-mawsil.

Dubai $5,872
Al-mawsil $1,233

Living in Dubai is roughly 381% more expensive than in Al-mawsil, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dubai is 115% above, Al-mawsil is 55% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.67 AED 46.55

$6.46 IQD 9,767

96.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 AED 300

$10.37 IQD 15.7K

688.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 AED 34.30

$5.03 IQD 7,597

85.69%

Cappuccino

$5.89 AED 21.62

$0.68 IQD 1,024

766.18%

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

$1.69 AED 6.20

$0.34 IQD 519

397.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 AED 2.86

$0.14 IQD 219

457.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.66 AED 50.2

$0.85 IQD 1,286

1507.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.49 AED 49.54

$1.31 IQD 1,977

929.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 AED 6.78

$0.63 IQD 950

192.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 AED 5.50

$0.64 IQD 964

134.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 AED 9.45

$0.54 IQD 816

375.93%

Eggs

$3.32 AED 12.18

$0.94 IQD 1,424

253.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 AED 46.28

$7.10 IQD 10.7K

77.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 AED 35.46

$3.00 IQD 4,536

222.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 AED 46.93

$7.80 IQD 11.8K

63.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 AED 9.54

$0.64 IQD 970

306.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 AED 6.99

$0.67 IQD 1,013

183.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.02

$0.51 IQD 769

274.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 AED 5.02

$0.22 IQD 332

522.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 AED 4.14

$0.27 IQD 408

318.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$0.32 IQD 483

215.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 AED 5.30

$0.61 IQD 928

136.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 AED 2.48

$0.51 IQD 773

31.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.88 AED 21.59

$1.62 IQD 2,448

262.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.15 AED 59.3

$10.82 IQD 16.3K

49.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 AED 10.00

$1.41 IQD 2,124

92.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 AED 11.32

$1.88 IQD 2,838

63.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 AED 5.87

$0.40 IQD 600

300.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 AED 279

$19.83 IQD 30.0K

283.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 AED 11.91

$1.61 IQD 2,438

101.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.61

$1.61 IQD 2,430

-55.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.22

$3.86 IQD 5,830

106.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 AED 3.62

$0.29 IQD 432

237.93%

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

$27.4K AED 100.6K

$13.2K IQD 19.9M

107.60%

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

$22.0K AED 80.9K

$15.0K IQD 22.7M

46.69%

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

$249 AED 913

$92.5 IQD 139.8K

168.68%

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

$54.4 AED 200

$12.26 IQD 18.5K

343.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.5 AED 336

$23.36 IQD 35.3K

291.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$103 AED 380

$36.85 IQD 55.7K

180.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.32 AED 155

$6.72 IQD 10.2K

529.76%

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 AED 59.8

$6.74 IQD 10.2K

141.69%

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

$844 AED 3,098

$307 IQD 463.9K

174.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$588 IQD 888.5K

3005.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 AED 246

$16.19 IQD 24.5K

313.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$13.44 IQD 20.3K

331.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 AED 375

$59.1 IQD 89.3K

72.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 AED 363

$15.72 IQD 23.8K

527.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,393 AED 8,788

$176 IQD 265.7K

1260.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 AED 5,630

$130 IQD 196.5K

1078.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,594 AED 16.9K

$381 IQD 575.7K

1105.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,939 AED 10.8K

$305 IQD 461.0K

863.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,046 AED 25.9K

$745 IQD 1.1M

846.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,222 AED 15.5K

$587 IQD 887.1K

619.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,461 AED 12.7K

$537 IQD 811.7K

544.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

2.53

79.45%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Last update for Al-mawsil: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9%

Al-mawsil

$130 21.6% 91.5% $1.4K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$394 13.6%

Al-mawsil

$128 21.3% 67.5% $266

Eating Out

Dubai

$305 10.5%

Al-mawsil

$84 13.9% 72.6% $221

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$292 10.1%

Al-mawsil

$131 21.8% 55% $160

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Al-mawsil

$47 7.8% 67.9% $100

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$136 4.7%

Al-mawsil

$50 8.4% 63% $86

Getting Around

Dubai

$89 3.1%

Al-mawsil

$31 5.2% 65.1% $58

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,393 in Dubai and $176 in Al-mawsil. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 544% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $82.0 in Dubai vs $10.00 in Al-mawsil for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $131 per month, with Al-mawsil cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇮🇶 Al-mawsil

🕒 Local time

23:04 11:04 PM

22:04 10:04 PM

1 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

1,683,000

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD, EUR to AED – UAE Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇪 UAE Dirham (د.إ)

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.13 AED (1 AED = 0.242 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Dubai Al-mawsil 1,700 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Al-mawsil

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

Dubai vs Al-mawsil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al-mawsil is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 381% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 544% higher in Dubai, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,393 in Dubai versus $176 in Al-mawsil. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $844 in Dubai versus $307 in Al-mawsil. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 122% higher in Dubai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $601 in Al-mawsil versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Al-mawsil but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Al-mawsil the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Al-mawsil is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Dubai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Dubai and Al-mawsil are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Al-mawsil gentler on the wallet – expenses run 381% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.