Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and 'aqrah

For one person, living is cheaper in 'aqrah: $661 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $26,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

140

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
Learn more

Dubai Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in 'aqrah
Learn more

'aqrah Living Index

Jump to prices

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

'aqrah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$661

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in 'aqrah

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 'aqrah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,896 in Dubai versus $661 in 'aqrah.

Dubai $2,896
'aqrah $661

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,384 in Dubai versus $1,015 in 'aqrah.

Dubai $4,384
'aqrah $1,015

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,872 in Dubai versus $1,369 in 'aqrah.

Dubai $5,872
'aqrah $1,369

Living in Dubai is roughly 338% more expensive than in 'aqrah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dubai is 115% above, 'aqrah is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.67 AED 46.55

$3.62 IQD 5,467

250.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 AED 300

$21.82 IQD 33.0K

274.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 AED 34.30

$6.82 IQD 10.3K

36.95%

Cappuccino

$5.89 AED 21.62

$2.38 IQD 3,602

147.48%

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

$1.69 AED 6.20

$0.32 IQD 485

428.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 AED 2.86

$0.18 IQD 273

333.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.66 AED 50.2

$3.11 IQD 4,706

339.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.49 AED 49.54

$2.61 IQD 3,945

416.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 AED 6.78

$0.94 IQD 1,416

95.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 AED 5.50

$0.72 IQD 1,086

108.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 AED 9.45

$1.46 IQD 2,205

76.03%

Eggs

$3.32 AED 12.18

$1.70 IQD 2,573

95.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 AED 46.28

$3.48 IQD 5,252

262.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 AED 35.46

$4.16 IQD 6,291

132.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 AED 46.93

$13.31 IQD 20.1K

-3.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 AED 9.54

$0.92 IQD 1,383

182.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 AED 6.99

$0.91 IQD 1,375

108.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.02

$0.77 IQD 1,161

148.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 AED 5.02

$0.66 IQD 990

107.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 AED 4.14

$0.54 IQD 809

109.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$0.64 IQD 965

57.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 AED 5.30

$0.51 IQD 776

182.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 AED 2.48

$0.50 IQD 756

34.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.88 AED 21.59

$1.57 IQD 2,368

274.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.15 AED 59.3

$10.92 IQD 16.5K

47.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 AED 10.00

$1.33 IQD 2,003

104.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 AED 11.32

$1.85 IQD 2,800

66.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 AED 5.87

$0.45 IQD 679

255.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 AED 279

$17.50 IQD 26.4K

334.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 AED 11.91

$1.89 IQD 2,859

71.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.61

$1.39 IQD 2,099

-48.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.22

$5.15 IQD 7,788

54.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 AED 3.62

$0.48 IQD 727

104.17%

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

$27.4K AED 100.6K

$16.9K IQD 25.5M

62.15%

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

$22.0K AED 80.9K

$19.4K IQD 29.3M

13.62%

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

$249 AED 913

$80.2 IQD 121.1K

210.04%

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

$54.4 AED 200

$13.58 IQD 20.5K

300.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.5 AED 336

$27.25 IQD 41.2K

235.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$103 AED 380

$37.01 IQD 55.9K

179.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.32 AED 155

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 AED 59.8

$8.39 IQD 12.7K

94.16%

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

$844 AED 3,098

$142 IQD 213.9K

495.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$2,656 IQD 4.0M

587.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 AED 246

$22.08 IQD 33.4K

203.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$23.85 IQD 36.0K

142.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 AED 375

$47.26 IQD 71.4K

116.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 AED 363

$31.06 IQD 46.9K

217.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,393 AED 8,788

$184 IQD 277.8K

1201.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 AED 5,630

$141 IQD 213.2K

986.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,594 AED 16.9K

$358 IQD 541.4K

1182.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,939 AED 10.8K

$278 IQD 419.4K

958.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,046 AED 25.9K

$779 IQD 1.2M

805.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,222 AED 15.5K

$642 IQD 970.8K

557.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,461 AED 12.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

3.33

36.34%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Last update for 'aqrah: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9%

'aqrah

$141 21.4% 90.8% $1.4K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$394 13.6%

'aqrah

$121 18.3% 69.3% $273

Eating Out

Dubai

$305 10.5%

'aqrah

$101 15.3% 67% $204

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$292 10.1%

'aqrah

$160 24.2% 45.2% $132

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

'aqrah

$56 8.5% 61.9% $91

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$136 4.7%

'aqrah

$54 8.1% 60.4% $82

Getting Around

Dubai

$89 3.1%

'aqrah

$28 4.3% 68.4% $61

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,393 in Dubai and $184 in 'aqrah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $82.0 in Dubai vs $22.00 in 'aqrah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $160 per month, with 'aqrah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇮🇶 'aqrah

🕒 Local time

04:54 4:54 AM

03:54 3:54 AM

1 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

68,100

💱 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 = 5.88 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 = 4.14 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 = 1,701 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.88 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dubai 'aqrah 1,680 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
'aqrah

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 'aqrah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

'aqrah wins on cost – living expenses run 338% lower than in Dubai. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making 'aqrah the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $4,344 in Dubai and $991 in 'aqrah to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,393 in Dubai versus $184 in 'aqrah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,896 per month in Dubai versus $661 in 'aqrah – a 338% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in 'aqrah runs roughly 334% less than in Dubai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $661 in 'aqrah versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in 'aqrah but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes 'aqrah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but 'aqrah delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $661 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes 'aqrah hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Dubai and 'aqrah 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 'aqrah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 338% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.