Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Duhok

For one person, living is cheaper in Duhok: $602 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
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Dubai Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Duhok
Learn more

Duhok Living Index

Jump to prices

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Duhok

🇮🇶 Iraq

$602

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Duhok

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,896 in Dubai versus $602 in Duhok.

Dubai $2,896
Duhok $602

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,384 in Dubai versus $968 in Duhok.

Dubai $4,384
Duhok $968

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,872 in Dubai versus $1,334 in Duhok.

Dubai $5,872
Duhok $1,334

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.67 AED 46.55

$3.35 IQD 5,069

278.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 AED 300

$16.55 IQD 25.0K

393.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 AED 34.30

$7.04 IQD 10.6K

32.67%

Cappuccino

$5.89 AED 21.62

$2.32 IQD 3,511

153.88%

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

$1.69 AED 6.20

$0.34 IQD 517

397.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 AED 2.86

$0.15 IQD 229

420.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.66 AED 50.2

$1.61 IQD 2,430

748.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.49 AED 49.54

$1.94 IQD 2,930

595.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 AED 6.78

$1.11 IQD 1,680

65.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 AED 5.50

$0.67 IQD 1,017

123.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 AED 9.45

$1.50 IQD 2,262

71.33%

Eggs

$3.32 AED 12.18

$1.58 IQD 2,385

110.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 AED 46.28

$5.03 IQD 7,594

150.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 AED 35.46

$2.95 IQD 4,460

227.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 AED 46.93

$10.83 IQD 16.4K

18.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 AED 9.54

$0.96 IQD 1,453

170.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 AED 6.99

$1.00 IQD 1,506

90.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.02

$0.73 IQD 1,109

161.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 AED 5.02

$0.68 IQD 1,028

101.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 AED 4.14

$0.59 IQD 894

91.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$0.63 IQD 948

60.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 AED 5.30

$0.61 IQD 926

136.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 AED 2.48

$0.48 IQD 719

39.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.88 AED 21.59

$1.74 IQD 2,630

237.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.15 AED 59.3

$10.58 IQD 16.0K

52.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 AED 10.00

$1.46 IQD 2,200

86.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 AED 11.32

$1.82 IQD 2,749

69.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 AED 5.87

$0.32 IQD 486

400.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 AED 279

$15.69 IQD 23.7K

384.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 AED 11.91

$1.69 IQD 2,555

91.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.61

$1.28 IQD 1,930

-44.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.22

$5.62 IQD 8,491

41.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 AED 3.62

$0.59 IQD 884

66.10%

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

$27.4K AED 100.6K

$16.5K IQD 24.9M

65.97%

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

$22.0K AED 80.9K

$17.0K IQD 25.7M

29.69%

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

$249 AED 913

$85.5 IQD 129.1K

190.75%

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

$54.4 AED 200

$8.81 IQD 13.3K

517.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.5 AED 336

$24.12 IQD 36.4K

279.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$103 AED 380

$49.83 IQD 75.3K

107.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.32 AED 155

$26.66 IQD 40.3K

58.74%

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 AED 59.8

$7.55 IQD 11.4K

115.76%

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

$844 AED 3,098

$108 IQD 163.9K

677.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$2,793 IQD 4.2M

553.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 AED 246

$10.25 IQD 15.5K

553.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$19.62 IQD 29.6K

195.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 AED 375

$29.73 IQD 44.9K

243.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 AED 363

$19.93 IQD 30.1K

395.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,393 AED 8,788

$161 IQD 243.5K

1385.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 AED 5,630

$115 IQD 174.0K

1231.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,594 AED 16.9K

$329 IQD 497.2K

1296.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,939 AED 10.8K

$318 IQD 480.4K

824.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,046 AED 25.9K

$430 IQD 649.7K

1538.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,222 AED 15.5K

$362 IQD 547.5K

1065.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,461 AED 12.7K

$421 IQD 635.5K

722.83%

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 Duhok: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9%

Duhok

$115 19.1% 92.5% $1.4K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$394 13.6%

Duhok

$118 19.7% 70% $276

Eating Out

Dubai

$305 10.5%

Duhok

$90 14.9% 70.6% $215

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$292 10.1%

Duhok

$153 25.4% 47.6% $139

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Duhok

$36 6% 75.6% $111

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$136 4.7%

Duhok

$65 10.8% 52.2% $71

Getting Around

Dubai

$89 3.1%

Duhok

$25 4.2% 71.9% $64

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,393 in Dubai and $161 in Duhok. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 723% 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 $17.00 in Duhok for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $153 per month, with Duhok cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇮🇶 Duhok

🕒 Local time

22:38 10:38 PM

21:38 9:38 PM

1 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

340,900

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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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Between locations

Dubai Duhok 1,750 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Duhok

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 Duhok: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Duhok 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 723% 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 $161 in Duhok. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Duhok runs roughly 384% less than in Dubai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $844 in Dubai versus $108 in Duhok. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $602 in Duhok versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Duhok but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Duhok the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Duhok 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 Duhok 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 Duhok 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.