Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Sulaymaniyah

For one person, living is cheaper in Sulaymaniyah: $773 a month against $2,854 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $25,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

139

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Sulaymaniyah
Learn more

Sulaymaniyah Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,854

/mo nomad

Sulaymaniyah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$773

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Sulaymaniyah

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,854 in Dubai versus $773 in Sulaymaniyah.

Dubai $2,854
Sulaymaniyah $773

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,321 in Dubai versus $1,194 in Sulaymaniyah.

Dubai $4,321
Sulaymaniyah $1,194

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,788 in Dubai versus $1,615 in Sulaymaniyah.

Dubai $5,788
Sulaymaniyah $1,615

Living in Dubai is roughly 269% more expensive than in Sulaymaniyah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dubai is 113% above, Sulaymaniyah is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.04 AED 47.89

$5.07 IQD 7,660

157.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.4 AED 299

$22.93 IQD 34.6K

254.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.32 AED 34.25

$7.04 IQD 10.6K

32.39%

Cappuccino

$5.97 AED 21.93

$2.88 IQD 4,344

107.29%

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

$1.63 AED 5.98

$0.50 IQD 759

226.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 AED 2.99

$0.25 IQD 378

224.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.65 AED 50.1

$3.93 IQD 5,943

247.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.38 AED 49.15

$2.27 IQD 3,427

489.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 AED 6.64

$1.28 IQD 1,935

41.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 AED 5.78

$1.01 IQD 1,519

55.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 AED 9.16

$1.86 IQD 2,812

33.87%

Eggs

$3.28 AED 12.04

$1.77 IQD 2,672

85.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.67 AED 46.53

$4.96 IQD 7,490

155.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.75 AED 35.80

$4.22 IQD 6,382

131.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.18 AED 48.40

$15.30 IQD 23.1K

-13.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 AED 9.57

$1.28 IQD 1,935

103.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 AED 7.09

$1.28 IQD 1,937

50.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 AED 7.05

$1.15 IQD 1,737

66.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 AED 5.00

$0.68 IQD 1,025

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 AED 4.29

$0.56 IQD 847

108.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$0.73 IQD 1,096

38.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 AED 5.56

$0.73 IQD 1,101

106.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 AED 2.29

$0.50 IQD 752

24.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.85 AED 21.50

$2.28 IQD 3,444

156.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.14 AED 59.3

$11.23 IQD 17.0K

43.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 AED 9.74

$1.95 IQD 2,949

35.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 AED 10.82

$1.42 IQD 2,141

107.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 AED 6.03

$0.60 IQD 902

173.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.6 AED 270

$22.68 IQD 34.3K

224.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 AED 11.66

$2.22 IQD 3,361

42.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.63

$2.34 IQD 3,531

-69.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.23

$5.50 IQD 8,306

44.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 AED 3.64

$0.69 IQD 1,045

43.48%

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

$27.4K AED 100.5K

$20.9K IQD 31.5M

31.13%

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

$22.5K AED 82.8K

$18.9K IQD 28.6M

19.00%

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

$250 AED 920

$100 IQD 151.7K

149.48%

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

$54.2 AED 199

$11.49 IQD 17.4K

372.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.8 AED 337

$28.04 IQD 42.4K

227.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 AED 362

$39.70 IQD 60.0K

148.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.61 AED 156

$20.09 IQD 30.4K

112.10%

Cinema Ticket

$16.03 AED 58.9

$7.58 IQD 11.5K

111.48%

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

$843 AED 3,098

$173 IQD 261.0K

388.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$2,946 IQD 4.5M

519.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 AED 250

$18.91 IQD 28.6K

259.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$25.19 IQD 38.1K

129.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 AED 370

$43.24 IQD 65.3K

132.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 AED 371

$38.64 IQD 58.4K

161.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,380 AED 8,741

$215 IQD 324.7K

1007.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 AED 5,531

$175 IQD 264.2K

761.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,437 AED 16.3K

$492 IQD 743.9K

801.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,010 AED 11.1K

$363 IQD 548.8K

728.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,121 AED 26.2K

$786 IQD 1.2M

805.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,135 AED 15.2K

$630 IQD 952.4K

556.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,391 AED 12.5K

$584 IQD 882.1K

480.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

5.77

-21.32%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 5, 2026

Last update for Sulaymaniyah: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.5%

Sulaymaniyah

$175 22.5% 88.4% $1.3K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$396 13.8%

Sulaymaniyah

$140 18% 64.7% $257

Eating Out

Dubai

$309 10.8%

Sulaymaniyah

$123 15.9% 60% $185

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$293 10.2%

Sulaymaniyah

$188 24.2% 35.6% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Sulaymaniyah

$57 7.3% 61.5% $91

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$131 4.6%

Sulaymaniyah

$55 7.1% 58% $76

Getting Around

Dubai

$87 3%

Sulaymaniyah

$39 5% 55.2% $48

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,380 in Dubai and $215 in Sulaymaniyah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 481% 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: $81.0 in Dubai vs $23.00 in Sulaymaniyah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $188 per month, with Sulaymaniyah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇮🇶 Sulaymaniyah

🕒 Local time

18:15 6:15 PM

17:15 5:15 PM

1 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

823,199

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.243 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.91 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.12 AED (1 AED = 0.243 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,693 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.91 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Dubai Sulaymaniyah 1,490 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Sulaymaniyah

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 Sulaymaniyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sulaymaniyah is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 269% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 481% 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: $2,380 in Dubai versus $215 in Sulaymaniyah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sulaymaniyah runs roughly 225% less than in Dubai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $843 in Dubai versus $173 in Sulaymaniyah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $773 in Sulaymaniyah versus $2,854 in Dubai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sulaymaniyah but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Sulaymaniyah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sulaymaniyah 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 Sulaymaniyah 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 Sulaymaniyah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 269% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.