Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Duhok and Baghdad

For one person, living is cheaper in Duhok: $608 a month against $1,050 in Baghdad, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Duhok
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Duhok Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Baghdad
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Baghdad Living Index

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Duhok

🇮🇶 Iraq

$608

/mo nomad

Baghdad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$1,050

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Duhok and in Baghdad

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $608 in Duhok versus $1,050 in Baghdad.

Duhok $608
Baghdad $1,050

Estimated couple costs with rent: $978 in Duhok versus $1,501 in Baghdad.

Duhok $978
Baghdad $1,501

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,349 in Duhok versus $1,953 in Baghdad.

Duhok $1,349
Baghdad $1,953

Living in Duhok costs roughly 42% less than in Baghdad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Duhok 55% lower, Baghdad 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.38 IQD 5,111

$4.56 IQD 6,887

-25.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.59 IQD 25.1K

$25.95 IQD 39.2K

-36.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.40 IQD 11.2K

$6.45 IQD 9,741

14.73%

Cappuccino

$2.43 IQD 3,665

$2.80 IQD 4,231

-13.21%

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

$0.32 IQD 481

$0.36 IQD 538

-11.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.19 IQD 294

$0.20 IQD 302

-5.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 IQD 2,550

$3.37 IQD 5,092

-49.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 IQD 2,932

$3.22 IQD 4,860

-39.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 IQD 1,680

$0.90 IQD 1,352

23.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.67 IQD 1,016

$0.68 IQD 1,031

-1.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 IQD 2,232

$1.37 IQD 2,075

8.03%

Eggs

$1.58 IQD 2,391

$1.64 IQD 2,479

-3.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.87 IQD 7,359

$3.32 IQD 5,015

46.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.96 IQD 4,478

$4.02 IQD 6,077

-26.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.95 IQD 16.6K

$12.30 IQD 18.6K

-10.98%

Apples (1kg)

$0.99 IQD 1,489

$1.02 IQD 1,547

-2.94%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 IQD 1,461

$0.93 IQD 1,404

4.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.75 IQD 1,136

$0.94 IQD 1,428

-20.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 IQD 959

$0.69 IQD 1,039

-8.70%

Potato (1kg)

$0.61 IQD 919

$0.59 IQD 888

3.39%

Onion (1kg)

$0.62 IQD 940

$0.60 IQD 905

3.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 IQD 926

$0.56 IQD 844

8.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 IQD 787

$0.58 IQD 870

-10.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.73 IQD 2,609

$1.67 IQD 2,516

3.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.97 IQD 16.6K

$11.53 IQD 17.4K

-4.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 IQD 2,121

$1.90 IQD 2,865

-26.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 IQD 2,700

$1.97 IQD 2,981

-9.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 IQD 459

$0.60 IQD 913

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.64 IQD 23.6K

$19.45 IQD 29.4K

-19.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 IQD 2,420

$1.92 IQD 2,904

-16.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 IQD 1,945

$1.34 IQD 2,021

-3.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.52 IQD 8,343

$6.72 IQD 10.1K

-17.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.54 IQD 819

$0.54 IQD 815

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

$16.6K IQD 25.1M

$16.7K IQD 25.2M

-0.34%

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

$17.1K IQD 25.9M

$16.8K IQD 25.3M

2.14%

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

$87.3 IQD 131.8K

$187 IQD 283.1K

-53.44%

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

$8.86 IQD 13.4K

$19.24 IQD 29.1K

-53.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.83 IQD 36.0K

$38.71 IQD 58.5K

-38.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.1 IQD 75.7K

$39.32 IQD 59.4K

27.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 IQD 40.1K

$18.99 IQD 28.7K

39.81%

Cinema Ticket

$7.52 IQD 11.4K

$10.00 IQD 15.1K

-24.80%

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

$106 IQD 160.6K

$147 IQD 221.6K

-27.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,727 IQD 4.1M

$3,282 IQD 5.0M

-16.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.02 IQD 15.1K

$25.81 IQD 39.0K

-61.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.32 IQD 30.7K

$33.68 IQD 50.9K

-39.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$30.27 IQD 45.7K

$60.1 IQD 90.8K

-49.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$19.60 IQD 29.6K

$41.45 IQD 62.6K

-52.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$157 IQD 237.0K

$540 IQD 816.0K

-70.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$116 IQD 174.7K

$366 IQD 552.5K

-68.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$329 IQD 496.7K

$955 IQD 1.4M

-65.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$324 IQD 489.1K

$612 IQD 925.1K

-47.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$445 IQD 671.8K

$4,298 IQD 6.5M

-89.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$362 IQD 547.1K

$1,402 IQD 2.1M

-74.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$415 IQD 627.4K

$516 IQD 779.1K

-19.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.53

4.12

-38.59%

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

Last update for Duhok: October 18, 2026

Last update for Baghdad: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Duhok

$154 25.3%

Baghdad

$161 15.4% 5% $7.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Duhok

$120 19.7%

Baghdad

$245 23.4% 105% $125

Accommodation & Living

Duhok

$116 19%

Baghdad

$366 34.9% 216% $250

Eating Out

Duhok

$93 15.3%

Baghdad

$115 11% 23.9% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Duhok

$65 10.7%

Baghdad

$59 5.7% 9% $5.9

Clothing & Footwear

Duhok

$36 5.9%

Baghdad

$72 6.9% 101% $36

Getting Around

Duhok

$25 4.1%

Baghdad

$30 2.9% 22.5% $5.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $157 in Duhok and $540 in Baghdad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Baghdad pays 24% 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: $17.00 in Duhok vs $26.00 in Baghdad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $154 vs $161 per month, with Duhok cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Duhok

🇮🇶 Baghdad

🕒 Local time

18:43 6:43 PM

Same time as Duhok

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,900

7,216,040 Capital

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Duhok Baghdad 420 km

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Duhok
Baghdad

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

Duhok vs Baghdad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Duhok wins on cost – living expenses run 73% lower than in Baghdad. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Duhok the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 24% lower in Baghdad. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $157 in Duhok versus $540 in Baghdad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Duhok runs roughly 24% less than in Baghdad. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $106 in Duhok versus $147 in Baghdad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $608 in Duhok versus $1,050 in Baghdad, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Duhok but tight or insufficient in Baghdad. The gap between the two cities makes Duhok the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Duhok and Baghdad 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 73% less than in Baghdad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.