Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Duhok and Sulaymaniyah

For one person, living is cheaper in Duhok: $608 a month against $665 in Sulaymaniyah, rent and utilities included – about $680 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Duhok
Learn more

Duhok Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Sulaymaniyah
Learn more

Sulaymaniyah Living Index

Jump to prices

Duhok

🇮🇶 Iraq

$608

/mo nomad

Sulaymaniyah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$665

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Duhok 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 Duhok and in Sulaymaniyah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $608 in Duhok versus $665 in Sulaymaniyah.

Duhok $608
Sulaymaniyah $665

Estimated couple costs with rent: $978 in Duhok versus $1,028 in Sulaymaniyah.

Duhok $978
Sulaymaniyah $1,028

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,349 in Duhok versus $1,391 in Sulaymaniyah.

Duhok $1,349
Sulaymaniyah $1,391

Living in Duhok costs roughly 9% less than in Sulaymaniyah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Duhok 55% lower, Sulaymaniyah 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.38 IQD 5,111

$4.35 IQD 6,572

-22.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.59 IQD 25.1K

$19.60 IQD 29.6K

-15.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.40 IQD 11.2K

$5.93 IQD 8,957

24.79%

Cappuccino

$2.43 IQD 3,665

$2.35 IQD 3,553

3.40%

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

$0.32 IQD 481

$0.39 IQD 589

-17.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.19 IQD 294

$0.22 IQD 333

-13.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 IQD 2,550

$3.25 IQD 4,917

-48.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 IQD 2,932

$2.00 IQD 3,027

-3.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 IQD 1,680

$1.12 IQD 1,688

-0.89%

White Bread (500g)

$0.67 IQD 1,016

$0.83 IQD 1,250

-19.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 IQD 2,232

$1.67 IQD 2,524

-11.38%

Eggs

$1.58 IQD 2,391

$1.48 IQD 2,238

6.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.87 IQD 7,359

$4.53 IQD 6,842

7.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.96 IQD 4,478

$3.58 IQD 5,404

-17.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.95 IQD 16.6K

$13.05 IQD 19.7K

-16.09%

Apples (1kg)

$0.99 IQD 1,489

$1.10 IQD 1,663

-10.00%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 IQD 1,461

$1.12 IQD 1,686

-13.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.75 IQD 1,136

$1.05 IQD 1,583

-28.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 IQD 959

$0.59 IQD 897

6.78%

Potato (1kg)

$0.61 IQD 919

$0.46 IQD 690

32.61%

Onion (1kg)

$0.62 IQD 940

$0.62 IQD 942

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 IQD 926

$0.64 IQD 965

-4.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 IQD 787

$0.43 IQD 646

20.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.73 IQD 2,609

$2.04 IQD 3,077

-15.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.97 IQD 16.6K

$9.61 IQD 14.5K

14.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 IQD 2,121

$1.68 IQD 2,537

-16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 IQD 2,700

$1.27 IQD 1,925

40.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 IQD 459

$0.52 IQD 780

-42.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.64 IQD 23.6K

$19.41 IQD 29.3K

-19.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 IQD 2,420

$2.03 IQD 3,060

-21.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 IQD 1,945

$2.01 IQD 3,041

-35.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.52 IQD 8,343

$4.51 IQD 6,820

22.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.54 IQD 819

$0.57 IQD 854

-5.26%

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

$16.6K IQD 25.1M

$17.9K IQD 27.1M

-7.38%

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

$17.1K IQD 25.9M

$16.4K IQD 24.8M

4.25%

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

$87.3 IQD 131.8K

$86.4 IQD 130.6K

0.94%

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

$8.86 IQD 13.4K

$9.77 IQD 14.8K

-9.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.83 IQD 36.0K

$24.18 IQD 36.5K

-1.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.1 IQD 75.7K

$33.41 IQD 50.5K

50.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 IQD 40.1K

$17.26 IQD 26.1K

53.82%

Cinema Ticket

$7.52 IQD 11.4K

$6.73 IQD 10.2K

11.74%

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

$106 IQD 160.6K

$152 IQD 229.3K

-29.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,727 IQD 4.1M

$2,479 IQD 3.7M

10.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.02 IQD 15.1K

$16.44 IQD 24.8K

-39.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.32 IQD 30.7K

$22.23 IQD 33.6K

-8.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$30.27 IQD 45.7K

$37.34 IQD 56.4K

-18.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$19.60 IQD 29.6K

$33.57 IQD 50.7K

-41.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$157 IQD 237.0K

$185 IQD 278.9K

-15.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$116 IQD 174.7K

$149 IQD 225.6K

-22.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$329 IQD 496.7K

$423 IQD 638.5K

-22.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$324 IQD 489.1K

$302 IQD 456.7K

7.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$445 IQD 671.8K

$707 IQD 1.1M

-37.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$362 IQD 547.1K

$536 IQD 810.5K

-32.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$415 IQD 627.4K

$488 IQD 737.3K

-14.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.53

5.77

-56.15%

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

Last update for Duhok: October 18, 2026

Last update for Sulaymaniyah: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Duhok

$154 25.3%

Sulaymaniyah

$162 24.4% 5.8% $8.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Duhok

$120 19.7%

Sulaymaniyah

$120 18.1% 0.4% $0.5

Accommodation & Living

Duhok

$116 19%

Sulaymaniyah

$149 22.4% 29.2% $34

Eating Out

Duhok

$93 15.3%

Sulaymaniyah

$104 15.6% 11.6% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Duhok

$65 10.7%

Sulaymaniyah

$47 7% 28.1% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Duhok

$36 5.9%

Sulaymaniyah

$49 7.4% 36.6% $13

Getting Around

Duhok

$25 4.1%

Sulaymaniyah

$34 5% 34.9% $8.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $157 in Duhok and $185 in Sulaymaniyah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sulaymaniyah pays 18% 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 $20.00 in Sulaymaniyah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $154 vs $162 per month, with Duhok cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Duhok

🇮🇶 Sulaymaniyah

🕒 Local time

23:20 11:20 PM

Same time as Duhok

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,900

823,199

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Duhok Sulaymaniyah 260 km

From you

Duhok
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

Duhok vs Sulaymaniyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Duhok and Sulaymaniyah differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($608 vs $665 including rent). Duhok is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 18% lower in Sulaymaniyah. 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 $185 in Sulaymaniyah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $106 in Duhok versus $152 in Sulaymaniyah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Sulaymaniyah. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Duhok gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 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 Duhok gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Sulaymaniyah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.