Cost of Living Comparison Between Erbil and Aalst Cost of Living Comparison Between Erbil and Aalst

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,019 in Erbil versus $2,226 in Aalst.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,524 in Erbil versus $3,176 in Aalst.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,029 in Erbil versus $4,127 in Aalst.

Living in Erbil costs roughly 54% less than in Aalst, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Erbil is 24% below, Aalst is 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.78 IQD 10.2K

$22.83 €19.54

-65.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.99 IQD 30.1K

$103 €87.9

-77.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.97 IQD 11.7K

$12.64 €10.82

-29.03%

Cappuccino

$3.25 IQD 4,252

$4.19 €3.59

-22.43%

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

$0.48 IQD 630

$3.49 €2.98

-86.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 IQD 289

$3.02 €2.59

-92.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 IQD 2,633

$5.58 €4.78

-63.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 IQD 2,671

$4.53 €3.88

-54.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 IQD 1,727

$1.36 €1.16

-2.94%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 IQD 1,115

$2.89 €2.47

-70.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 IQD 2,368

$2.66 €2.27

-31.95%

Eggs

$1.98 IQD 2,590

$4.01 €3.43

-50.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.44 IQD 9,745

$16.31 €13.96

-54.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.75 IQD 6,229

$11.62 €9.95

-59.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 IQD 18.3K

$18.89 €16.17

-25.94%

Apples (1kg)

$1.15 IQD 1,509

$2.89 €2.47

-60.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 IQD 1,514

$2.46 €2.10

-52.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.13 IQD 1,483

$2.33 €2.00

-51.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.81 IQD 1,061

$3.29 €2.82

-75.38%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 IQD 936

$2.71 €2.32

-73.80%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 IQD 997

$2.42 €2.07

-68.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 IQD 1,002

$1.46 €1.25

-47.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 IQD 690

$0.83 €0.71

-36.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.76 IQD 3,610

$12.53 €10.73

-77.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.29 IQD 16.1K

$9.19 €7.87

33.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 IQD 1,862

$1.69 €1.45

-15.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 IQD 2,627

$2.00 €1.71

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 IQD 728

$2.91 €2.49

-80.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.51 IQD 45.2K

$57.0 €48.81

-39.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.28 IQD 2,992

$5.87 €5.02

-61.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.29 IQD 2,997

$2.36 €2.02

-2.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.92 IQD 9,060

$35.20 €30.13

-80.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.70 IQD 911

$1.91 €1.64

-63.35%

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

$19.0K IQD 24.9M

$35.0K €29.9K

-45.58%

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

$20.8K IQD 27.2M

$33.0K €28.3K

-37.14%

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

$100 IQD 131.3K

$203 €173

-50.51%

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

$17.57 IQD 23.0K

$21.25 €18.19

-17.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.61 IQD 38.8K

$57.6 €49.29

-48.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.2 IQD 97.2K

$37.95 €32.49

95.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.82 IQD 15.5K

$16.83 €14.41

-29.77%

Cinema Ticket

$11.57 IQD 15.2K

$15.16 €12.98

-23.68%

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

$264 IQD 345.7K

$625 €535

-57.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,284 IQD 4.3M

$13.4K €11.4K

-75.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.96 IQD 43.2K

$107 €91.8

-69.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.58 IQD 65.0K

$48.73 €41.71

1.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 IQD 109.7K

$114 €97.5

-26.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 IQD 100.5K

$155 €133

-50.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 IQD 562.8K

$989 €846

-56.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$281 IQD 367.7K

$895 €767

-68.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 IQD 938.5K

$1,373 €1,175

-47.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$486 IQD 637.2K

$1,082 €926

-55.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,111 IQD 1.5M

$3,270 €2,799

-66.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$652 IQD 854.1K

$3,066 €2,624

-78.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$576 IQD 754.2K

$2,764 €2,366

-79.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.33

3.27

338.23%

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

Last update for Erbil: April 26, 2026

Last update for Aalst: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $430 in Erbil and $989 in Aalst. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aalst pays 380% 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: $23.00 in Erbil vs $103 in Aalst for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $195 vs $347 per month, with Erbil cheaper across the board.

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

Erbil vs Aalst: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Erbil and Aalst differ by about 118% in total monthly costs ($1,019 vs $2,226 including rent). Erbil is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Aalst earns 380% less. 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: $430 in Erbil versus $989 in Aalst. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Erbil – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $103 in Aalst. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,019 per month in Erbil versus $2,226 in Aalst – a 118% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,019 in Erbil versus $2,226 in Aalst, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Erbil but tight or insufficient in Aalst. The gap between the two cities makes Erbil 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, Erbil and Aalst 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 Erbil gentler on the wallet – expenses run 118% less than in Aalst. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.