Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Erbil and Al Hillah

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Hillah: $693 a month against $958 in Erbil, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Erbil
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Erbil Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Al Hillah
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Al Hillah Living Index

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Erbil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$958

/mo nomad

Al Hillah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$693

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Erbil and in Al Hillah

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

A single person spends $958 per month in Erbil vs $693 in Al Hillah, rent included.

Erbil $958
Al Hillah $693

A couple spends around $1,427 per month in Erbil vs $1,067 in Al Hillah, rent included.

Erbil $1,427
Al Hillah $1,067

A family of three spends $1,896 per month in Erbil vs $1,442 in Al Hillah, rent included.

Erbil $1,896
Al Hillah $1,442

Erbil costs about 38% more than Al Hillah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Erbil and Al Hillah are more affordable than the global median – Erbil 30% lower, Al Hillah 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.42 IQD 9,704

$4.69 IQD 7,083

36.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.55 IQD 55.2K

$26.52 IQD 40.1K

37.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.41 IQD 11.2K

$5.51 IQD 8,326

34.48%

Cappuccino

$3.24 IQD 4,889

$2.69 IQD 4,068

20.45%

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

$0.89 IQD 1,341

$0.34 IQD 519

161.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 IQD 505

$0.20 IQD 309

65.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.75 IQD 8,681

$2.73 IQD 4,121

110.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 IQD 5,921

$3.35 IQD 5,063

17.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 IQD 1,611

$0.97 IQD 1,463

10.31%

White Bread (500g)

$0.67 IQD 1,019

$0.64 IQD 963

4.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 IQD 2,303

$1.38 IQD 2,080

10.14%

Eggs

$1.60 IQD 2,413

$1.54 IQD 2,330

3.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.00 IQD 10.6K

$3.36 IQD 5,083

108.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.38 IQD 6,614

$4.01 IQD 6,065

9.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.67 IQD 19.1K

$12.29 IQD 18.6K

3.09%

Apples (1kg)

$0.94 IQD 1,415

$0.96 IQD 1,450

-2.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 IQD 1,528

$0.95 IQD 1,443

6.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 IQD 1,544

$0.90 IQD 1,367

13.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.70 IQD 1,064

$0.68 IQD 1,032

2.94%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 IQD 982

$0.58 IQD 883

12.07%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 IQD 952

$0.60 IQD 912

5.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 IQD 968

$0.52 IQD 786

23.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 IQD 781

$0.52 IQD 780

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.19 IQD 3,303

$1.66 IQD 2,515

31.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.83 IQD 16.4K

$11.71 IQD 17.7K

-7.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 IQD 2,191

$1.90 IQD 2,876

-23.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 IQD 2,712

$1.96 IQD 2,966

-8.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 IQD 736

$0.34 IQD 518

44.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.29 IQD 59.4K

$55.0 IQD 83.1K

-28.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 IQD 2,519

$1.96 IQD 2,968

-14.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 IQD 2,418

$1.28 IQD 1,939

25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 IQD 8,728

$2.98 IQD 4,506

93.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.57 IQD 867

$0.50 IQD 757

14.00%

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

$16.8K IQD 25.4M

$14.8K IQD 22.4M

13.19%

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

$17.1K IQD 25.9M

$16.6K IQD 25.1M

3.20%

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

$111 IQD 168.1K

$65.1 IQD 98.3K

70.95%

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

$12.24 IQD 18.5K

$13.34 IQD 20.2K

-8.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.61 IQD 37.2K

$33.35 IQD 50.4K

-26.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.0 IQD 86.1K

$19.62 IQD 29.7K

190.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.48 IQD 20.4K

$16.36 IQD 24.7K

-17.60%

Cinema Ticket

$9.63 IQD 14.6K

$6.44 IQD 9,724

49.53%

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

$294 IQD 443.8K

$81.2 IQD 122.6K

261.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,726 IQD 4.1M

$664 IQD 1.0M

310.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.71 IQD 40.4K

$18.98 IQD 28.7K

40.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.49 IQD 58.2K

$21.34 IQD 32.2K

80.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.1 IQD 92.3K

$57.8 IQD 87.4K

5.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.9 IQD 90.5K

$42.36 IQD 64.0K

41.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$426 IQD 643.6K

$245 IQD 369.5K

74.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$271 IQD 410.0K

$151 IQD 228.6K

79.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$699 IQD 1.1M

$436 IQD 659.1K

60.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$404 IQD 610.4K

$258 IQD 389.8K

56.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,017 IQD 1.5M

$1,477 IQD 2.2M

-31.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$615 IQD 929.8K

$483 IQD 729.4K

27.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$519 IQD 783.7K

$436 IQD 659.3K

18.87%

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 Erbil: October 26, 2026

Last update for Al Hillah: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Erbil

$271 28.3%

Al Hillah

$151 21.8% 44.2% $120

Groceries & Markets

Erbil

$174 18.1%

Al Hillah

$160 23.2% 7.6% $13

Eating Out

Erbil

$154 16.1%

Al Hillah

$109 15.7% 29.3% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Erbil

$148 15.5%

Al Hillah

$112 16.1% 24.5% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Erbil

$84 8.8%

Al Hillah

$63 9.1% 24.5% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Erbil

$76 8%

Al Hillah

$32 4.7% 57.4% $44

Getting Around

Erbil

$51 5.3%

Al Hillah

$65 9.4% 27.2% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $426 in Erbil versus $245 in Al Hillah. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 19% higher in Erbil, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Erbil versus $27 in Al Hillah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $174 vs $160 – making Al Hillah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Erbil

🇮🇶 Al Hillah

🕒 Local time

10:32 10:32 AM

Same time as Erbil

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,713,461

1,729,666

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Erbil Al Hillah 410 km

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Erbil
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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

Erbil vs Al Hillah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Erbil is pricier by about 38%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,437 per month in Erbil and $1,039 in Al Hillah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Al Hillah, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $245 there versus $426 in Erbil.

Public transport costs about 29% less in Erbil. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $294 per month in Erbil and $81 in Al Hillah. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Al Hillah – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Al Hillah. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Erbil makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.