Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Erbil and Al Kufah

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Kufah: $703 a month against $958 in Erbil, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Other living expenses 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 Kufah
Learn more

Al Kufah Living Index

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Erbil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$958

/mo nomad

Al Kufah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$703

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $958 in Erbil versus $703 in Al Kufah.

Erbil $958
Al Kufah $703

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,427 in Erbil versus $1,050 in Al Kufah.

Erbil $1,427
Al Kufah $1,050

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Erbil versus $1,397 in Al Kufah.

Erbil $1,896
Al Kufah $1,397

Living in Erbil is roughly 36% more expensive than in Al Kufah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Erbil 30% lower, Al Kufah 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.42 IQD 9,704

$4.74 IQD 7,162

35.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.55 IQD 55.2K

$25.90 IQD 39.1K

41.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.41 IQD 11.2K

$6.63 IQD 10.0K

11.76%

Cappuccino

$3.24 IQD 4,889

$2.82 IQD 4,258

14.89%

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

$0.89 IQD 1,341

$0.38 IQD 579

134.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 IQD 505

$0.20 IQD 302

65.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.75 IQD 8,681

$3.21 IQD 4,844

79.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 IQD 5,921

$3.24 IQD 4,897

20.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 IQD 1,611

$0.96 IQD 1,451

11.46%

White Bread (500g)

$0.67 IQD 1,019

$0.69 IQD 1,041

-2.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 IQD 2,303

$1.32 IQD 1,989

15.15%

Eggs

$1.60 IQD 2,413

$1.70 IQD 2,574

-5.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.00 IQD 10.6K

$2.02 IQD 3,046

246.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.38 IQD 6,614

$3.99 IQD 6,032

9.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.67 IQD 19.1K

$7.85 IQD 11.9K

61.40%

Apples (1kg)

$0.94 IQD 1,415

$0.63 IQD 954

49.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 IQD 1,528

$0.96 IQD 1,449

5.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 IQD 1,544

$0.56 IQD 848

82.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.70 IQD 1,064

$0.49 IQD 736

42.86%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 IQD 982

$0.43 IQD 650

51.16%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 IQD 952

$0.33 IQD 499

90.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 IQD 968

$0.19 IQD 284

236.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 IQD 781

$0.51 IQD 776

1.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.19 IQD 3,303

$1.53 IQD 2,319

43.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.83 IQD 16.4K

$11.59 IQD 17.5K

-6.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 IQD 2,191

$2.00 IQD 3,017

-27.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 IQD 2,712

$1.97 IQD 2,972

-9.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 IQD 736

$0.32 IQD 480

53.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.29 IQD 59.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 IQD 2,519

$1.95 IQD 2,954

-14.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 IQD 2,418

$1.34 IQD 2,031

19.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 IQD 8,728

$6.52 IQD 9,849

-11.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.57 IQD 867

$0.49 IQD 733

16.33%

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

$16.8K IQD 25.4M

$16.6K IQD 25.0M

1.45%

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

$17.1K IQD 25.9M

$16.8K IQD 25.4M

1.99%

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

$111 IQD 168.1K

$188 IQD 283.3K

-40.68%

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

$12.24 IQD 18.5K

$19.15 IQD 28.9K

-36.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.61 IQD 37.2K

$19.76 IQD 29.9K

24.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.0 IQD 86.1K

$15.05 IQD 22.7K

278.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.48 IQD 20.4K

Cinema Ticket

$9.63 IQD 14.6K

$9.64 IQD 14.6K

-0.10%

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

$294 IQD 443.8K

$69.3 IQD 104.8K

323.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,726 IQD 4.1M

$2,161 IQD 3.3M

26.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.71 IQD 40.4K

$10.13 IQD 15.3K

163.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.49 IQD 58.2K

$29.46 IQD 44.5K

30.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.1 IQD 92.3K

$20.07 IQD 30.3K

204.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.9 IQD 90.5K

$34.57 IQD 52.2K

73.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$426 IQD 643.6K

$208 IQD 313.5K

105.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$271 IQD 410.0K

$135 IQD 204.6K

100.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$699 IQD 1.1M

$371 IQD 561.3K

88.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$404 IQD 610.4K

$309 IQD 466.6K

30.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,017 IQD 1.5M

$1,244 IQD 1.9M

-18.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$615 IQD 929.8K

$495 IQD 748.2K

24.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$519 IQD 783.7K

$902 IQD 1.4M

-42.53%

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 Kufah: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Erbil

$271 28.3%

Al Kufah

$135 19.3% 50.1% $136

Groceries & Markets

Erbil

$174 18.1%

Al Kufah

$138 19.6% 20.7% $36

Eating Out

Erbil

$154 16.1%

Al Kufah

$116 16.6% 24.3% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Erbil

$148 15.5%

Al Kufah

$226 32.2% 52.9% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Erbil

$84 8.8%

Al Kufah

$42 6% 49.4% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Erbil

$76 8%

Al Kufah

$34 4.9% 55% $42

Getting Around

Erbil

$51 5.3%

Al Kufah

$10 * 1.4% 80.5% $41

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $426 in Erbil and $208 in Al Kufah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Kufah pays 74% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $37 in Erbil vs $26 in Al Kufah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $174 vs $138 per month, with Al Kufah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Erbil

🇮🇶 Al Kufah

🕒 Local time

01:57 1:57 AM

Same time as Erbil

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,713,461

230,000

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.95 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.95 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Erbil Al Kufah 460 km

From you

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 Kufah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al Kufah is about 27% cheaper overall, especially in leisure, clothing, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 43% lower in Erbil. 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: $426 in Erbil versus $208 in Al Kufah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Erbil. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $958 per month in Erbil versus $703 in Al Kufah – Al Kufah is about 27% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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.