Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Erbil and Al-mawsil

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-mawsil: $598 a month against $958 in Erbil, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 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
29

Cost of Living Index in Al-mawsil
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Al-mawsil Living Index

Jump to prices

Erbil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$958

/mo nomad

Al-mawsil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$598

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Erbil and in Al-mawsil

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $958 in Erbil versus $598 in Al-mawsil.

Erbil $958
Al-mawsil $598

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,427 in Erbil versus $903 in Al-mawsil.

Erbil $1,427
Al-mawsil $903

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Erbil versus $1,207 in Al-mawsil.

Erbil $1,896
Al-mawsil $1,207

Living in Erbil is roughly 60% more expensive than in Al-mawsil, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Erbil 30% lower, Al-mawsil 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.42 IQD 9,704

$4.07 IQD 6,148

57.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.55 IQD 55.2K

$10.40 IQD 15.7K

251.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.41 IQD 11.2K

$5.01 IQD 7,571

47.90%

Cappuccino

$3.24 IQD 4,889

$0.64 IQD 974

406.25%

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

$0.89 IQD 1,341

$0.35 IQD 522

154.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 IQD 505

$0.18 IQD 279

83.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.75 IQD 8,681

$0.87 IQD 1,311

560.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 IQD 5,921

$1.36 IQD 2,051

188.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 IQD 1,611

$0.64 IQD 970

67.19%

White Bread (500g)

$0.67 IQD 1,019

$0.65 IQD 978

3.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 IQD 2,303

$0.55 IQD 830

176.36%

Eggs

$1.60 IQD 2,413

$0.95 IQD 1,440

68.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.00 IQD 10.6K

$7.19 IQD 10.9K

-2.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.38 IQD 6,614

$2.88 IQD 4,353

52.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.67 IQD 19.1K

$8.14 IQD 12.3K

55.65%

Apples (1kg)

$0.94 IQD 1,415

$0.64 IQD 963

46.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 IQD 1,528

$0.64 IQD 972

57.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 IQD 1,544

$0.48 IQD 728

112.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.70 IQD 1,064

$0.22 IQD 331

218.18%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 IQD 982

$0.25 IQD 375

160.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 IQD 952

$0.31 IQD 474

103.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 IQD 968

$0.60 IQD 911

6.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 IQD 781

$0.49 IQD 740

6.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.19 IQD 3,303

$1.61 IQD 2,439

36.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.83 IQD 16.4K

$10.94 IQD 16.5K

-1.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 IQD 2,191

$1.45 IQD 2,195

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 IQD 2,712

$1.80 IQD 2,714

-0.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 IQD 736

$0.31 IQD 475

58.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.29 IQD 59.4K

$26.19 IQD 39.6K

50.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 IQD 2,519

$1.61 IQD 2,438

3.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 IQD 2,418

$1.60 IQD 2,420

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 IQD 8,728

$3.98 IQD 6,021

45.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.57 IQD 867

$0.31 IQD 472

83.87%

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

$16.8K IQD 25.4M

$13.0K IQD 19.7M

28.95%

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

$17.1K IQD 25.9M

$15.3K IQD 23.2M

11.65%

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

$111 IQD 168.1K

$93.7 IQD 141.5K

18.77%

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

$12.24 IQD 18.5K

$12.00 IQD 18.1K

2.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.61 IQD 37.2K

$22.95 IQD 34.7K

7.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.0 IQD 86.1K

$37.48 IQD 56.6K

51.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.48 IQD 20.4K

$6.48 IQD 9,784

108.02%

Cinema Ticket

$9.63 IQD 14.6K

$6.42 IQD 9,708

50.00%

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

$294 IQD 443.8K

$301 IQD 455.1K

-2.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,726 IQD 4.1M

$604 IQD 912.4K

351.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.71 IQD 40.4K

$16.49 IQD 24.9K

61.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.49 IQD 58.2K

$12.99 IQD 19.6K

196.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.1 IQD 92.3K

$60.0 IQD 90.6K

1.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.9 IQD 90.5K

$15.65 IQD 23.6K

282.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$426 IQD 643.6K

$211 IQD 318.8K

101.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$271 IQD 410.0K

$139 IQD 209.6K

95.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$699 IQD 1.1M

$369 IQD 557.1K

89.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$404 IQD 610.4K

$309 IQD 466.9K

30.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,017 IQD 1.5M

$851 IQD 1.3M

19.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$615 IQD 929.8K

$435 IQD 657.4K

41.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$519 IQD 783.7K

$521 IQD 787.2K

-0.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.53

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

Last update for Erbil: October 26, 2026

Last update for Al-mawsil: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Erbil

$271 28.3%

Al-mawsil

$139 23.2% 48.9% $133

Groceries & Markets

Erbil

$174 18.1%

Al-mawsil

$132 22% 24.1% $42

Eating Out

Erbil

$154 16.1%

Al-mawsil

$64 10.8% 58.1% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Erbil

$148 15.5%

Al-mawsil

$129 21.5% 13.2% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Erbil

$84 8.8%

Al-mawsil

$47 7.9% 43.6% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Erbil

$76 8%

Al-mawsil

$50 8.4% 34% $26

Getting Around

Erbil

$51 5.3%

Al-mawsil

$37 6.2% 27.2% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $426 in Erbil and $211 in Al-mawsil. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $37 in Erbil vs $10 in Al-mawsil for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $174 vs $132 per month, with Al-mawsil cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Erbil

🇮🇶 Al-mawsil

🕒 Local time

11:01 11:01 AM

Same time as Erbil

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,713,461

1,683,000

💱 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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Between locations

Erbil Al-mawsil 81 km

From you

Erbil
Al-mawsil

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-mawsil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al-mawsil is about 38% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,437 in Erbil and $897 in Al-mawsil to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $426 in Erbil versus $211 in Al-mawsil. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $294 in Erbil versus $301 in Al-mawsil. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Erbil. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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.

Expats usually find Al-mawsil gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Erbil. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.