Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Erbil and Al-Rumaitha

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-Rumaitha: $650 a month against $956 in Erbil, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

47

Cost of Living Index in Erbil
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Erbil Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Al-Rumaitha
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Al-Rumaitha Living Index

Jump to prices

Erbil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$956

/mo nomad

Al-Rumaitha

🇮🇶 Iraq

$650

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $956 in Erbil versus $650 in Al-Rumaitha.

Erbil $956
Al-Rumaitha $650

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,421 in Erbil versus $1,027 in Al-Rumaitha.

Erbil $1,421
Al-Rumaitha $1,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,887 in Erbil versus $1,403 in Al-Rumaitha.

Erbil $1,887
Al-Rumaitha $1,403

Living in Erbil is roughly 47% more expensive than in Al-Rumaitha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Erbil 29% lower, Al-Rumaitha 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.45 IQD 9,753

$3.62 IQD 5,465

78.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.44 IQD 55.1K

$23.11 IQD 34.9K

57.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 IQD 10.7K

$7.08 IQD 10.7K

0.14%

Cappuccino

$3.23 IQD 4,873

$2.33 IQD 3,523

38.63%

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

$0.89 IQD 1,338

$0.31 IQD 471

187.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 IQD 503

$0.19 IQD 286

73.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.17 IQD 7,819

$2.91 IQD 4,398

77.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 IQD 5,825

$2.60 IQD 3,936

48.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 IQD 1,600

$0.86 IQD 1,298

23.26%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 IQD 1,101

$0.78 IQD 1,185

-6.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 IQD 2,300

$1.37 IQD 2,063

10.95%

Eggs

$1.57 IQD 2,373

$1.58 IQD 2,392

-0.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.90 IQD 10.4K

$4.09 IQD 6,174

68.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.27 IQD 6,458

$3.61 IQD 5,449

18.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.51 IQD 18.9K

$12.06 IQD 18.2K

3.73%

Apples (1kg)

$0.99 IQD 1,501

$0.92 IQD 1,384

7.61%

Banana (1kg)

$0.99 IQD 1,495

$0.95 IQD 1,428

4.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 IQD 1,555

$0.84 IQD 1,268

22.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.65 IQD 988

$0.66 IQD 1,002

-1.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 IQD 964

$0.56 IQD 844

14.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.61 IQD 925

$0.56 IQD 849

8.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 IQD 909

$0.56 IQD 839

7.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 IQD 709

$0.47 IQD 717

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.15 IQD 3,250

$1.63 IQD 2,468

31.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.81 IQD 16.3K

$10.70 IQD 16.2K

1.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 IQD 2,222

$1.40 IQD 2,120

5.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 IQD 2,825

$1.78 IQD 2,691

5.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.48 IQD 718

$0.42 IQD 639

14.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.85 IQD 58.7K

$22.08 IQD 33.4K

75.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 IQD 2,531

$1.80 IQD 2,724

-6.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 IQD 2,421

$1.34 IQD 2,031

19.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.67 IQD 8,566

$4.81 IQD 7,268

17.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.55 IQD 825

$0.51 IQD 766

7.84%

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

$16.3K IQD 24.7M

$14.9K IQD 22.6M

9.37%

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

$17.0K IQD 25.6M

$16.9K IQD 25.5M

0.54%

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

$113 IQD 170.3K

$88.6 IQD 133.9K

27.21%

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

$12.21 IQD 18.4K

$12.11 IQD 18.3K

0.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.30 IQD 36.7K

$24.88 IQD 37.6K

-2.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.6 IQD 85.5K

$37.29 IQD 56.3K

51.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.33 IQD 20.1K

$3.39 IQD 5,120

293.22%

Cinema Ticket

$10.00 IQD 15.1K

$9.20 IQD 13.9K

8.70%

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

$315 IQD 476.0K

$128 IQD 193.8K

145.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,809 IQD 4.2M

$2,684 IQD 4.1M

4.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.70 IQD 40.3K

$20.77 IQD 31.4K

28.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.59 IQD 59.8K

$21.12 IQD 31.9K

87.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.4 IQD 89.7K

$46.80 IQD 70.7K

26.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.4 IQD 89.8K

$30.79 IQD 46.5K

93.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 IQD 639.7K

$178 IQD 269.0K

137.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$275 IQD 415.2K

$128 IQD 194.1K

113.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$700 IQD 1.1M

$373 IQD 564.1K

87.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$406 IQD 613.1K

$308 IQD 465.9K

31.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,047 IQD 1.6M

$629 IQD 951.1K

66.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$608 IQD 919.3K

$532 IQD 803.7K

14.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$525 IQD 793.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.53

3.33

-24.02%

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

Last update for Erbil: October 11, 2026

Last update for Al-Rumaitha: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Erbil

$275 28.7%

Al-Rumaitha

$128 19.8% 53.3% $146

Groceries & Markets

Erbil

$172 18%

Al-Rumaitha

$154 23.7% 10.3% $18

Eating Out

Erbil

$150 15.7%

Al-Rumaitha

$100 15.4% 33.4% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Erbil

$149 15.6%

Al-Rumaitha

$126 19.3% 15.8% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Erbil

$83 8.7%

Al-Rumaitha

$54 8.3% 35.5% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Erbil

$77 8%

Al-Rumaitha

$56 8.6% 27.3% $21

Getting Around

Erbil

$50 5.3%

Al-Rumaitha

$32 5% 36% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $423 in Erbil and $178 in Al-Rumaitha. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $36.00 in Erbil vs $23.00 in Al-Rumaitha for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $172 vs $154 per month, with Al-Rumaitha cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Erbil

🇮🇶 Al-Rumaitha

🕒 Local time

05:39 5:39 AM

Same time as Erbil

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,713,461

115,431

💱 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

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Between locations

Erbil Al-Rumaitha 530 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Erbil
Al-Rumaitha

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-Rumaitha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al-Rumaitha is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 47% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,435 in Erbil and $975 in Al-Rumaitha 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: $423 in Erbil versus $178 in Al-Rumaitha. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $956 per month in Erbil versus $650 in Al-Rumaitha – a 47% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Al-Rumaitha runs roughly 76% less than in Erbil. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Al-Rumaitha 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, Erbil and Al-Rumaitha 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 Al-Rumaitha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Erbil. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.