Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Erbil and 'aqrah

For one person, living is cheaper in 'aqrah: $661 a month against $956 in Erbil, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 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 'aqrah
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'aqrah Living Index

Jump to prices

Erbil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$956

/mo nomad

'aqrah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$661

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Erbil and in 'aqrah

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $956 in Erbil versus $661 in 'aqrah.

Erbil $956
'aqrah $661

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,421 in Erbil versus $1,015 in 'aqrah.

Erbil $1,421
'aqrah $1,015

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,887 in Erbil versus $1,369 in 'aqrah.

Erbil $1,887
'aqrah $1,369

Living in Erbil is roughly 45% more expensive than in 'aqrah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Erbil 29% lower, 'aqrah 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.45 IQD 9,753

$3.62 IQD 5,467

78.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.44 IQD 55.1K

$21.82 IQD 33.0K

67.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 IQD 10.7K

$6.82 IQD 10.3K

3.96%

Cappuccino

$3.23 IQD 4,873

$2.38 IQD 3,602

35.71%

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

$0.89 IQD 1,338

$0.32 IQD 485

178.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 IQD 503

$0.18 IQD 273

83.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.17 IQD 7,819

$3.11 IQD 4,706

66.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 IQD 5,825

$2.61 IQD 3,945

47.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 IQD 1,600

$0.94 IQD 1,416

12.77%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 IQD 1,101

$0.72 IQD 1,086

1.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 IQD 2,300

$1.46 IQD 2,205

4.11%

Eggs

$1.57 IQD 2,373

$1.70 IQD 2,573

-7.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.90 IQD 10.4K

$3.48 IQD 5,252

98.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.27 IQD 6,458

$4.16 IQD 6,291

2.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.51 IQD 18.9K

$13.31 IQD 20.1K

-6.01%

Apples (1kg)

$0.99 IQD 1,501

$0.92 IQD 1,383

7.61%

Banana (1kg)

$0.99 IQD 1,495

$0.91 IQD 1,375

8.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 IQD 1,555

$0.77 IQD 1,161

33.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.65 IQD 988

$0.66 IQD 990

-1.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 IQD 964

$0.54 IQD 809

18.52%

Onion (1kg)

$0.61 IQD 925

$0.64 IQD 965

-4.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 IQD 909

$0.51 IQD 776

17.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 IQD 709

$0.50 IQD 756

-6.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.15 IQD 3,250

$1.57 IQD 2,368

36.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.81 IQD 16.3K

$10.92 IQD 16.5K

-1.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 IQD 2,222

$1.33 IQD 2,003

10.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 IQD 2,825

$1.85 IQD 2,800

1.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.48 IQD 718

$0.45 IQD 679

6.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.85 IQD 58.7K

$17.50 IQD 26.4K

122.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 IQD 2,531

$1.89 IQD 2,859

-11.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 IQD 2,421

$1.39 IQD 2,099

15.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.67 IQD 8,566

$5.15 IQD 7,788

10.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.55 IQD 825

$0.48 IQD 727

14.58%

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

$16.3K IQD 24.7M

$16.9K IQD 25.5M

-3.24%

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

$17.0K IQD 25.6M

$19.4K IQD 29.3M

-12.49%

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

$113 IQD 170.3K

$80.2 IQD 121.1K

40.62%

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

$12.21 IQD 18.4K

$13.58 IQD 20.5K

-10.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.30 IQD 36.7K

$27.25 IQD 41.2K

-10.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.6 IQD 85.5K

$37.01 IQD 55.9K

52.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.33 IQD 20.1K

Cinema Ticket

$10.00 IQD 15.1K

$8.39 IQD 12.7K

19.19%

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

$315 IQD 476.0K

$142 IQD 213.9K

122.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,809 IQD 4.2M

$2,656 IQD 4.0M

5.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.70 IQD 40.3K

$22.08 IQD 33.4K

20.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.59 IQD 59.8K

$23.85 IQD 36.0K

66.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.4 IQD 89.7K

$47.26 IQD 71.4K

25.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.4 IQD 89.8K

$31.06 IQD 46.9K

91.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 IQD 639.7K

$184 IQD 277.8K

130.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$275 IQD 415.2K

$141 IQD 213.2K

94.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$700 IQD 1.1M

$358 IQD 541.4K

95.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$406 IQD 613.1K

$278 IQD 419.4K

46.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,047 IQD 1.6M

$779 IQD 1.2M

34.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$608 IQD 919.3K

$642 IQD 970.8K

-5.31%

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 'aqrah: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Erbil

$275 28.7%

'aqrah

$141 21.4% 48.7% $134

Groceries & Markets

Erbil

$172 18%

'aqrah

$160 24.2% 7.1% $12

Eating Out

Erbil

$150 15.7%

'aqrah

$101 15.3% 32.8% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Erbil

$149 15.6%

'aqrah

$121 18.3% 18.9% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Erbil

$83 8.7%

'aqrah

$56 8.5% 32.9% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Erbil

$77 8%

'aqrah

$54 8.1% 29.8% $23

Getting Around

Erbil

$50 5.3%

'aqrah

$28 4.3% 44.2% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $423 in Erbil and $184 in 'aqrah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $36.00 in Erbil vs $22.00 in 'aqrah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $172 vs $160 per month, with 'aqrah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Erbil

🇮🇶 'aqrah

🕒 Local time

05:39 5:39 AM

Same time as Erbil

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,713,461

68,100

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.88 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.88 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Erbil 'aqrah 61 km

From you

Erbil
'aqrah

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 'aqrah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

'aqrah wins on cost – living expenses run 45% lower than in Erbil. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making 'aqrah the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,435 in Erbil and $991 in 'aqrah 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 $184 in 'aqrah. 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 $661 in 'aqrah – a 45% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in 'aqrah runs roughly 122% less than in Erbil. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $800 a month, though 'aqrah 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 'aqrah 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 'aqrah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Erbil. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.