Comparación del coste de vida entre Erbil y Ba'qubah Comparación del coste de vida entre Erbil y Ba'qubah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,019 in Erbil versus $638 in Ba'qubah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,524 in Erbil versus $985 in Ba'qubah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,029 in Erbil versus $1,333 in Ba'qubah.

Living in Erbil is roughly 60% more expensive than Ba'qubah, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Erbil 24% lower, Ba'qubah 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.78 IQD 10.2K

$5.03 IQD 6,592

54.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.99 IQD 30.1K

$15.37 IQD 20.1K

49.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.97 IQD 11.7K

$6.35 IQD 8,317

41.26%

Cappuccino

$3.25 IQD 4,251

$1.13 IQD 1,478

187.61%

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

$0.48 IQD 630

$0.48 IQD 628

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 IQD 289

$0.18 IQD 242

22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 IQD 2,632

$1.93 IQD 2,533

4.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 IQD 2,671

$2.06 IQD 2,697

-0.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 IQD 1,726

$1.13 IQD 1,485

16.81%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 IQD 1,115

$0.55 IQD 725

54.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 IQD 2,368

$1.12 IQD 1,473

61.61%

Eggs

$1.98 IQD 2,589

$1.41 IQD 1,851

40.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.44 IQD 9,743

$2.26 IQD 2,963

229.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.75 IQD 6,228

$2.52 IQD 3,297

88.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 IQD 18.3K

$10.77 IQD 14.1K

29.90%

Apples (1kg)

$1.15 IQD 1,509

$0.92 IQD 1,201

25.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 IQD 1,513

$1.13 IQD 1,479

2.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.13 IQD 1,482

$0.99 IQD 1,291

14.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.81 IQD 1,061

$0.60 IQD 782

35.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 IQD 935

$0.56 IQD 728

26.79%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 IQD 996

$0.69 IQD 901

10.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 IQD 1,001

$0.47 IQD 612

61.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 IQD 690

$0.21 IQD 281

152.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.76 IQD 3,609

$2.71 IQD 3,556

1.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.29 IQD 16.1K

$12.24 IQD 16.0K

0.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 IQD 1,862

$1.43 IQD 1,873

-0.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 IQD 2,626

$2.03 IQD 2,654

-1.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 IQD 727

$0.40 IQD 522

40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.51 IQD 45.2K

$31.61 IQD 41.4K

9.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.28 IQD 2,991

$2.37 IQD 3,099

-3.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.29 IQD 2,996

$2.10 IQD 2,750

9.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.92 IQD 9,058

$5.32 IQD 6,971

30.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.70 IQD 910

$0.33 IQD 427

112.12%

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

$19.0K IQD 24.9M

0.24%

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

$20.8K IQD 27.2M

$20.9K IQD 27.4M

-0.63%

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

$100 IQD 131.3K

$59.3 IQD 77.7K

68.98%

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

$17.57 IQD 23.0K

$17.97 IQD 23.5K

-2.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.61 IQD 38.8K

$27.11 IQD 35.5K

9.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.2 IQD 97.2K

$18.94 IQD 24.8K

291.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.82 IQD 15.5K

$16.61 IQD 21.8K

-28.84%

Cinema Ticket

$11.57 IQD 15.2K

$3.82 IQD 4,998

202.88%

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

$264 IQD 345.6K

$27.30 IQD 35.8K

866.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,284 IQD 4.3M

$632 IQD 827.5K

419.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.96 IQD 43.2K

$18.99 IQD 24.9K

73.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.58 IQD 64.9K

$18.97 IQD 24.9K

161.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 IQD 109.7K

$83.8 IQD 109.8K

-0.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 IQD 100.5K

$27.25 IQD 35.7K

181.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 IQD 562.7K

$244 IQD 320.2K

75.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$281 IQD 367.6K

$182 IQD 238.5K

54.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 IQD 938.3K

$570 IQD 746.1K

25.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$486 IQD 637.1K

$345 IQD 451.4K

41.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,111 IQD 1.5M

$768 IQD 1.0M

44.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$652 IQD 853.9K

$188 IQD 246.6K

246.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$576 IQD 754.0K

$730 IQD 956.2K

-21.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.33

5.67

152.73%

Los datos de CityCost se basan en IA y aportaciones de usuarios. Puede haber pequeñas variaciones.

Última actualización para Erbil: April 26, 2026

Última actualización para Ba'qubah: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $430 in Erbil and $244 in Ba'qubah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ba'qubah pays 27% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $23.00 in Erbil vs $15.00 in Ba'qubah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $195 vs $140 per month, with Ba'qubah cheaper across the board.

Comparación de velocidades medias de internet por ciudad (actualizado April 2026)

El gráfico resalta el umbral de precisión para velocidades de internet móvil y fija, actualizado trimestralmente.

Índice del coste de vida para nómadas digitales

Erbil vs Ba'qubah: Coste de vida - preguntas frecuentes

Ba'qubah is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 60% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Ba'qubah earns 27% less. 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: $430 in Erbil versus $244 in Ba'qubah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Erbil. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Ba'qubah – a meal for two runs $15.00 versus $23.00 in Erbil. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $638 in Ba'qubah versus $1,019 in Erbil, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ba'qubah but tight or insufficient in Erbil. The gap between the two cities makes Ba'qubah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Ba'qubah 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 Ba'qubah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Erbil. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.