Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Erbil and Baghdadi

For one person, living is cheaper in Baghdadi: $641 a month against $960 in Erbil, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Erbil
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Erbil Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Baghdadi
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Baghdadi Living Index

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Erbil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$960

/mo nomad

Baghdadi

🇮🇶 Iraq

$641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Erbil and in Baghdadi

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

A single person spends $960 per month in Erbil vs $641 in Baghdadi, rent included.

Erbil $960
Baghdadi $641

A couple spends around $1,439 per month in Erbil vs $978 in Baghdadi, rent included.

Erbil $1,439
Baghdadi $978

A family of three spends $1,918 per month in Erbil vs $1,316 in Baghdadi, rent included.

Erbil $1,918
Baghdadi $1,316

Erbil costs about 50% more than Baghdadi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Erbil and Baghdadi are more affordable than the global median – Erbil 29% lower, Baghdadi 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.65 IQD 10.1K

$4.02 IQD 6,071

65.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.28 IQD 56.3K

$13.93 IQD 21.1K

167.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.27 IQD 11.0K

$6.17 IQD 9,325

17.83%

Cappuccino

$3.25 IQD 4,914

$1.88 IQD 2,846

72.87%

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

$0.89 IQD 1,350

$0.42 IQD 628

111.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 IQD 545

$0.18 IQD 274

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.76 IQD 8,706

$3.25 IQD 4,906

77.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 IQD 6,834

$2.57 IQD 3,890

75.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 IQD 1,587

$1.03 IQD 1,553

1.94%

White Bread (500g)

$0.64 IQD 970

$0.48 IQD 729

33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 IQD 2,180

$2.75 IQD 4,159

-47.64%

Eggs

$1.52 IQD 2,298

$1.85 IQD 2,790

-17.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.04 IQD 10.6K

$3.83 IQD 5,790

83.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 IQD 6,661

$3.29 IQD 4,969

34.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 IQD 19.1K

$8.24 IQD 12.5K

53.40%

Apples (1kg)

$0.99 IQD 1,501

$0.94 IQD 1,418

5.32%

Banana (1kg)

$0.99 IQD 1,493

$1.00 IQD 1,507

-1.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.07 IQD 1,612

$0.93 IQD 1,406

15.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.69 IQD 1,050

$0.68 IQD 1,023

1.47%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 IQD 972

$0.60 IQD 902

6.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.57 IQD 865

$0.67 IQD 1,009

-14.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 IQD 998

$0.51 IQD 777

29.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 IQD 770

$0.54 IQD 814

-5.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.12 IQD 3,209

$1.70 IQD 2,569

24.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.56 IQD 16.0K

$11.28 IQD 17.0K

-6.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 IQD 2,209

$1.59 IQD 2,401

-8.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 IQD 2,750

$1.81 IQD 2,740

0.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 IQD 759

$0.34 IQD 518

47.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.67 IQD 59.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 IQD 2,520

$1.80 IQD 2,727

-7.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 IQD 2,325

$1.29 IQD 1,948

19.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.48 IQD 8,286

$5.64 IQD 8,529

-2.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.58 IQD 884

$0.58 IQD 875

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

$16.7K IQD 25.3M

$16.4K IQD 24.8M

1.96%

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

$17.0K IQD 25.7M

$17.0K IQD 25.6M

0.44%

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

$116 IQD 174.8K

$87.6 IQD 132.3K

32.09%

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

$11.96 IQD 18.1K

$13.62 IQD 20.6K

-12.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.50 IQD 37.0K

$28.52 IQD 43.1K

-14.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.0 IQD 86.1K

$36.52 IQD 55.2K

56.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.43 IQD 20.3K

Cinema Ticket

$9.99 IQD 15.1K

$9.06 IQD 13.7K

10.26%

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

$297 IQD 448.2K

$143 IQD 216.5K

107.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,080 IQD 6.2M

$2,771 IQD 4.2M

47.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.29 IQD 39.7K

$21.10 IQD 31.9K

24.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.72 IQD 58.5K

$22.93 IQD 34.6K

68.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.8 IQD 91.8K

$60.6 IQD 91.6K

0.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.8 IQD 88.9K

$37.63 IQD 56.9K

56.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$441 IQD 666.1K

$207 IQD 313.2K

112.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$268 IQD 404.7K

$136 IQD 205.3K

97.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$696 IQD 1.1M

$382 IQD 576.4K

82.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$414 IQD 626.0K

$313 IQD 472.7K

32.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,047 IQD 1.6M

$870 IQD 1.3M

20.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$600 IQD 906.7K

$487 IQD 735.4K

23.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$514 IQD 776.4K

$499 IQD 753.6K

3.03%

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: November 1, 2026

Last update for Baghdadi: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Erbil

$268 27.9%

Baghdadi

$136 21.2% 49.3% $132

Groceries & Markets

Erbil

$172 18%

Baghdadi

$150 23.4% 13.2% $23

Eating Out

Erbil

$157 16.3%

Baghdadi

$97 15.2% 38.2% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Erbil

$152 15.8%

Baghdadi

$130 20.2% 14.7% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Erbil

$83 8.7%

Baghdadi

$64 10% 22.9% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Erbil

$77 8%

Baghdadi

$55 8.5% 29% $22

Getting Around

Erbil

$51 5.3%

Baghdadi

$9.6 * 1.5% 81.2% $41

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $441 in Erbil versus $207 in Baghdadi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 3% higher in Erbil, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Erbil versus $14 in Baghdadi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $172 vs $150 – making Baghdadi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Erbil

🇮🇶 Baghdadi

🕒 Local time

06:19 6:19 AM

Same time as Erbil

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,713,461

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Erbil Baghdadi 290 km

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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 Baghdadi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Erbil is pricier by about 50%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,441 per month in Erbil and $961 in Baghdadi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Baghdadi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $207 there versus $441 in Erbil.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Erbil and $14 in Baghdadi. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 15% more in Erbil, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Baghdadi – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Baghdadi. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Erbil makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.