Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Erbil and Delhi

For one person, living is cheaper in Delhi: $520 a month against $1,096 in Erbil, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Erbil
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Erbil Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Delhi
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Delhi Living Index

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Erbil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$1,096

/mo nomad

Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$520

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Erbil and in Delhi

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

A single person spends $1,096 per month in Erbil vs $520 in Delhi, rent included.

Erbil $1,096
Delhi $520

A couple spends around $1,634 per month in Erbil vs $858 in Delhi, rent included.

Erbil $1,634
Delhi $858

A family of three spends $2,173 per month in Erbil vs $1,195 in Delhi, rent included.

Erbil $2,173
Delhi $1,195

Erbil costs about 111% more than Delhi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Erbil and Delhi are more affordable than the global median – Erbil 18% lower, Delhi 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.75 IQD 11.7K

$3.67 ₹355

111.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.93 IQD 64.9K

$20.95 ₹2,027

104.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 IQD 12.9K

$3.74 ₹362

128.61%

Cappuccino

$3.92 IQD 5,918

$2.33 ₹226

68.24%

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

$0.98 IQD 1,476

$0.37 ₹35.82

164.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 IQD 635

$0.20 ₹18.91

110.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.10 IQD 9,213

$2.02 ₹195

201.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 IQD 7,074

$3.19 ₹308

46.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 IQD 1,866

$0.68 ₹65.9

80.88%

White Bread (500g)

$0.82 IQD 1,244

$0.52 ₹50.2

57.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 IQD 2,626

$0.83 ₹80.0

109.64%

Eggs

$1.80 IQD 2,716

$1.07 ₹104

68.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.03 IQD 12.1K

$4.43 ₹428

81.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.96 IQD 7,488

$3.37 ₹326

47.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.57 IQD 22.0K

Apples (1kg)

$1.09 IQD 1,642

$1.99 ₹192

-45.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 IQD 1,679

$0.72 ₹70.1

54.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.23 IQD 1,860

$1.02 ₹98.4

20.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.76 IQD 1,151

$0.52 ₹50.1

46.15%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 IQD 1,104

$0.27 ₹25.96

170.37%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 IQD 1,100

$0.37 ₹35.42

97.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 IQD 1,050

$0.43 ₹41.64

60.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 IQD 903

$0.31 ₹30.39

93.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.44 IQD 3,683

$4.92 ₹476

-50.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.42 IQD 18.8K

$8.34 ₹808

48.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 IQD 2,449

$1.64 ₹159

-1.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 IQD 3,270

$2.70 ₹261

-20.00%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.15 ₹596

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 IQD 896

$0.46 ₹44.04

28.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.79 IQD 64.7K

$15.29 ₹1,480

179.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 IQD 2,934

$1.03 ₹99.8

88.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 IQD 2,686

$0.27 ₹26.38

559.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.34 IQD 9,572

$1.53 ₹148

314.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.68 IQD 1,029

$1.05 ₹102

-35.24%

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

$17.7K IQD 26.7M

$10.5K ₹1.0M

68.70%

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

$20.3K IQD 30.6M

$18.4K ₹1.8M

10.30%

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

$131 IQD 197.2K

$42.67 ₹4,129

205.86%

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

$13.79 IQD 20.8K

$4.04 ₹391

241.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 IQD 41.7K

$6.75 ₹653

309.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.3 IQD 98.7K

$19.40 ₹1,878

236.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.26 IQD 21.6K

$8.06 ₹780

76.92%

Cinema Ticket

$11.35 IQD 17.2K

$5.08 ₹492

123.43%

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

$326 IQD 493.1K

$100 ₹9,696

225.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,186 IQD 4.8M

$2,268 ₹219.5K

40.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.25 IQD 47.2K

$24.14 ₹2,336

29.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.50 IQD 67.2K

$28.38 ₹2,747

56.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.7 IQD 103.8K

$53.3 ₹5,160

28.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.0 IQD 104.3K

$44.13 ₹4,271

56.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$463 IQD 700.1K

$264 ₹25.5K

75.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$293 IQD 442.5K

$154 ₹14.9K

90.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$725 IQD 1.1M

$736 ₹71.2K

-1.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$439 IQD 662.8K

$397 ₹38.5K

10.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,110 IQD 1.7M

$2,494 ₹241.4K

-55.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$645 IQD 975.2K

$1,017 ₹98.4K

-36.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 IQD 891.2K

$585 ₹56.7K

0.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.53

8.33

-69.63%

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

Last update for Erbil: October 5, 2026

Last update for Delhi: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Erbil

$293 27%

Delhi

$154 29.7% 47.4% $139

Groceries & Markets

Erbil

$199 18.4%

Delhi

$108 20.8% 45.7% $91

Eating Out

Erbil

$180 16.6%

Delhi

$87 16.8% 51.5% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Erbil

$172 15.9%

Delhi

$53 10.3% 68.9% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Erbil

$96 8.9%

Delhi

$67 13% 29.8% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Erbil

$88 8.1%

Delhi

$30 5.7% 66.4% $58

Getting Around

Erbil

$56 5.2%

Delhi

$20 3.8% 65.2% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $463 in Erbil versus $264 in Delhi. 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 1% 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 $43.00 in Erbil versus $21.00 in Delhi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $199 vs $108 – making Delhi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Erbil

🇮🇳 Delhi

🕒 Local time

07:06 7:06 AM

09:36 9:36 AM

2 h 30 min ahead of Erbil

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,713,461

16,787,941 Capital

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.33 USD

1,000 INR = 9.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to IQD – Iraqi Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇶 Iraqi Dinar (ع.د)

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,695 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 96.78 INR (100 INR = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 109 INR (1,000 INR = 9.21 EUR).

USD to IQD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Erbil Delhi 3,210 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Erbil
Delhi

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 Delhi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,096 in Erbil, $520 in Delhi – roughly 111% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,644 per month in Erbil and $780 in Delhi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Delhi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Erbil and $21.00 in Delhi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,096 in Erbil and $520 in Delhi. That's a gap of about 111%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Delhi, where all-in costs run around $520, than in Erbil at $1,096. In Delhi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Erbil it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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