Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Erbil and Duhok

For one person, living is cheaper in Duhok: $608 a month against $959 in Erbil, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

47

Cost of Living Index in Erbil
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Erbil Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Duhok
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Duhok Living Index

Jump to prices

Erbil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$959

/mo nomad

Duhok

🇮🇶 Iraq

$608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Erbil and in Duhok

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $959 in Erbil versus $608 in Duhok.

Erbil $959
Duhok $608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,431 in Erbil versus $978 in Duhok.

Erbil $1,431
Duhok $978

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,904 in Erbil versus $1,349 in Duhok.

Erbil $1,904
Duhok $1,349

Living in Erbil is roughly 58% more expensive than in Duhok, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Erbil 29% lower, Duhok 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.50 IQD 9,821

$3.38 IQD 5,111

92.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.30 IQD 54.8K

$16.59 IQD 25.1K

118.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 IQD 10.7K

$7.40 IQD 11.2K

-4.19%

Cappuccino

$3.28 IQD 4,953

$2.43 IQD 3,665

34.98%

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

$0.82 IQD 1,243

$0.32 IQD 481

156.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 IQD 504

$0.19 IQD 294

73.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 IQD 8,674

$1.69 IQD 2,550

239.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 IQD 6,052

$1.94 IQD 2,932

106.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 IQD 1,670

$1.11 IQD 1,680

White Bread (500g)

$0.67 IQD 1,017

$0.67 IQD 1,016

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 IQD 2,267

$1.48 IQD 2,232

1.35%

Eggs

$1.59 IQD 2,400

$1.58 IQD 2,391

0.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.95 IQD 10.5K

$4.87 IQD 7,359

42.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 IQD 6,659

$2.96 IQD 4,478

48.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.91 IQD 19.5K

$10.95 IQD 16.6K

17.90%

Apples (1kg)

$0.96 IQD 1,455

$0.99 IQD 1,489

-3.03%

Banana (1kg)

$0.94 IQD 1,427

$0.97 IQD 1,461

-3.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.05 IQD 1,587

$0.75 IQD 1,136

40.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.65 IQD 980

$0.63 IQD 959

3.17%

Potato (1kg)

$0.59 IQD 892

$0.61 IQD 919

-3.28%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 IQD 964

$0.62 IQD 940

3.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 IQD 995

$0.61 IQD 926

8.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 IQD 725

$0.52 IQD 787

-7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.20 IQD 3,330

$1.73 IQD 2,609

27.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.68 IQD 16.1K

$10.97 IQD 16.6K

-2.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 IQD 2,156

$1.40 IQD 2,121

2.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 IQD 2,799

$1.79 IQD 2,700

3.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.48 IQD 729

$0.30 IQD 459

60.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.33 IQD 59.4K

$15.64 IQD 23.6K

151.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.69 IQD 2,559

$1.60 IQD 2,420

5.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 IQD 2,364

$1.29 IQD 1,945

20.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 IQD 8,233

$5.52 IQD 8,343

-1.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.55 IQD 829

$0.54 IQD 819

1.85%

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

$16.5K IQD 24.9M

$16.6K IQD 25.1M

-0.85%

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

$17.1K IQD 25.8M

$17.1K IQD 25.9M

-0.14%

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

$115 IQD 174.0K

$87.3 IQD 131.8K

32.00%

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

$11.91 IQD 18.0K

$8.86 IQD 13.4K

34.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.10 IQD 36.4K

$23.83 IQD 36.0K

1.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 IQD 85.9K

$50.1 IQD 75.7K

13.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.28 IQD 20.1K

$26.55 IQD 40.1K

-49.98%

Cinema Ticket

$9.78 IQD 14.8K

$7.52 IQD 11.4K

30.05%

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

$315 IQD 476.7K

$106 IQD 160.6K

196.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,727 IQD 4.1M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.05 IQD 40.9K

$10.02 IQD 15.1K

169.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.50 IQD 59.7K

$20.32 IQD 30.7K

94.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.6 IQD 91.6K

$30.27 IQD 45.7K

100.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.7 IQD 88.7K

$19.60 IQD 29.6K

199.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$440 IQD 665.5K

$157 IQD 237.0K

180.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$269 IQD 406.8K

$116 IQD 174.7K

132.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$689 IQD 1.0M

$329 IQD 496.7K

109.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$411 IQD 620.3K

$324 IQD 489.1K

26.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,042 IQD 1.6M

$445 IQD 671.8K

134.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$605 IQD 914.8K

$362 IQD 547.1K

67.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$511 IQD 771.9K

$415 IQD 627.4K

23.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.53

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

Last update for Erbil: October 17, 2026

Last update for Duhok: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Erbil

$269 28.1%

Duhok

$116 19% 57% $154

Groceries & Markets

Erbil

$173 18.1%

Duhok

$154 25.3% 11.4% $20

Eating Out

Erbil

$154 16.1%

Duhok

$93 15.3% 39.7% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Erbil

$151 15.8%

Duhok

$120 19.7% 20.7% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Erbil

$84 8.7%

Duhok

$36 5.9% 56.8% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Erbil

$76 8%

Duhok

$65 10.7% 14.7% $11

Getting Around

Erbil

$51 5.3%

Duhok

$25 4.1% 51% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $440 in Erbil and $157 in Duhok. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Erbil pays 23% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $36.00 in Erbil vs $17.00 in Duhok for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $173 vs $154 per month, with Duhok cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Erbil

🇮🇶 Duhok

🕒 Local time

01:14 1:14 AM

Same time as Erbil

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,713,461

340,900

💱 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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Erbil Duhok 120 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 Duhok: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Erbil and Duhok differ by about 58% in total monthly costs ($959 vs $608 including rent). Duhok is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 23% higher in Erbil, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $440 in Erbil versus $157 in Duhok. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $315 in Erbil versus $106 in Duhok. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Erbil. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $608 in Duhok versus $959 in Erbil, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Duhok but tight or insufficient in Erbil. The gap between the two cities makes Duhok 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 Duhok 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 Duhok gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Erbil. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.