Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Erbil and Kirkuk

For one person, living is cheaper in Kirkuk: $545 a month against $958 in Erbil, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Erbil
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Erbil Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Kirkuk
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Kirkuk Living Index

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Erbil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$958

/mo nomad

Kirkuk

🇮🇶 Iraq

$545

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Erbil and in Kirkuk

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

A single person spends $958 per month in Erbil vs $545 in Kirkuk, rent included.

Erbil $958
Kirkuk $545

A couple spends around $1,427 per month in Erbil vs $871 in Kirkuk, rent included.

Erbil $1,427
Kirkuk $871

A family of three spends $1,896 per month in Erbil vs $1,197 in Kirkuk, rent included.

Erbil $1,896
Kirkuk $1,197

Erbil costs about 76% more than Kirkuk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Erbil and Kirkuk are more affordable than the global median – Erbil 30% lower, Kirkuk 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.42 IQD 9,704

$3.55 IQD 5,360

80.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.55 IQD 55.2K

$23.20 IQD 35.1K

57.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.41 IQD 11.2K

$5.25 IQD 7,928

41.14%

Cappuccino

$3.24 IQD 4,889

$2.35 IQD 3,558

37.87%

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

$0.89 IQD 1,341

$0.38 IQD 576

134.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 IQD 505

$0.19 IQD 283

73.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.75 IQD 8,681

$2.71 IQD 4,102

112.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 IQD 5,921

$3.32 IQD 5,010

18.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 IQD 1,611

$0.97 IQD 1,471

10.31%

White Bread (500g)

$0.67 IQD 1,019

$0.57 IQD 858

17.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 IQD 2,303

$1.37 IQD 2,068

10.95%

Eggs

$1.60 IQD 2,413

$1.27 IQD 1,913

25.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.00 IQD 10.6K

$3.37 IQD 5,090

107.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.38 IQD 6,614

$3.22 IQD 4,871

36.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.67 IQD 19.1K

$11.21 IQD 16.9K

13.02%

Apples (1kg)

$0.94 IQD 1,415

$0.74 IQD 1,121

27.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 IQD 1,528

$0.79 IQD 1,196

27.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 IQD 1,544

$0.86 IQD 1,294

18.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.70 IQD 1,064

$0.64 IQD 964

9.37%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 IQD 982

$0.49 IQD 736

32.65%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 IQD 952

$0.48 IQD 722

31.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 IQD 968

$0.56 IQD 844

14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 IQD 781

$0.35 IQD 523

48.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.19 IQD 3,303

$1.67 IQD 2,521

31.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.83 IQD 16.4K

$11.67 IQD 17.6K

-7.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 IQD 2,191

$1.28 IQD 1,937

13.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 IQD 2,712

$1.64 IQD 2,472

9.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 IQD 736

$0.35 IQD 522

40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.29 IQD 59.4K

$19.84 IQD 30.0K

98.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 IQD 2,519

$1.93 IQD 2,914

-13.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 IQD 2,418

$1.28 IQD 1,940

25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 IQD 8,728

$6.62 IQD 10.0K

-12.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.57 IQD 867

$0.48 IQD 726

18.75%

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

$16.8K IQD 25.4M

$16.2K IQD 24.5M

3.53%

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

$17.1K IQD 25.9M

$16.4K IQD 24.8M

4.54%

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

$111 IQD 168.1K

$51.8 IQD 78.3K

114.58%

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

$12.24 IQD 18.5K

$19.86 IQD 30.0K

-38.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.61 IQD 37.2K

$38.46 IQD 58.1K

-36.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.0 IQD 86.1K

$9.62 IQD 14.5K

492.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.48 IQD 20.4K

Cinema Ticket

$9.63 IQD 14.6K

$9.83 IQD 14.8K

-2.03%

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

$294 IQD 443.8K

$147 IQD 222.9K

99.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,726 IQD 4.1M

$3,309 IQD 5.0M

-17.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.71 IQD 40.4K

$25.85 IQD 39.1K

3.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.49 IQD 58.2K

$16.19 IQD 24.5K

137.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.1 IQD 92.3K

$58.8 IQD 88.8K

3.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.9 IQD 90.5K

$29.49 IQD 44.6K

103.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$426 IQD 643.6K

$167 IQD 252.8K

154.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$271 IQD 410.0K

$80.1 IQD 121.1K

238.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$699 IQD 1.1M

$195 IQD 294.5K

258.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$404 IQD 610.4K

$198 IQD 298.5K

104.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,017 IQD 1.5M

$501 IQD 757.5K

102.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$615 IQD 929.8K

$262 IQD 395.8K

134.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$519 IQD 783.7K

$387 IQD 584.6K

34.06%

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kirkuk: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Erbil

$271 28.3%

Kirkuk

$80 14.7% 70.5% $191

Groceries & Markets

Erbil

$174 18.1%

Kirkuk

$143 26.2% 17.8% $31

Eating Out

Erbil

$154 16.1%

Kirkuk

$95 17.4% 38.4% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Erbil

$148 15.5%

Kirkuk

$110 20.2% 25.6% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Erbil

$84 8.8%

Kirkuk

$59 10.8% 30% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Erbil

$76 8%

Kirkuk

$29 5.4% 61.6% $47

Getting Around

Erbil

$51 5.3%

Kirkuk

$30 5.4% 41.9% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $426 in Erbil versus $167 in Kirkuk. 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 34% 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 $23 in Kirkuk. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $174 vs $143 – making Kirkuk the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Erbil

🇮🇶 Kirkuk

🕒 Local time

18:42 6:42 PM

Same time as Erbil

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,713,461

850,787

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.95 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.95 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Kirkuk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Erbil is pricier by about 76%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,437 per month in Erbil and $818 in Kirkuk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kirkuk, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $167 there versus $426 in Erbil.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Erbil, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Erbil and $23 in Kirkuk. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Kirkuk – 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 Kirkuk. 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.