Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Erbil and Lome

For one person, living is cheaper in Lome: $560 a month against $958 in Erbil, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Erbil
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Erbil Living Index

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Erbil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$958

/mo nomad

Lome

🇹🇬 Togo

$560

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Erbil and in Lome

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

A single person spends $958 per month in Erbil vs $560 in Lome, rent included.

Erbil $958
Lome $560

A couple spends around $1,427 per month in Erbil vs $992 in Lome, rent included.

Erbil $1,427
Lome $992

A family of three spends $1,896 per month in Erbil vs $1,424 in Lome, rent included.

Erbil $1,896
Lome $1,424

Erbil costs about 71% more than Lome, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Erbil and Lome are more affordable than the global median – Erbil 30% lower, Lome 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.42 IQD 9,704

$2.86 F CFA 1,683

124.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.55 IQD 55.2K

$30.57 F CFA 18.0K

19.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.41 IQD 11.2K

$5.52 F CFA 3,250

34.24%

Cappuccino

$3.24 IQD 4,889

$5.74 F CFA 3,382

-43.55%

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

$0.89 IQD 1,341

$4.14 F CFA 2,436

-78.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 IQD 505

$0.75 F CFA 445

-56.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.75 IQD 8,681

$0.90 F CFA 527

538.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 IQD 5,921

$1.73 F CFA 1,019

126.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 IQD 1,611

$2.30 F CFA 1,355

-53.48%

White Bread (500g)

$0.67 IQD 1,019

$1.30 F CFA 764

-48.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 IQD 2,303

$1.48 F CFA 874

2.70%

Eggs

$1.60 IQD 2,413

$1.96 F CFA 1,156

-18.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.00 IQD 10.6K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.38 IQD 6,614

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.67 IQD 19.1K

$5.49 F CFA 3,230

130.78%

Apples (1kg)

$0.94 IQD 1,415

$3.03 F CFA 1,787

-68.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 IQD 1,528

$1.73 F CFA 1,017

-41.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 IQD 1,544

Tomato (1kg)

$0.70 IQD 1,064

$2.60 F CFA 1,529

-73.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 IQD 982

$1.74 F CFA 1,025

-62.64%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 IQD 952

$1.22 F CFA 717

-48.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 IQD 968

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 IQD 781

$0.84 F CFA 492

-38.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.19 IQD 3,303

Wine (Bottle)

$10.83 IQD 16.4K

$4.70 F CFA 2,769

130.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 IQD 2,191

$1.13 F CFA 668

28.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 IQD 2,712

$1.41 F CFA 832

26.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 IQD 736

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.29 IQD 59.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 IQD 2,519

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 IQD 2,418

$1.17 F CFA 691

36.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 IQD 8,728

$4.35 F CFA 2,560

32.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.57 IQD 867

$1.20 F CFA 707

-52.50%

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

$16.8K IQD 25.4M

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

$17.1K IQD 25.9M

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

$111 IQD 168.1K

$146 F CFA 86.1K

-23.89%

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

$12.24 IQD 18.5K

$20.99 F CFA 12.4K

-41.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.61 IQD 37.2K

$42.24 F CFA 24.9K

-41.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.0 IQD 86.1K

$60.1 F CFA 35.4K

-5.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.48 IQD 20.4K

$8.71 F CFA 5,127

54.76%

Cinema Ticket

$9.63 IQD 14.6K

$4.31 F CFA 2,540

123.43%

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

$294 IQD 443.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,726 IQD 4.1M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.71 IQD 40.4K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.49 IQD 58.2K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.1 IQD 92.3K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.9 IQD 90.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$426 IQD 643.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$271 IQD 410.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$699 IQD 1.1M

$1,203 F CFA 708.3K

-41.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$404 IQD 610.4K

$295 F CFA 173.8K

36.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,017 IQD 1.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$615 IQD 929.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$519 IQD 783.7K

$295 F CFA 173.8K

75.68%

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 26, 2026

Last update for Lome: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Erbil

$271 28.3%

Lome

–

Groceries & Markets

Erbil

$174 18.1%

Lome

–

Eating Out

Erbil

$154 16.1%

Lome

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Erbil

$148 15.5%

Lome

–

Clothing & Footwear

Erbil

$84 8.8%

Lome

–

Sport & Entertainment

Erbil

$76 8%

Lome

–

Getting Around

Erbil

$51 5.3%

Lome

–

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 76% higher in Erbil. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Erbil versus $31 in Lome. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $174 vs $140 – making Lome the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Erbil

🇹🇬 Lome

🕒 Local time

02:45 2:45 AM

23:45 11:45 PM

3 h behind Erbil

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,713,461

837,437 Capital

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.95 EUR

1,000 XOF = 1.7 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XOF, USD, EUR to IQD – Iraqi Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇶 Iraqi Dinar (ع.د)

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,682 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.95 EUR).

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 589 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.7 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR).

USD to IQD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Erbil Lome 5,480 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Erbil
Lome

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 Lome: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Erbil is pricier by about 71%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,437 per month in Erbil and $840 in Lome. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 24% more in Erbil, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Erbil and $31 in Lome. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Lome, where all-in costs run around $560, than in Erbil at $958. In Lome it covers expenses comfortably, while in Erbil it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Lome has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $560 in Lome to $958 in Erbil. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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