Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Erbil and Mosul

For one person, living is cheaper in Mosul: $573 a month against $958 in Erbil, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 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
28

Cost of Living Index in Mosul
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Mosul Living Index

Jump to prices

Erbil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$958

/mo nomad

Mosul

🇮🇶 Iraq

$573

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Erbil and in Mosul

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

A single person spends $958 per month in Erbil vs $573 in Mosul, rent included.

Erbil $958
Mosul $573

A couple spends around $1,427 per month in Erbil vs $906 in Mosul, rent included.

Erbil $1,427
Mosul $906

A family of three spends $1,896 per month in Erbil vs $1,239 in Mosul, rent included.

Erbil $1,896
Mosul $1,239

Erbil costs about 67% more than Mosul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Erbil and Mosul are more affordable than the global median – Erbil 30% lower, Mosul 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.42 IQD 9,704

$4.07 IQD 6,154

57.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.55 IQD 55.2K

$16.30 IQD 24.6K

124.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.41 IQD 11.2K

$5.21 IQD 7,870

42.23%

Cappuccino

$3.24 IQD 4,889

$1.44 IQD 2,171

125.00%

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

$0.89 IQD 1,341

$0.37 IQD 552

140.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 IQD 505

$0.16 IQD 241

106.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.75 IQD 8,681

$1.35 IQD 2,045

325.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 IQD 5,921

$1.30 IQD 1,965

201.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 IQD 1,611

$0.72 IQD 1,086

48.61%

White Bread (500g)

$0.67 IQD 1,019

$0.63 IQD 955

6.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 IQD 2,303

$1.09 IQD 1,645

39.45%

Eggs

$1.60 IQD 2,413

$1.35 IQD 2,045

18.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.00 IQD 10.6K

$3.05 IQD 4,611

129.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.38 IQD 6,614

$3.63 IQD 5,481

20.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.67 IQD 19.1K

$10.20 IQD 15.4K

24.22%

Apples (1kg)

$0.94 IQD 1,415

$0.60 IQD 900

56.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 IQD 1,528

$0.89 IQD 1,347

13.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 IQD 1,544

$0.61 IQD 915

67.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.70 IQD 1,064

$0.43 IQD 650

62.79%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 IQD 982

$0.41 IQD 617

58.54%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 IQD 952

$0.41 IQD 621

53.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 IQD 968

$0.36 IQD 544

77.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 IQD 781

$0.52 IQD 785

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.19 IQD 3,303

$1.67 IQD 2,528

31.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.83 IQD 16.4K

$6.47 IQD 9,779

67.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 IQD 2,191

$1.47 IQD 2,222

-1.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 IQD 2,712

$1.67 IQD 2,516

7.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 IQD 736

$0.34 IQD 518

44.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.29 IQD 59.4K

$75.0 IQD 113.4K

-47.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 IQD 2,519

$1.29 IQD 1,954

29.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 IQD 2,418

$1.36 IQD 2,051

17.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 IQD 8,728

$3.99 IQD 6,032

44.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.57 IQD 867

$0.44 IQD 661

29.55%

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

$16.8K IQD 25.4M

$15.0K IQD 22.7M

12.04%

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

$17.1K IQD 25.9M

$17.3K IQD 26.2M

-1.12%

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

$111 IQD 168.1K

$76.1 IQD 115.0K

46.18%

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

$12.24 IQD 18.5K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.61 IQD 37.2K

$23.78 IQD 35.9K

3.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.0 IQD 86.1K

$20.66 IQD 31.2K

175.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.48 IQD 20.4K

$22.72 IQD 34.3K

-40.67%

Cinema Ticket

$9.63 IQD 14.6K

$8.09 IQD 12.2K

19.04%

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

$294 IQD 443.8K

$172 IQD 259.6K

70.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,726 IQD 4.1M

$2,729 IQD 4.1M

-0.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.71 IQD 40.4K

$10.79 IQD 16.3K

147.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.49 IQD 58.2K

$16.25 IQD 24.6K

136.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.1 IQD 92.3K

$23.17 IQD 35.0K

163.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.9 IQD 90.5K

$22.08 IQD 33.4K

171.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$426 IQD 643.6K

$142 IQD 215.2K

199.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$271 IQD 410.0K

$103 IQD 155.9K

163.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$699 IQD 1.1M

$247 IQD 373.8K

182.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$404 IQD 610.4K

$252 IQD 380.7K

60.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,017 IQD 1.5M

$730 IQD 1.1M

39.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$615 IQD 929.8K

$502 IQD 758.5K

22.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$519 IQD 783.7K

$420 IQD 634.2K

23.57%

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 Mosul: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Erbil

$271 28.3%

Mosul

$103 18% 62% $168

Groceries & Markets

Erbil

$174 18.1%

Mosul

$127 22.2% 26.6% $46

Eating Out

Erbil

$154 16.1%

Mosul

$77 13.4% 50% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Erbil

$148 15.5%

Mosul

$112 19.6% 24.3% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Erbil

$84 8.8%

Mosul

$33 5.7% 61.2% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Erbil

$76 8%

Mosul

$37 6.4% 51.7% $39

Getting Around

Erbil

$51 5.3%

Mosul

$84 14.7% 66% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $426 in Erbil versus $142 in Mosul. 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 24% 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 $16 in Mosul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $174 vs $127 – making Mosul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Erbil

🇮🇶 Mosul

🕒 Local time

14:45 2:45 PM

Same time as Erbil

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,713,461

1,683,000

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Erbil Mosul 83 km

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Erbil
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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 Mosul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Erbil is pricier by about 67%, 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 $860 in Mosul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mosul, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $142 there versus $426 in Erbil.

Groceries cost about 36% more in Erbil, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Erbil and $16 in Mosul. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $958 in Erbil and $573 in Mosul, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Mosul – 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 Mosul. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Erbil makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.