Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Erbil and Sark

For one person, living is cheaper in Sark: $238 a month against $958 in Erbil, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half 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

Sark

🇬🇬 Guernsey

$238

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Erbil and in Sark

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

A single person spends $958 per month in Erbil vs $238 in Sark, rent included.

Erbil $958
Sark $238

A couple spends around $1,427 per month in Erbil vs $410 in Sark, rent included.

Erbil $1,427
Sark $410

A family of three spends $1,896 per month in Erbil vs $581 in Sark, rent included.

Erbil $1,896
Sark $581

Erbil costs about 302% more than Sark, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Erbil and Sark are more affordable than the global median – Erbil 30% lower, Sark 82% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.42 IQD 9,704

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.55 IQD 55.2K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.41 IQD 11.2K

Cappuccino

$3.24 IQD 4,889

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

$0.89 IQD 1,341

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 IQD 505

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.75 IQD 8,681

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 IQD 5,921

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 IQD 1,611

$2.79 GGP 2.08

-61.65%

White Bread (500g)

$0.67 IQD 1,019

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 IQD 2,303

Eggs

$1.60 IQD 2,413

$6.89 GGP 5.14

-76.78%

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

Apples (1kg)

$0.94 IQD 1,415

$5.15 GGP 3.84

-81.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 IQD 1,528

$4.49 GGP 3.36

-77.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 IQD 1,544

$3.93 GGP 2.94

-74.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.70 IQD 1,064

$5.85 GGP 4.37

-88.03%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 IQD 982

$3.09 GGP 2.31

-78.96%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 IQD 952

$3.26 GGP 2.44

-80.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 IQD 968

$3.54 GGP 2.64

-81.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 IQD 781

$2.03 GGP 1.51

-74.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.19 IQD 3,303

Wine (Bottle)

$10.83 IQD 16.4K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 IQD 2,191

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 IQD 2,712

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 IQD 736

$2.37 GGP 1.77

-79.32%

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

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 IQD 8,728

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.57 IQD 867

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

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

$12.24 IQD 18.5K

$21.60 GGP 16.13

-43.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.61 IQD 37.2K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.0 IQD 86.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.48 IQD 20.4K

Cinema Ticket

$9.63 IQD 14.6K

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

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$404 IQD 610.4K

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

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 Sark: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Erbil

$271 28.3%

Sark

–

Groceries & Markets

Erbil

$174 18.1%

Sark

–

Eating Out

Erbil

$154 16.1%

Sark

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Erbil

$148 15.5%

Sark

–

Clothing & Footwear

Erbil

$84 8.8%

Sark

–

Sport & Entertainment

Erbil

$76 8%

Sark

–

Getting Around

Erbil

$51 5.3%

Sark

–

Good to know

🇮🇶 Erbil

🇬🇬 Sark

🕒 Local time

12:50 12:50 PM

09:50 9:50 AM

3 h behind Erbil

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,713,461

562

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

Guernsey Pound GGP £

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR

1 GGP = 1.34 USD

1 GGP = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GGP, USD, EUR to IQD – Iraqi Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇶 Iraqi Dinar (ع.د)

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,686 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR).

Guernsey Pound exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.747 GGP (1 GGP = 1.34 USD). 1 EUR = 0.834 GGP (1 GGP = 1.2 EUR).

USD to IQD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Erbil Sark 4,000 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Erbil
Sark

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 Sark: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Erbil is pricier by about 302%, 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 $358 in Sark. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $958 in Erbil and $238 in Sark. That makes Sark about 75% cheaper.

Interestingly, groceries are about 16% cheaper in Erbil – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

It depends on your priorities. Erbil has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $238 in Sark to $958 in Erbil. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.