Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Erbil and Tikrit

For one person, living is cheaper in Tikrit: $646 a month against $958 in Erbil, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 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
32

Cost of Living Index in Tikrit
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Tikrit Living Index

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Erbil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$958

/mo nomad

Tikrit

🇮🇶 Iraq

$646

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Erbil and in Tikrit

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

A single person spends $958 per month in Erbil vs $646 in Tikrit, rent included.

Erbil $958
Tikrit $646

A couple spends around $1,427 per month in Erbil vs $997 in Tikrit, rent included.

Erbil $1,427
Tikrit $997

A family of three spends $1,896 per month in Erbil vs $1,349 in Tikrit, rent included.

Erbil $1,896
Tikrit $1,349

Erbil costs about 48% more than Tikrit, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Erbil and Tikrit are more affordable than the global median – Erbil 30% lower, Tikrit 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.42 IQD 9,704

$4.21 IQD 6,365

52.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.55 IQD 55.2K

$20.27 IQD 30.6K

80.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.41 IQD 11.2K

$6.52 IQD 9,850

13.65%

Cappuccino

$3.24 IQD 4,889

$2.66 IQD 4,019

21.80%

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

$0.89 IQD 1,341

$0.34 IQD 511

161.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 IQD 505

$0.23 IQD 352

43.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.75 IQD 8,681

$3.15 IQD 4,755

82.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 IQD 5,921

$2.49 IQD 3,762

57.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 IQD 1,611

$1.14 IQD 1,719

-6.14%

White Bread (500g)

$0.67 IQD 1,019

$0.60 IQD 905

11.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 IQD 2,303

$1.32 IQD 1,992

15.15%

Eggs

$1.60 IQD 2,413

$1.56 IQD 2,353

2.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.00 IQD 10.6K

$4.21 IQD 6,361

66.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.38 IQD 6,614

$3.67 IQD 5,544

19.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.67 IQD 19.1K

$10.24 IQD 15.5K

23.73%

Apples (1kg)

$0.94 IQD 1,415

$0.98 IQD 1,479

-4.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 IQD 1,528

$1.05 IQD 1,588

-3.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 IQD 1,544

$0.86 IQD 1,306

18.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.70 IQD 1,064

$0.62 IQD 935

12.90%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 IQD 982

$0.65 IQD 987

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 IQD 952

$0.53 IQD 803

18.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 IQD 968

$0.56 IQD 844

14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 IQD 781

$0.55 IQD 831

-5.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.19 IQD 3,303

$1.64 IQD 2,485

33.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.83 IQD 16.4K

$10.59 IQD 16.0K

2.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 IQD 2,191

$1.59 IQD 2,404

-8.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 IQD 2,712

$1.59 IQD 2,403

12.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 IQD 736

$0.37 IQD 552

32.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.29 IQD 59.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 IQD 2,519

$1.87 IQD 2,830

-10.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 IQD 2,418

$1.26 IQD 1,901

26.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 IQD 8,728

$4.98 IQD 7,523

16.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.57 IQD 867

$0.54 IQD 819

5.56%

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

$16.8K IQD 25.4M

$15.6K IQD 23.6M

7.38%

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

$17.1K IQD 25.9M

$18.1K IQD 27.3M

-5.11%

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

$111 IQD 168.1K

$89.4 IQD 135.0K

24.47%

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

$12.24 IQD 18.5K

$14.36 IQD 21.7K

-14.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.61 IQD 37.2K

$29.25 IQD 44.2K

-15.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.0 IQD 86.1K

$31.36 IQD 47.4K

81.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.48 IQD 20.4K

Cinema Ticket

$9.63 IQD 14.6K

$10.09 IQD 15.2K

-4.56%

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

$294 IQD 443.8K

$129 IQD 194.8K

127.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,726 IQD 4.1M

$2,947 IQD 4.5M

-7.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.71 IQD 40.4K

$21.87 IQD 33.0K

22.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.49 IQD 58.2K

$20.35 IQD 30.7K

89.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.1 IQD 92.3K

$51.3 IQD 77.5K

19.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.9 IQD 90.5K

$38.33 IQD 57.9K

56.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$426 IQD 643.6K

$183 IQD 276.0K

133.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$271 IQD 410.0K

$131 IQD 198.5K

106.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$699 IQD 1.1M

$398 IQD 601.7K

75.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$404 IQD 610.4K

$292 IQD 441.4K

38.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,017 IQD 1.5M

$958 IQD 1.4M

6.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$615 IQD 929.8K

$543 IQD 820.3K

13.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$519 IQD 783.7K

$302 IQD 457.0K

71.49%

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 Tikrit: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Erbil

$271 28.3%

Tikrit

$131 20.4% 51.6% $140

Groceries & Markets

Erbil

$174 18.1%

Tikrit

$152 23.6% 12.2% $21

Eating Out

Erbil

$154 16.1%

Tikrit

$108 16.8% 29.7% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Erbil

$148 15.5%

Tikrit

$133 20.6% 10.2% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Erbil

$84 8.8%

Tikrit

$59 9.2% 29.2% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Erbil

$76 8%

Tikrit

$52 8% 32.4% $25

Getting Around

Erbil

$51 5.3%

Tikrit

$9.6 * 1.5% 81.1% $41

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $426 in Erbil versus $183 in Tikrit. 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 71% higher in Erbil. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Erbil versus $20 in Tikrit. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $174 vs $152 – making Tikrit the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Erbil

🇮🇶 Tikrit

🕒 Local time

10:16 10:16 AM

Same time as Erbil

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,713,461

260,000

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.91 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.91 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Erbil Tikrit 180 km

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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 Tikrit: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Erbil is pricier by about 48%, 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 $968 in Tikrit. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tikrit, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $183 there versus $426 in Erbil.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $958 in Erbil and $646 in Tikrit. That makes Tikrit about 33% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $294 per month in Erbil and $129 in Tikrit. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

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