Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Erbil and Zakho

For one person, living is cheaper in Zakho: $725 a month against $958 in Erbil, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Zakho
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Zakho Living Index

Jump to prices

Erbil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$958

/mo nomad

Zakho

🇮🇶 Iraq

$725

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Erbil and in Zakho

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

A single person spends $958 per month in Erbil vs $725 in Zakho, rent included.

Erbil $958
Zakho $725

A couple spends around $1,427 per month in Erbil vs $1,158 in Zakho, rent included.

Erbil $1,427
Zakho $1,158

A family of three spends $1,896 per month in Erbil vs $1,591 in Zakho, rent included.

Erbil $1,896
Zakho $1,591

Erbil costs about 32% more than Zakho, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Erbil and Zakho are more affordable than the global median – Erbil 30% lower, Zakho 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.42 IQD 9,704

$4.18 IQD 6,310

53.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.55 IQD 55.2K

$36.97 IQD 55.9K

-1.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.41 IQD 11.2K

$7.14 IQD 10.8K

3.78%

Cappuccino

$3.24 IQD 4,889

$3.21 IQD 4,856

0.93%

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

$0.89 IQD 1,341

$0.83 IQD 1,256

7.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 IQD 505

$0.33 IQD 506

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.75 IQD 8,681

$5.65 IQD 8,535

1.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 IQD 5,921

$3.94 IQD 5,960

-0.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 IQD 1,611

$1.10 IQD 1,669

-2.73%

White Bread (500g)

$0.67 IQD 1,019

$0.68 IQD 1,023

-1.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 IQD 2,303

$1.50 IQD 2,271

1.33%

Eggs

$1.60 IQD 2,413

$1.58 IQD 2,382

1.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.00 IQD 10.6K

$6.88 IQD 10.4K

1.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.38 IQD 6,614

$4.26 IQD 6,440

2.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.67 IQD 19.1K

$12.69 IQD 19.2K

-0.16%

Apples (1kg)

$0.94 IQD 1,415

$0.98 IQD 1,484

-4.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 IQD 1,528

$0.94 IQD 1,414

7.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 IQD 1,544

$1.02 IQD 1,536

Tomato (1kg)

$0.70 IQD 1,064

$0.65 IQD 986

7.69%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 IQD 982

$0.61 IQD 920

6.56%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 IQD 952

$0.59 IQD 895

6.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 IQD 968

$0.61 IQD 926

4.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 IQD 781

$0.51 IQD 775

1.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.19 IQD 3,303

$2.18 IQD 3,300

0.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.83 IQD 16.4K

$10.80 IQD 16.3K

0.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 IQD 2,191

$1.46 IQD 2,213

-0.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 IQD 2,712

$1.81 IQD 2,737

-1.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 IQD 736

$0.29 IQD 439

68.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.29 IQD 59.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 IQD 2,519

$1.68 IQD 2,546

-0.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 IQD 2,418

$1.61 IQD 2,440

-0.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 IQD 8,728

$5.65 IQD 8,531

2.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.57 IQD 867

$0.59 IQD 886

-3.39%

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

$16.8K IQD 25.4M

$16.5K IQD 24.9M

2.01%

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

$17.1K IQD 25.9M

$17.1K IQD 25.8M

0.29%

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

$111 IQD 168.1K

$115 IQD 173.5K

-3.12%

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

$12.24 IQD 18.5K

$12.27 IQD 18.5K

-0.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.61 IQD 37.2K

$24.28 IQD 36.7K

1.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.0 IQD 86.1K

$39.56 IQD 59.8K

43.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.48 IQD 20.4K

Cinema Ticket

$9.63 IQD 14.6K

$9.75 IQD 14.7K

-1.23%

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

$294 IQD 443.8K

$298 IQD 450.7K

-1.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,726 IQD 4.1M

$2,742 IQD 4.1M

-0.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.71 IQD 40.4K

$26.56 IQD 40.1K

0.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.49 IQD 58.2K

$19.78 IQD 29.9K

94.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.1 IQD 92.3K

$49.59 IQD 74.9K

23.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.9 IQD 90.5K

$39.81 IQD 60.1K

50.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$426 IQD 643.6K

$207 IQD 313.3K

105.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$271 IQD 410.0K

$136 IQD 205.0K

99.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$699 IQD 1.1M

$370 IQD 558.5K

89.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$404 IQD 610.4K

$319 IQD 482.7K

26.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,017 IQD 1.5M

$888 IQD 1.3M

14.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$615 IQD 929.8K

$551 IQD 833.0K

11.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$519 IQD 783.7K

$660 IQD 997.8K

-21.46%

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 Zakho: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Erbil

$271 28.3%

Zakho

$136 18.7% 50% $136

Groceries & Markets

Erbil

$174 18.1%

Zakho

$172 23.8% 0.8% $1.4

Eating Out

Erbil

$154 16.1%

Zakho

$134 18.5% 12.8% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Erbil

$148 15.5%

Zakho

$151 20.9% 2.2% $3.3

Clothing & Footwear

Erbil

$84 8.8%

Zakho

$61 8.4% 27.1% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Erbil

$76 8%

Zakho

$59 8.2% 22.5% $17

Getting Around

Erbil

$51 5.3%

Zakho

$11 * 1.5% 78.6% $40

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 $207 in Zakho. 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 27% higher in Zakho, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Erbil versus $37 in Zakho. Groceries tell a different story – $174 in Erbil vs $172 in Zakho – so Zakho wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Erbil

🇮🇶 Zakho

🕒 Local time

19:31 7:31 PM

Same time as Erbil

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,713,461

197,163

💱 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

On the map

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Erbil Zakho 160 km

From you

Erbil
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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 Zakho: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Erbil is pricier by about 32%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,437 per month in Erbil and $1,087 in Zakho. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zakho, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $207 there versus $426 in Erbil.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $958 in Erbil and $725 in Zakho. That makes Zakho about 24% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $294 per month in Erbil and $298 in Zakho. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Erbil has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $725 in Zakho 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.