Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Halabjah and Erbil

For one person, living is cheaper in Halabjah: $634 a month against $958 in Erbil, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Halabjah
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Halabjah Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Erbil
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Erbil Living Index

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Halabjah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$634

/mo nomad

Erbil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$958

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Halabjah and in Erbil

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Halabjah and in Erbil actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $634 per month in Halabjah vs $958 in Erbil, rent included.

Halabjah $634
Erbil $958

A couple spends around $962 per month in Halabjah vs $1,427 in Erbil, rent included.

Halabjah $962
Erbil $1,427

A family of three spends $1,291 per month in Halabjah vs $1,896 in Erbil, rent included.

Halabjah $1,291
Erbil $1,896

Halabjah is about 34% cheaper than Erbil, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.24 IQD 4,892

$6.42 IQD 9,697

-49.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.71 IQD 25.2K

$36.55 IQD 55.2K

-54.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.77 IQD 10.2K

$7.41 IQD 11.2K

-8.64%

Cappuccino

$1.68 IQD 2,541

$3.24 IQD 4,886

-48.15%

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

$0.35 IQD 535

$0.89 IQD 1,340

-60.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 IQD 333

$0.33 IQD 505

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.28 IQD 3,443

$5.75 IQD 8,675

-60.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 IQD 4,935

$3.92 IQD 5,917

-16.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.51 IQD 769

$1.07 IQD 1,610

-52.34%

White Bread (500g)

$0.69 IQD 1,046

$0.67 IQD 1,018

2.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 IQD 1,972

$1.52 IQD 2,301

-13.82%

Eggs

$1.34 IQD 2,026

$1.60 IQD 2,412

-16.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.29 IQD 4,974

$7.00 IQD 10.6K

-53.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$1.69 IQD 2,547

$4.38 IQD 6,610

-61.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.54 IQD 12.9K

$12.67 IQD 19.1K

-32.60%

Apples (1kg)

$0.68 IQD 1,031

$0.94 IQD 1,414

-27.66%

Banana (1kg)

$0.96 IQD 1,449

$1.01 IQD 1,527

-4.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.69 IQD 1,039

$1.02 IQD 1,543

-32.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.69 IQD 1,035

$0.70 IQD 1,063

-1.43%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 IQD 834

$0.65 IQD 981

-15.38%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 IQD 895

$0.63 IQD 951

-6.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 IQD 831

$0.64 IQD 967

-14.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 IQD 866

$0.52 IQD 781

9.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.63 IQD 2,454

$2.19 IQD 3,301

-25.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.64 IQD 17.6K

$10.83 IQD 16.4K

7.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 IQD 2,508

$1.45 IQD 2,190

14.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 IQD 1,270

$1.79 IQD 2,710

-53.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 IQD 482

$0.49 IQD 736

-34.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.29 IQD 59.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 IQD 2,040

$1.67 IQD 2,517

-19.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 IQD 1,967

$1.60 IQD 2,416

-18.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 IQD 3,049

$5.78 IQD 8,722

-65.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.58 IQD 880

$0.57 IQD 866

1.75%

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

$16.2K IQD 24.5M

$16.8K IQD 25.4M

-3.31%

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

$8,168 IQD 12.3M

$17.1K IQD 25.9M

-52.32%

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

$132 IQD 199.0K

$111 IQD 168.0K

18.50%

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

$9.67 IQD 14.6K

$12.24 IQD 18.5K

-21.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.32 IQD 38.2K

$24.61 IQD 37.2K

2.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.13 IQD 56.1K

$57.0 IQD 86.0K

-34.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.48 IQD 20.4K

Cinema Ticket

$10.17 IQD 15.3K

$9.63 IQD 14.5K

5.61%

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

$144 IQD 217.2K

$294 IQD 443.5K

-51.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,251 IQD 4.9M

$2,726 IQD 4.1M

19.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$6.72 IQD 10.1K

$26.71 IQD 40.3K

-74.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.06 IQD 51.4K

$38.49 IQD 58.1K

-11.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.6 IQD 90.0K

$61.1 IQD 92.2K

-2.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.04 IQD 62.0K

$59.9 IQD 90.5K

-31.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$186 IQD 281.6K

$426 IQD 643.2K

-56.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$123 IQD 185.4K

$271 IQD 409.8K

-54.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$363 IQD 547.7K

$699 IQD 1.1M

-48.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$311 IQD 469.7K

$404 IQD 610.0K

-23.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$840 IQD 1.3M

$1,017 IQD 1.5M

-17.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$446 IQD 674.1K

$615 IQD 929.2K

-27.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$519 IQD 783.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.12

2.53

62.85%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Halabjah: October 25, 2026

Last update for Erbil: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Halabjah

$167 26.3%

Erbil

$148 15.5% 11.2% $19

Groceries & Markets

Halabjah

$127 20.1%

Erbil

$174 18.1% 36.6% $47

Accommodation & Living

Halabjah

$123 19.4%

Erbil

$271 28.3% 121% $149

Eating Out

Halabjah

$87 13.7%

Erbil

$154 16.1% 77.5% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Halabjah

$64 10%

Erbil

$84 8.8% 31.6% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Halabjah

$57 9.1%

Erbil

$76 8% 32.6% $19

Getting Around

Halabjah

$9.1 * 1.4%

Erbil

$51 5.3% 457% $42

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $186 in Halabjah versus $426 in Erbil. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $17 in Halabjah versus $37 in Erbil. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $127 vs $174 – making Halabjah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Halabjah

🇮🇶 Erbil

🕒 Local time

08:25 8:25 AM

Same time as Halabjah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,713,461

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.95 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.95 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Halabjah vs Erbil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Erbil is pricier by about 51%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $950 per month in Halabjah and $1,437 in Erbil. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Halabjah, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $186 there versus $426 in Erbil.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $634 in Halabjah and $958 in Erbil. That makes Halabjah about 34% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $144 per month in Halabjah and $294 in Erbil. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $634 in Halabjah and $958 in Erbil, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Halabjah – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.