Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between India and Iraq

Name: Iraq
Address: IQ

For one person, living is cheaper in India: $399 a month against $720 in Iraq, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

19

Cost of Living Index in India
Learn more

India Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Iraq
Learn more

Iraq Living Index

Jump to prices

🇮🇳 India

$399

/mo nomad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$720

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in India and in Iraq

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $399 in India versus $720 in Iraq.

India $399
Iraq $720

Estimated couple costs with rent: $639 in India versus $1,090 in Iraq.

India $639
Iraq $1,090

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $879 in India versus $1,460 in Iraq.

India $879
Iraq $1,460

India ($230–$813) and Iraq ($500–$1,048) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Living in India costs about 45% less than in Iraq on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: India 71% lower, Iraq 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.14 ₹204

$3.87 IQD 5,843

-44.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.46 ₹996

$19.69 IQD 29.7K

-46.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.80 ₹362

$6.54 IQD 9,879

-41.90%

Cappuccino

$1.68 ₹160

$2.43 IQD 3,673

-30.86%

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

$0.38 ₹36.05

$0.41 IQD 614

-7.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 ₹14.63

$0.17 IQD 262

-11.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.87 ₹178

$3.39 IQD 5,119

-44.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ₹303

$3.26 IQD 4,923

-2.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.62 ₹59.3

$1.01 IQD 1,520

-38.61%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 ₹47.84

$0.69 IQD 1,048

-27.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.63 ₹60.4

$1.38 IQD 2,083

-54.35%

Eggs

$0.96 ₹91.4

$1.56 IQD 2,357

-38.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.85 ₹462

$4.06 IQD 6,133

19.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.84 ₹271

$3.70 IQD 5,593

-23.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.26 IQD 17.0K

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 ₹191

$0.92 IQD 1,396

117.39%

Banana (1kg)

$0.65 ₹61.5

$1.00 IQD 1,507

-35.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.97 ₹92.4

$0.89 IQD 1,343

8.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.47 ₹44.37

$0.60 IQD 913

-21.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.34 ₹31.92

$0.58 IQD 879

-41.38%

Onion (1kg)

$0.42 ₹39.79

$0.57 IQD 862

-26.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.47 ₹44.46

$0.53 IQD 801

-11.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.72

$0.44 IQD 670

-29.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.08 ₹484

$1.69 IQD 2,555

200.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.31 ₹696

$10.22 IQD 15.4K

-28.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₹155

$1.65 IQD 2,498

-1.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ₹263

$1.82 IQD 2,755

51.65%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.11 ₹487

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₹24.89

$0.34 IQD 514

-23.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.58 ₹817

$19.96 IQD 30.1K

-57.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 ₹94.8

$2.03 IQD 3,067

-50.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ₹25.78

$1.47 IQD 2,219

-81.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 ₹146

$5.20 IQD 7,858

-70.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ₹102

$0.56 IQD 852

91.07%

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

$11.2K ₹1.1M

$16.7K IQD 25.3M

-33.00%

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

$20.1K ₹1.9M

$16.6K IQD 25.1M

20.48%

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

$37.08 ₹3,532

$96.4 IQD 145.6K

-61.54%

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

$3.58 ₹341

$13.50 IQD 20.4K

-73.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.15 ₹681

$29.17 IQD 44.0K

-75.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.00 ₹1,429

$30.82 IQD 46.5K

-51.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.17 ₹683

$16.41 IQD 24.8K

-56.31%

Cinema Ticket

$3.20 ₹304

$6.94 IQD 10.5K

-53.89%

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

$58.8 ₹5,601

$158 IQD 238.0K

-62.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,667 ₹158.7K

$2,605 IQD 3.9M

-36.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.03 ₹2,194

$19.03 IQD 28.7K

21.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.17 ₹2,302

$23.52 IQD 35.5K

2.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$41.20 ₹3,924

$52.2 IQD 78.8K

-21.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$29.62 ₹2,821

$38.65 IQD 58.4K

-23.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$146 ₹14.0K

$273 IQD 411.7K

-46.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$96.4 ₹9,178

$187 IQD 282.3K

-48.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$343 ₹32.7K

$508 IQD 767.8K

-32.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$234 ₹22.3K

$358 IQD 540.2K

-34.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,177 ₹112.1K

$1,491 IQD 2.3M

-21.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$633 ₹60.3K

$685 IQD 1.0M

-7.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$409 ₹38.9K

$492 IQD 743.4K

-16.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.93

6.32

41.30%

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

Last update for India: October 25, 2026

Last update for Iraq: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

India

$102 25.6%

Iraq

$153 21.3% 49.8% $51

Accommodation & Living

India

$96 24.1%

Iraq

$187 26% 94% $91

Eating Out

India

$67 16.7%

Iraq

$106 14.7% 58.7% $39

Clothing & Footwear

India

$53 13.3%

Iraq

$60 8.3% 13% $6.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

India

$48 12%

Iraq

$139 19.3% 191% $91

Sport & Entertainment

India

$21 5.4%

Iraq

$45 6.2% 109% $23

Getting Around

India

$12 3%

Iraq

$31 4.3% 156% $19

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $120 in India, $225 in Iraq. Capital cities: $277 in Delhi vs $537 in Baghdad.

National salary averages: $412 in India, $491 in Iraq. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 88% higher in Iraq.

Dining out costs 100% more in Iraq.

Public transport is 263% more expensive in Iraq.

Salaries are 19% higher in Iraq, and purchasing power comes out stronger in India.

Good to know

🇮🇳 India

🇮🇶 Iraq

🕒 Local time

00:37 12:37 AM

22:07 10:07 PM

2 h 30 min behind India

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,326,093,247

38,274,618

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.5 USD

1,000 INR = 9.41 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 95.25 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.41 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1,510 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,685 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

India Iraq 3,160 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

India
Iraq

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

India vs Iraq: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $399 per month in India and $720 in Iraq, India comes out about 45% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is cheaper in India: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $225 in Iraq and $120 in India. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In India, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in Iraq it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you’ll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you’re after: India wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.