Cost of Living Comparison Between India and Iraq Cost of Living Comparison Between India and Iraq

Name: Iraq
Address: IQ

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $388 in India versus $760 in Iraq.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $617 in India versus $1,167 in Iraq.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $846 in India versus $1,574 in Iraq.

Living in India costs about 49% less than in Iraq on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: India 71% lower, Iraq 43% lower.

India ($267–$886) and Iraq ($521–$1,055) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.50 ₹239

$4.70 IQD 6,157

-46.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.08 ₹1,347

$23.21 IQD 30.4K

-39.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.15 ₹396

$6.49 IQD 8,494

-36.06%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ₹174

$2.25 IQD 2,950

-19.56%

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

$0.44 ₹41.75

$0.39 IQD 506

12.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 ₹16.43

$0.22 IQD 282

-22.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 ₹185

$2.26 IQD 2,956

-14.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₹343

$2.62 IQD 3,431

37.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.69 ₹65.7

$1.28 IQD 1,675

-46.09%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 ₹49.50

$0.82 IQD 1,072

-36.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.69 ₹65.5

$1.56 IQD 2,045

-55.77%

Eggs

$0.99 ₹95.1

$1.73 IQD 2,268

-42.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.20 ₹497

$4.89 IQD 6,402

6.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.08 ₹294

$4.15 IQD 5,429

-25.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.49 IQD 16.4K

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 ₹209

$1.03 IQD 1,345

112.62%

Banana (1kg)

$0.72 ₹68.4

$1.18 IQD 1,541

-38.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.08 ₹103

$1.01 IQD 1,322

6.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.54 ₹51.5

$0.68 IQD 896

-20.59%

Potato (1kg)

$0.40 ₹38.24

$0.66 IQD 858

-39.39%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 ₹46.93

$0.65 IQD 853

-24.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 ₹52.4

$0.62 IQD 810

-11.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.35 ₹33.66

$0.55 IQD 721

-36.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.01 ₹383

$1.93 IQD 2,531

107.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.40 ₹707

$12.15 IQD 15.9K

-39.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ₹174

$1.78 IQD 2,328

2.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 ₹289

$2.21 IQD 2,890

36.65%

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

$5.61 ₹537

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 ₹35.12

$0.36 IQD 477

2.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.05 ₹961

$32.91 IQD 43.1K

-69.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 ₹90.0

$2.23 IQD 2,923

-57.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 ₹28.93

$1.71 IQD 2,244

-82.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 ₹169

$5.99 IQD 7,841

-70.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ₹113

$0.59 IQD 774

100.00%

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

$14.1K ₹1.4M

$18.2K IQD 23.8M

-22.25%

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

$22.8K ₹2.2M

$20.1K IQD 26.4M

13.04%

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

$40.07 ₹3,832

$98.1 IQD 128.4K

-59.13%

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

$3.80 ₹364

$19.26 IQD 25.2K

-80.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.11 ₹776

$31.85 IQD 41.7K

-74.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.93 ₹1,523

$34.85 IQD 45.6K

-54.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.71 ₹738

$14.57 IQD 19.1K

-47.08%

Cinema Ticket

$3.54 ₹339

$7.75 IQD 10.2K

-54.32%

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

$68.2 ₹6,521

$133 IQD 174.4K

-48.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,817 ₹173.8K

$2,672 IQD 3.5M

-31.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.00 ₹2,391

$22.72 IQD 29.8K

10.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.67 ₹2,551

$25.90 IQD 33.9K

2.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.45 ₹4,347

$56.9 IQD 74.5K

-20.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.07 ₹3,163

$39.49 IQD 51.7K

-16.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$178 ₹17.0K

$303 IQD 397.0K

-41.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$113 ₹10.8K

$198 IQD 259.8K

-42.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$410 ₹39.2K

$549 IQD 718.8K

-25.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$256 ₹24.5K

$378 IQD 494.8K

-32.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,231 ₹117.7K

$1,559 IQD 2.0M

-21.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$650 ₹62.2K

$789 IQD 1.0M

-17.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$435 ₹41.6K

$562 IQD 736.3K

-22.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.02

8.23

9.60%

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

Last update for India: July 26, 2026

Last update for Iraq: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $127 in India, $254 in Iraq. Capital cities: $240 in Delhi vs $554 in Baghdad.

National salary averages: $399 in India, $562 in Iraq. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 100% higher in Iraq.

Dining out costs 118% more in Iraq.

Public transport is 256% more expensive in Iraq.

Salaries are 41% higher in Iraq, and purchasing power comes out stronger in India.

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 $577 per month in India and $788 in Iraq, there's a 37% gap. 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 simply cheaper in India: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Iraq is consistently higher than in India across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

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; Iraq may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.