Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iraq and China

Name: China
Address: CN

For one person, living is cheaper in Iraq: $720 a month against $791 in China, rent and utilities included – about $850 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Iraq
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Iraq Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in China
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China Living Index

Jump to prices

🇮🇶 Iraq

$720

/mo nomad

🇨🇳 China

$791

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Iraq and in China

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $720 in Iraq versus $791 in China.

Iraq $720
China $791

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,090 in Iraq versus $1,251 in China.

Iraq $1,090
China $1,251

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,460 in Iraq versus $1,711 in China.

Iraq $1,460
China $1,711

Internal cost variation is higher in China: monthly costs span $465 to $1,222, compared to $500–$1,048 in Iraq. City choice carries more weight in China.

Living in Iraq costs about 9% less than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Iraq 47% lower, China 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.87 IQD 5,847

$2.98 ¥19.81

29.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.69 IQD 29.8K

$22.09 ¥147

-10.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.54 IQD 9,886

$5.20 ¥34.60

25.77%

Cappuccino

$2.43 IQD 3,676

$2.97 ¥19.74

-18.18%

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

$0.41 IQD 614

$0.48 ¥3.19

-14.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 IQD 262

$0.30 ¥2.01

-43.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 IQD 5,123

$1.08 ¥7.18

213.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 IQD 4,927

$2.28 ¥15.15

42.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 IQD 1,521

$1.80 ¥11.96

-43.89%

White Bread (500g)

$0.69 IQD 1,048

$1.68 ¥11.15

-58.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 IQD 2,084

$0.92 ¥6.13

50.00%

Eggs

$1.56 IQD 2,358

$1.61 ¥10.73

-3.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.06 IQD 6,137

$13.38 ¥89.1

-69.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.70 IQD 5,597

$3.35 ¥22.28

10.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.26 IQD 17.0K

$11.35 ¥75.5

-0.79%

Apples (1kg)

$0.92 IQD 1,397

$1.82 ¥12.12

-49.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.00 IQD 1,508

$1.31 ¥8.69

-23.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.89 IQD 1,344

$1.49 ¥9.89

-40.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.60 IQD 914

$1.27 ¥8.47

-52.76%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 IQD 879

$0.71 ¥4.73

-18.31%

Onion (1kg)

$0.57 IQD 863

$0.93 ¥6.21

-38.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 IQD 802

$0.62 ¥4.12

-14.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 IQD 671

$0.56 ¥3.74

-21.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.69 IQD 2,557

$3.78 ¥25.15

-55.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.22 IQD 15.4K

$12.13 ¥80.7

-15.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 IQD 2,499

$0.83 ¥5.54

98.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 IQD 2,757

$1.68 ¥11.21

8.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 IQD 514

$0.29 ¥1.92

17.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.96 IQD 30.2K

$17.83 ¥119

11.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.03 IQD 3,069

$1.49 ¥9.89

36.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 IQD 2,220

$0.37 ¥2.49

297.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.20 IQD 7,863

$7.10 ¥47.24

-26.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.56 IQD 852

$1.26 ¥8.37

-55.56%

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

$16.7K IQD 25.3M

$19.4K ¥129.4K

-13.93%

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

$16.6K IQD 25.1M

$17.5K ¥116.7K

-5.10%

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

$96.4 IQD 145.7K

$54.6 ¥363

76.70%

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

$13.50 IQD 20.4K

$8.73 ¥58.1

54.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.17 IQD 44.1K

$11.07 ¥73.6

163.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.82 IQD 46.6K

$40.77 ¥271

-24.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.41 IQD 24.8K

$14.48 ¥96.4

13.33%

Cinema Ticket

$6.94 IQD 10.5K

$6.78 ¥45.12

2.36%

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

$158 IQD 238.2K

$517 ¥3,438

-69.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,605 IQD 3.9M

$19.8K ¥131.8K

-86.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.03 IQD 28.8K

$46.53 ¥310

-59.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.52 IQD 35.5K

$35.66 ¥237

-34.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.2 IQD 78.9K

$77.0 ¥512

-32.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.65 IQD 58.4K

$80.3 ¥534

-51.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$273 IQD 411.9K

$386 ¥2,567

-29.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$187 IQD 282.5K

$235 ¥1,561

-20.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$508 IQD 768.3K

$822 ¥5,469

-38.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$358 IQD 540.5K

$453 ¥3,015

-21.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,491 IQD 2.3M

$4,697 ¥31.3K

-68.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$685 IQD 1.0M

$2,372 ¥15.8K

-71.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 IQD 743.9K

$1,093 ¥7,274

-54.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.32

3.46

82.66%

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

Last update for Iraq: October 24, 2026

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Iraq

$187 26%

China

$235 29.6% 25.5% $48

Groceries & Markets

Iraq

$153 21.3%

China

$210 26.5% 37.2% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Iraq

$139 19.3%

China

$74 9.4% 46.5% $65

Eating Out

Iraq

$106 14.7%

China

$88 11.1% 16.6% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Iraq

$60 8.3%

China

$108 13.6% 79.5% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Iraq

$45 6.2%

China

$54 6.9% 21.5% $9.6

Getting Around

Iraq

$31 4.3%

China

$22 2.8% 27.2% $8.4

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $225 in Iraq, $298 in China. Capital cities: $537 in Baghdad vs $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $491 in Iraq, $873 in China. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 32% higher in China.

Public transport is 61% more expensive in Iraq.

Salaries are 78% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Iraq

🇨🇳 China

🕒 Local time

23:53 11:53 PM

04:53 4:53 AM

5 h ahead of Iraq

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

38,274,618

1,442,965,000

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.95 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to IQD – Iraqi Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇶 Iraqi Dinar (ع.د)

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,682 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.95 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.41 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

USD to IQD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Iraq China 6,290 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Iraq
China

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

Iraq vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $791 per month in China and $720 in Iraq, Iraq comes out about 9% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $298 in China and $225 in Iraq. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In Iraq, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in China 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: Iraq wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.