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

Name: India
Address: IN

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Living in Iraq is roughly 96% more expensive than in India on average.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 IQD 6,157

$2.50 ₹239

88.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.21 IQD 30.4K

$14.08 ₹1,347

64.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.49 IQD 8,494

$4.15 ₹396

56.39%

Cappuccino

$2.25 IQD 2,950

$1.81 ₹174

24.31%

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

$0.39 IQD 506

$0.44 ₹41.75

-11.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 IQD 282

$0.17 ₹16.43

29.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 IQD 2,956

$1.93 ₹185

17.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 IQD 3,431

$3.59 ₹343

-27.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 IQD 1,675

$0.69 ₹65.7

85.51%

White Bread (500g)

$0.82 IQD 1,072

$0.52 ₹49.50

57.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 IQD 2,045

$0.69 ₹65.5

126.09%

Eggs

$1.73 IQD 2,268

$0.99 ₹95.1

74.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.89 IQD 6,402

$5.20 ₹497

-5.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.15 IQD 5,429

$3.08 ₹294

34.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.49 IQD 16.4K

Apples (1kg)

$1.03 IQD 1,345

$2.19 ₹209

-52.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 IQD 1,541

$0.72 ₹68.4

63.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.01 IQD 1,322

$1.08 ₹103

-6.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 IQD 896

$0.54 ₹51.5

25.93%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 IQD 858

$0.40 ₹38.24

65.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.65 IQD 853

$0.49 ₹46.93

32.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 IQD 810

$0.55 ₹52.4

12.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 IQD 721

$0.35 ₹33.66

57.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.93 IQD 2,531

$4.01 ₹383

-51.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.15 IQD 15.9K

$7.40 ₹707

64.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 IQD 2,328

$1.82 ₹174

-2.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 IQD 2,890

$3.02 ₹289

-26.82%

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

$5.61 ₹537

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 IQD 477

$0.37 ₹35.12

-2.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.91 IQD 43.1K

$10.05 ₹961

227.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.23 IQD 2,923

$0.94 ₹90.0

137.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 IQD 2,244

$0.30 ₹28.93

470.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.99 IQD 7,841

$1.76 ₹169

240.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 IQD 774

$1.18 ₹113

-50.00%

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

$18.2K IQD 23.8M

$14.1K ₹1.4M

28.62%

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

$20.1K IQD 26.4M

$22.8K ₹2.2M

-11.53%

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

$98.1 IQD 128.4K

$40.07 ₹3,832

144.70%

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

$19.26 IQD 25.2K

$3.80 ₹364

406.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.85 IQD 41.7K

$8.11 ₹776

292.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.85 IQD 45.6K

$15.93 ₹1,523

118.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.57 IQD 19.1K

$7.71 ₹738

88.98%

Cinema Ticket

$7.75 IQD 10.2K

$3.54 ₹339

118.93%

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

$133 IQD 174.4K

$68.2 ₹6,521

95.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,672 IQD 3.5M

$1,817 ₹173.8K

47.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.72 IQD 29.8K

$25.00 ₹2,391

-9.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.90 IQD 33.9K

$26.67 ₹2,551

-2.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.9 IQD 74.5K

$45.45 ₹4,347

25.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.49 IQD 51.7K

$33.07 ₹3,163

19.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$303 IQD 397.0K

$178 ₹17.0K

70.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$198 IQD 259.8K

$113 ₹10.8K

75.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$549 IQD 718.8K

$410 ₹39.2K

33.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$378 IQD 494.8K

$256 ₹24.5K

47.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,559 IQD 2.0M

$1,231 ₹117.7K

26.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$789 IQD 1.0M

$650 ₹62.2K

21.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$562 IQD 736.3K

$435 ₹41.6K

29.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.23

9.02

-8.76%

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

Last update for Iraq: July 25, 2026

Last update for India: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

National salary averages: $562 in Iraq, $399 in India. 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

Iraq vs India: 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.