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: $561 in Iraq versus $366 in India.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $864 in Iraq versus $581 in India.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,166 in Iraq versus $795 in India.

Living in Iraq is roughly 53% more expensive than in India on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Iraq 59% lower, India 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 IQD 5,902

$2.15 ₹205

109.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.77 IQD 29.8K

$10.42 ₹996

118.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.44 IQD 9,743

$3.59 ₹343

107.24%

Cappuccino

$2.75 IQD 3,597

$1.67 ₹160

64.67%

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

$0.42 IQD 551

$0.39 ₹37.26

7.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 IQD 315

$0.17 ₹15.92

41.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 IQD 5,028

$1.87 ₹179

105.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 IQD 5,060

$3.18 ₹304

21.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 IQD 1,497

$0.64 ₹61.1

78.12%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 IQD 1,112

$0.45 ₹42.66

88.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 IQD 1,987

$0.63 ₹59.9

141.27%

Eggs

$1.73 IQD 2,271

$0.87 ₹83.5

98.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.85 IQD 6,352

$4.62 ₹442

4.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.26 IQD 5,573

$2.86 ₹273

48.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.93 IQD 16.9K

Apples (1kg)

$1.05 IQD 1,373

$1.95 ₹186

-46.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.13 IQD 1,480

$0.67 ₹64.3

68.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.96 IQD 1,263

$0.99 ₹94.3

-3.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.67 IQD 871

$0.51 ₹48.45

31.37%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 IQD 886

$0.35 ₹33.23

94.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.61 IQD 792

$0.42 ₹39.69

45.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 IQD 880

$0.44 ₹41.87

52.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 IQD 666

$0.31 ₹29.80

64.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.87 IQD 2,450

$5.14 ₹491

-63.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.95 IQD 15.7K

$7.58 ₹724

57.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 IQD 2,594

$1.67 ₹160

18.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 IQD 2,769

$2.79 ₹266

-24.37%

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

$5.36 ₹512

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 IQD 511

$0.25 ₹23.64

56.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.00 IQD 34.0K

$8.53 ₹815

204.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 IQD 2,955

$0.94 ₹89.4

140.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 IQD 2,175

$0.27 ₹25.96

514.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 IQD 7,817

$1.60 ₹153

273.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.66 IQD 860

$1.12 ₹107

-41.07%

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

$16.9K IQD 22.2M

$12.4K ₹1.2M

36.17%

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

$19.1K IQD 25.0M

$20.2K ₹1.9M

-5.26%

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

$113 IQD 148.2K

$37.28 ₹3,562

203.65%

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

$15.84 IQD 20.7K

$3.49 ₹334

353.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.79 IQD 44.2K

$7.20 ₹688

369.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.74 IQD 46.8K

$14.69 ₹1,403

143.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.36 IQD 24.0K

$7.31 ₹698

151.16%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 IQD 10.2K

$3.08 ₹294

152.60%

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

$171 IQD 224.2K

$59.1 ₹5,646

189.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,756 IQD 3.6M

$1,693 ₹161.8K

62.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.41 IQD 28.0K

$23.25 ₹2,221

-7.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.13 IQD 35.5K

$24.03 ₹2,296

12.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.7 IQD 78.1K

$40.99 ₹3,917

45.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.36 IQD 58.1K

$30.46 ₹2,911

45.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$308 IQD 403.0K

$143 ₹13.7K

114.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$210 IQD 275.6K

$93.2 ₹8,902

125.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$551 IQD 722.0K

$332 ₹31.7K

66.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$400 IQD 524.4K

$214 ₹20.4K

87.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,557 IQD 2.0M

$1,203 ₹115.0K

29.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$789 IQD 1.0M

$643 ₹61.5K

22.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$582 IQD 762.0K

$441 ₹42.1K

31.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.32

8.93

-29.23%

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

Last update for Iraq: September 5, 2026

Last update for India: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $133 in Iraq, $121 in India. Capital cities: $566 in Baghdad vs $272 in Delhi.

National salary averages: $551 in Iraq, $410 in India. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 10% higher in Iraq.

Dining out costs 100% more in Iraq.

Public transport is 57% more expensive in Iraq.

Salaries are 34% 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 $519 per month in India and $562 in Iraq, there's a 8% 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.