Cost of Living Comparison Between Iraq and Italy Cost of Living Comparison Between Iraq and Italy

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $561 in Iraq versus $1,796 in Italy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $864 in Iraq versus $2,739 in Italy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,166 in Iraq versus $3,682 in Italy.

Living in Iraq costs about 69% less than in Italy on average.

Iraq (59% below) and Italy (30% above) straddle the global median.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Iraq
Italy
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.51 IQD 5,902
$21.24 €18.31
-78.77%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$22.77 IQD 29.8K
$80.8 €69.7
-71.83%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.44 IQD 9,743
$11.41 €9.84
-34.79%
Cappuccino
$2.75 IQD 3,597
$2.08 €1.79
32.21%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.42 IQD 551
$3.05 €2.63
-86.23%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.24 IQD 315
$1.38 €1.19
-82.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.84 IQD 5,028
$5.79 €4.99
-33.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.86 IQD 5,060
$5.75 €4.96
-32.87%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Iraq
Italy
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.14 IQD 1,497
$1.70 €1.46
-32.94%
White Bread (500g)
$0.85 IQD 1,112
$2.41 €2.08
-64.73%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.52 IQD 1,987
$3.01 €2.59
-49.50%
Eggs
$1.73 IQD 2,271
$4.32 €3.72
-59.95%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.85 IQD 6,352
$17.93 €15.45
-72.95%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.26 IQD 5,573
$12.67 €10.92
-66.38%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.93 IQD 16.9K
$20.57 €17.73
-37.14%
Apples (1kg)
$1.05 IQD 1,373
$2.62 €2.26
-59.92%
Banana (1kg)
$1.13 IQD 1,480
$2.15 €1.85
-47.44%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.96 IQD 1,263
$2.80 €2.41
-65.71%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.67 IQD 871
$3.32 €2.87
-79.82%
Potato (1kg)
$0.68 IQD 886
$2.10 €1.81
-67.62%
Onion (1kg)
$0.61 IQD 792
$1.89 €1.63
-67.72%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.67 IQD 880
$1.55 €1.33
-56.77%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 IQD 666
$0.56 €0.48
-8.93%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.87 IQD 2,450
$7.16 €6.17
-73.88%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.95 IQD 15.7K
$7.35 €6.33
62.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.98 IQD 2,594
$1.80 €1.55
10.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11 IQD 2,769
$2.41 €2.07
-12.45%
🚌 Getting Around
Iraq
Italy
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.39 IQD 511
$1.93 €1.66
-79.79%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.00 IQD 34.0K
$45.24 €39.00
-42.53%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.26 IQD 2,955
$5.74 €4.95
-60.63%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.66 IQD 2,175
$1.70 €1.47
-2.35%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.97 IQD 7,817
$35.25 €30.38
-83.06%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.66 IQD 860
$2.04 €1.76
-67.65%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$16.9K IQD 22.2M
$37.5K €32.3K
-54.83%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.1K IQD 25.0M
$37.1K €31.9K
-48.44%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Iraq
Italy
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$113 IQD 148.2K
$231 €199
-50.99%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.84 IQD 20.7K
$12.34 €10.64
28.36%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.79 IQD 44.2K
$31.17 €26.87
8.41%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Iraq
Italy
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.74 IQD 46.8K
$55.2 €47.62
-35.30%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.36 IQD 24.0K
$24.91 €21.47
-26.29%
Cinema Ticket
$7.78 IQD 10.2K
$11.13 €9.59
-30.10%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Iraq
Italy
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$171 IQD 224.2K
$568 €490
-69.86%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,756 IQD 3.6M
$12.5K €10.8K
-78.00%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Iraq
Italy
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$21.41 IQD 28.0K
$93.0 €80.1
-76.97%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$27.13 IQD 35.5K
$39.82 €34.32
-31.87%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$59.7 IQD 78.1K
$104 €89.8
-42.77%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$44.36 IQD 58.1K
$135 €116
-67.15%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Iraq
Italy
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$308 IQD 403.0K
$852 €734
-63.87%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$210 IQD 275.6K
$645 €556
-67.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$551 IQD 722.0K
$1,449 €1,249
-61.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$400 IQD 524.4K
$1,084 €935
-63.08%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,557 IQD 2.0M
$3,813 €3,287
-59.17%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$789 IQD 1.0M
$2,357 €2,032
-66.54%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Iraq
Italy
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$582 IQD 762.0K
$1,933 €1,666
-69.89%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.32
3.57
77.03%

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

Last update for Iraq: September 5, 2026

Last update for Italy: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $133 in Iraq, $755 in Italy. Capital cities: $566 in Baghdad vs $1,247 in Rome.

National salary averages: $551 in Iraq, $1,964 in Italy. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 468% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 280% more in Italy.

Public transport is 291% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are 256% higher in Italy, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Italy.

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 Italy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How does the cost of living in Iraq compare to the cost in Italy?
At $562 per month in Iraq and $1,889 in Italy, there's a 236% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
How do daily expenses compare in Iraq vs Italy?
Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Iraq: 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.
Is rent more expensive in Iraq or in Italy?
Rent in Italy is consistently higher than in Iraq across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.
Can you live in both Iraq and Italy on $1,000 per month?
In Iraq, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in Italy it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
Which country is better for expats: Iraq or Italy?
It depends on what you're after: Iraq wins on affordability; Italy may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.

Iraq vs other spots: cost of living compared

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