Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iraq and Pakistan

Name: Pakistan
Address: PK

For one person, living is cheaper in Pakistan: $483 a month against $720 in Iraq, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Iraq
Learn more

Iraq Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Pakistan
Learn more

Pakistan Living Index

Jump to prices

🇮🇶 Iraq

$720

/mo nomad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$483

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Iraq and in Pakistan

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 Pakistan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $720 in Iraq versus $483 in Pakistan.

Iraq $720
Pakistan $483

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,090 in Iraq versus $736 in Pakistan.

Iraq $1,090
Pakistan $736

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,460 in Iraq versus $988 in Pakistan.

Iraq $1,460
Pakistan $988

Internal cost variation is higher in Iraq: monthly costs span $500 to $1,048, compared to $291–$607 in Pakistan. City choice carries more weight in Iraq.

Living in Iraq is roughly 49% more expensive than in Pakistan on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Iraq 47% lower, Pakistan 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.87 IQD 5,843

$2.11 PKR 582

83.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.69 IQD 29.7K

$13.97 PKR 3,863

40.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.54 IQD 9,879

$5.50 PKR 1,522

18.91%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 PKR 615

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 PKR 1,192

Cappuccino

$2.43 IQD 3,673

$1.97 PKR 545

23.35%

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

$0.41 IQD 614

$0.38 PKR 105

7.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 IQD 262

$0.23 PKR 63.6

-26.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 IQD 5,119

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 IQD 4,923

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 IQD 1,520

$0.87 PKR 239

16.09%

White Bread (500g)

$0.69 IQD 1,048

$0.60 PKR 165

15.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 IQD 2,083

$1.21 PKR 334

14.05%

Eggs

$1.56 IQD 2,357

$1.21 PKR 333

28.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.06 IQD 6,133

$5.42 PKR 1,499

-25.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.70 IQD 5,593

$2.83 PKR 782

30.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.26 IQD 17.0K

$5.06 PKR 1,399

122.53%

Apples (1kg)

$0.92 IQD 1,396

$1.20 PKR 331

-23.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.00 IQD 1,507

$0.64 PKR 176

56.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.89 IQD 1,343

$0.87 PKR 241

2.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.60 IQD 913

$0.54 PKR 148

11.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 IQD 879

$0.33 PKR 91.7

75.76%

Onion (1kg)

$0.57 IQD 862

$0.39 PKR 108

46.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 IQD 801

$0.37 PKR 104

43.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 IQD 670

$0.41 PKR 113

7.32%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.08 PKR 574

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 PKR 296

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 PKR 652

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.69 IQD 2,555

$2.14 PKR 593

-21.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.22 IQD 15.4K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 IQD 2,498

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 IQD 2,755

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 IQD 514

$0.20 PKR 55.0

70.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.96 IQD 30.1K

$10.01 PKR 2,766

99.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.03 IQD 3,067

$0.88 PKR 243

130.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 IQD 2,219

$0.56 PKR 155

162.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.20 IQD 7,858

$2.22 PKR 613

134.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.56 IQD 852

$1.29 PKR 357

-56.59%

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

$16.7K IQD 25.3M

$17.8K PKR 4.9M

-5.83%

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

$16.6K IQD 25.1M

$24.3K PKR 6.7M

-31.63%

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

$96.4 IQD 145.6K

$110 PKR 30.5K

-12.59%

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

$13.50 IQD 20.4K

$5.41 PKR 1,494

149.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.17 IQD 44.0K

$15.79 PKR 4,365

84.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.82 IQD 46.5K

$18.50 PKR 5,115

66.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.41 IQD 24.8K

$11.09 PKR 3,065

47.97%

Cinema Ticket

$6.94 IQD 10.5K

$4.32 PKR 1,194

60.65%

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

$158 IQD 238.0K

$56.4 PKR 15.6K

179.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,605 IQD 3.9M

$1,511 PKR 417.9K

72.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.03 IQD 28.7K

$17.56 PKR 4,855

8.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.52 IQD 35.5K

$23.58 PKR 6,518

-0.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.2 IQD 78.8K

$76.7 PKR 21.2K

-31.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.65 IQD 58.4K

$35.08 PKR 9,698

10.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$273 IQD 411.7K

$150 PKR 41.5K

81.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$187 IQD 282.3K

$87.4 PKR 24.2K

113.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$508 IQD 767.8K

$320 PKR 88.6K

58.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$358 IQD 540.2K

$190 PKR 52.5K

88.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,491 IQD 2.3M

$970 PKR 268.3K

53.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$685 IQD 1.0M

$520 PKR 143.9K

31.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 IQD 743.4K

$192 PKR 53.1K

156.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.32

14.1

-55.18%

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

Last update for Iraq: October 24, 2026

Last update for Pakistan: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Iraq

$187 26%

Pakistan

$87 18.1% 53.3% $100

Groceries & Markets

Iraq

$153 21.3%

Pakistan

$94 19.5% 38.6% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Iraq

$139 19.3%

Pakistan

$131 27.2% 5.5% $7.6

Eating Out

Iraq

$106 14.7%

Pakistan

$59 12.3% 43.7% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Iraq

$60 8.3%

Pakistan

$69 14.3% 14.6% $8.8

Sport & Entertainment

Iraq

$45 6.2%

Pakistan

$27 5.6% 39.3% $18

Getting Around

Iraq

$31 4.3%

Pakistan

$14 3% 52.8% $16

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $225 in Iraq, $137 in Pakistan. Capital cities: $537 in Baghdad vs $261 in Islamabad.

National salary averages: $491 in Iraq, $185 in Pakistan. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 64% higher in Iraq.

Dining out costs 69% more in Iraq.

Public transport is 190% more expensive in Iraq.

Salaries are about 2.7 times higher in Iraq, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Iraq.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Iraq

🇵🇰 Pakistan

🕒 Local time

08:12 8:12 AM

10:12 10:12 AM

2 h ahead of Iraq

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

38,274,618

223,773,700

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.95 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.25 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to IQD – Iraqi Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇶 Iraqi Dinar (ع.د)

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1,510 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,681 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.95 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 276 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD). 1 EUR = 308 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.25 EUR).

USD to IQD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Iraq Pakistan 2,650 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Iraq
Pakistan

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 Pakistan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $720 per month in Iraq and $483 in Pakistan, Pakistan comes out about 33% cheaper. 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 cheaper in Pakistan: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $225 in Iraq and $137 in Pakistan. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In Pakistan, $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: Pakistan wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.