Cost of Living Comparison Between Iraq and United Kingdom Cost of Living Comparison Between Iraq and United Kingdom

Name: United Kingdom
Address: GB

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $760 in Iraq versus $2,365 in United Kingdom.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,167 in Iraq versus $3,470 in United Kingdom.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,574 in Iraq versus $4,575 in United Kingdom.

Living in Iraq costs about 68% less than in United Kingdom on average.

Iraq (43% below) and United Kingdom (78% above) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in United Kingdom: monthly costs span $1,652 to $3,902, compared to $521–$1,055 in Iraq. City choice carries more weight in United Kingdom.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 IQD 6,157

$20.15 £15.08

-76.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.21 IQD 30.4K

$88.5 £66.2

-73.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.49 IQD 8,494

$10.33 £7.73

-37.17%

Cappuccino

$2.25 IQD 2,950

$4.53 £3.39

-50.33%

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

$0.39 IQD 506

$2.38 £1.78

-83.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 IQD 282

$1.70 £1.27

-87.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 IQD 2,956

$6.61 £4.95

-65.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 IQD 3,431

$6.24 £4.67

-58.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 IQD 1,675

$1.64 £1.23

-21.95%

White Bread (500g)

$0.82 IQD 1,072

$1.67 £1.25

-50.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 IQD 2,045

$2.22 £1.66

-29.73%

Eggs

$1.73 IQD 2,268

$3.98 £2.98

-56.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.89 IQD 6,402

$9.60 £7.18

-49.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.15 IQD 5,429

$9.15 £6.85

-54.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.49 IQD 16.4K

$13.94 £10.43

-10.40%

Apples (1kg)

$1.03 IQD 1,345

$2.94 £2.20

-64.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 IQD 1,541

$1.67 £1.25

-29.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.01 IQD 1,322

$2.85 £2.14

-64.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 IQD 896

$3.44 £2.58

-80.23%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 IQD 858

$1.70 £1.27

-61.18%

Onion (1kg)

$0.65 IQD 853

$1.61 £1.20

-59.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 IQD 810

$1.12 £0.84

-44.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 IQD 721

$1.52 £1.14

-63.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.93 IQD 2,531

$20.60 £15.41

-90.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.15 IQD 15.9K

$10.60 £7.93

14.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 IQD 2,328

$2.87 £2.15

-37.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 IQD 2,890

$3.27 £2.45

-32.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 IQD 477

$3.23 £2.42

-88.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.91 IQD 43.1K

$93.3 £69.8

-64.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.23 IQD 2,923

$5.28 £3.95

-57.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 IQD 2,244

$1.52 £1.14

12.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.99 IQD 7,841

$26.79 £20.04

-77.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 IQD 774

$1.98 £1.48

-70.20%

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

$18.2K IQD 23.8M

$37.9K £28.3K

-52.06%

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

$20.1K IQD 26.4M

$40.6K £30.3K

-50.34%

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

$98.1 IQD 128.4K

$325 £243

-69.86%

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

$19.26 IQD 25.2K

$17.63 £13.19

9.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.85 IQD 41.7K

$42.17 £31.55

-24.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.85 IQD 45.6K

$45.93 £34.36

-24.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.57 IQD 19.1K

$15.86 £11.87

-8.13%

Cinema Ticket

$7.75 IQD 10.2K

$13.36 £10.00

-41.99%

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

$133 IQD 174.4K

$1,736 £1,299

-92.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,672 IQD 3.5M

$21.3K £16.0K

-87.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.72 IQD 29.8K

$90.8 £67.9

-74.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.90 IQD 33.9K

$45.24 £33.85

-42.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.9 IQD 74.5K

$102 £76.6

-44.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.49 IQD 51.7K

$102 £76.2

-61.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$303 IQD 397.0K

$1,412 £1,057

-78.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$198 IQD 259.8K

$1,122 £840

-82.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$549 IQD 718.8K

$2,367 £1,770

-76.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$378 IQD 494.8K

$1,827 £1,367

-79.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,559 IQD 2.0M

$5,662 £4,235

-72.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$789 IQD 1.0M

$4,424 £3,309

-82.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$562 IQD 736.3K

$3,238 £2,422

-82.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.23

5.75

43.13%

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

Last update for Iraq: July 25, 2026

Last update for United Kingdom: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $254 in Iraq, $1,266 in United Kingdom. Capital cities: $554 in Baghdad vs $3,021 in London.

National salary averages: $562 in Iraq, $3,174 in United Kingdom. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 398% higher in United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 250% more in United Kingdom.

Public transport is 188% more expensive in United Kingdom.

Salaries are 465% higher in United Kingdom, and purchasing power comes out stronger in United Kingdom.

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 United Kingdom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $788 per month in Iraq and $2,777 in United Kingdom, there's a 252% 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 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.

Rent in United Kingdom 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.

In Iraq, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in United Kingdom 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; United Kingdom may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.