Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iraq and the United Kingdom

Name: United Kingdom
Address: GB

For one person, living is cheaper in Iraq: $720 a month against $2,462 in the United Kingdom, rent and utilities included – about $20,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Iraq
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Iraq Living Index
119

Cost of Living Index in the United Kingdom
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United Kingdom Living Index

Jump to prices

🇮🇶 Iraq

$720

/mo nomad

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,462

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Iraq and in the United Kingdom

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 the United Kingdom actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $720 in Iraq versus $2,462 in the United Kingdom.

Iraq $720
United Kingdom $2,462

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,090 in Iraq versus $3,600 in the United Kingdom.

Iraq $1,090
United Kingdom $3,600

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,460 in Iraq versus $4,738 in the United Kingdom.

Iraq $1,460
United Kingdom $4,738

Internal cost variation is higher in the United Kingdom: monthly costs span $1,126 to $4,646, compared to $500–$1,048 in Iraq. City choice carries more weight in the United Kingdom.

Living in Iraq costs about 71% less than in the United Kingdom on average.

Iraq (47% below) and the United Kingdom (81% above) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.87 IQD 5,843

$21.48 £16.13

-81.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.69 IQD 29.7K

$85.7 £64.4

-77.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.54 IQD 9,879

$10.61 £7.97

-38.36%

Cappuccino

$2.43 IQD 3,673

$4.91 £3.69

-50.51%

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

$0.41 IQD 614

$2.66 £2.00

-84.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 IQD 262

$1.87 £1.40

-90.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 IQD 5,119

$6.63 £4.97

-48.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 IQD 4,923

$6.84 £5.14

-52.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 IQD 1,520

$1.68 £1.26

-39.88%

White Bread (500g)

$0.69 IQD 1,048

$1.72 £1.29

-59.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 IQD 2,083

$2.17 £1.63

-36.41%

Eggs

$1.56 IQD 2,357

$4.00 £3.00

-61.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.06 IQD 6,133

$9.42 £7.07

-56.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.70 IQD 5,593

$9.19 £6.90

-59.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.26 IQD 17.0K

$14.77 £11.08

-23.76%

Apples (1kg)

$0.92 IQD 1,396

$2.97 £2.23

-69.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.00 IQD 1,507

$1.62 £1.22

-38.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.89 IQD 1,343

$2.85 £2.14

-68.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.60 IQD 913

$3.52 £2.64

-82.95%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 IQD 879

$1.83 £1.37

-68.31%

Onion (1kg)

$0.57 IQD 862

$1.61 £1.21

-64.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 IQD 801

$1.25 £0.94

-57.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 IQD 670

$1.66 £1.24

-73.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.69 IQD 2,555

$23.65 £17.75

-92.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.22 IQD 15.4K

$10.50 £7.88

-2.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 IQD 2,498

$2.98 £2.24

-44.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 IQD 2,755

$3.51 £2.64

-48.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 IQD 514

$3.98 £2.99

-91.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.96 IQD 30.1K

$107 £80.6

-81.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.03 IQD 3,067

$5.18 £3.89

-60.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 IQD 2,219

$2.35 £1.76

-37.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.20 IQD 7,858

$26.84 £20.14

-80.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.56 IQD 852

$1.99 £1.49

-71.86%

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

$16.7K IQD 25.3M

$39.4K £29.6K

-57.57%

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

$16.6K IQD 25.1M

$40.5K £30.4K

-58.89%

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

$96.4 IQD 145.6K

$327 £246

-70.53%

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

$13.50 IQD 20.4K

$18.21 £13.67

-25.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.17 IQD 44.0K

$43.60 £32.73

-33.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.82 IQD 46.5K

$42.36 £31.79

-27.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.41 IQD 24.8K

$18.22 £13.68

-9.93%

Cinema Ticket

$6.94 IQD 10.5K

$13.85 £10.39

-49.89%

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

$158 IQD 238.0K

$1,868 £1,402

-91.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,605 IQD 3.9M

$22.6K £17.0K

-88.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.03 IQD 28.7K

$92.9 £69.8

-79.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.52 IQD 35.5K

$45.92 £34.47

-48.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.2 IQD 78.8K

$102 £76.3

-48.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.65 IQD 58.4K

$102 £76.7

-62.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$273 IQD 411.7K

$1,342 £1,008

-79.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$187 IQD 282.3K

$1,073 £806

-82.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$508 IQD 767.8K

$2,231 £1,675

-77.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$358 IQD 540.2K

$1,742 £1,308

-79.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,491 IQD 2.3M

$5,601 £4,204

-73.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$685 IQD 1.0M

$4,265 £3,201

-83.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 IQD 743.4K

$3,349 £2,514

-85.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.32

5.32

18.80%

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

Last update for Iraq: October 24, 2026

Last update for the United Kingdom: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Iraq

$187 26%

United Kingdom

$1.1K 43.6% 474% $886

Groceries & Markets

Iraq

$153 21.3%

United Kingdom

$307 12.5% 101% $154

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Iraq

$139 19.3%

United Kingdom

$389 15.8% 180% $250

Eating Out

Iraq

$106 14.7%

United Kingdom

$328 13.3% 210% $222

Clothing & Footwear

Iraq

$60 8.3%

United Kingdom

$154 6.3% 157% $94

Sport & Entertainment

Iraq

$45 6.2%

United Kingdom

$70 2.9% 56.7% $25

Getting Around

Iraq

$31 4.3%

United Kingdom

$140 5.7% 357% $110

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $225 in Iraq, $1,287 in the United Kingdom. Capital cities: $537 in Baghdad vs $2,811 in London.

National salary averages: $491 in Iraq, $3,251 in the United Kingdom. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 472% higher in the United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 277% more in the United Kingdom.

Public transport is 248% more expensive in the United Kingdom.

Salaries are about 6.6 times higher in the United Kingdom, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United Kingdom.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Iraq

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

🕒 Local time

16:46 4:46 PM

13:46 1:46 PM

3 h behind Iraq

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

38,274,618

67,326,569

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, 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 = 1,685 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.751 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.838 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

USD to IQD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Iraq United Kingdom 4,090 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Iraq
United Kingdom

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 United Kingdom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $720 per month in Iraq and $2,462 in the United Kingdom, Iraq comes out about 71% 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 Iraq: 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 $1,287 in the United Kingdom and $225 in Iraq. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

It depends on what you’re after: Iraq wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.