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

Name: United States
Address: US

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $561 in Iraq versus $2,626 in United States.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $864 in Iraq versus $3,830 in United States.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,166 in Iraq versus $5,033 in United States.

Living in Iraq costs about 79% less than in United States on average.

Iraq (59% below) and United States (90% above) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 IQD 5,902

$19.83 $19.83

-77.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.77 IQD 29.8K

$78.8 $78.8

-71.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.44 IQD 9,743

$12.19 $12.19

-38.97%

Cappuccino

$2.75 IQD 3,597

$5.59 $5.59

-50.81%

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

$0.42 IQD 551

$2.78 $2.78

-84.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 IQD 315

$2.18 $2.18

-88.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 IQD 5,028

$5.86 $5.86

-34.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 IQD 5,060

$8.02 $8.02

-51.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 IQD 1,497

$1.07 $1.07

6.54%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 IQD 1,112

$3.68 $3.68

-76.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 IQD 1,987

$4.66 $4.66

-67.38%

Eggs

$1.73 IQD 2,271

$4.20 $4.20

-58.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.85 IQD 6,352

$12.78 $12.78

-62.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.26 IQD 5,573

$12.40 $12.40

-65.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.93 IQD 16.9K

$16.90 $16.90

-23.49%

Apples (1kg)

$1.05 IQD 1,373

$5.23 $5.23

-79.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.13 IQD 1,480

$1.66 $1.66

-31.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.96 IQD 1,263

$4.33 $4.33

-77.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.67 IQD 871

$4.96 $4.96

-86.49%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 IQD 886

$2.82 $2.82

-75.89%

Onion (1kg)

$0.61 IQD 792

$3.11 $3.11

-80.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 IQD 880

$2.19 $2.19

-69.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 IQD 666

$2.26 $2.26

-77.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.87 IQD 2,450

$10.35 $10.35

-81.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.95 IQD 15.7K

$14.81 $14.81

-19.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 IQD 2,594

$2.09 $2.09

-5.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 IQD 2,769

$3.65 $3.65

-42.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 IQD 511

$2.38 $2.38

-83.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.00 IQD 34.0K

$64.5 $64.5

-59.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 IQD 2,955

$3.54 $3.54

-36.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 IQD 2,175

$1.86 $1.86

-10.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 IQD 7,817

$30.34 $30.34

-80.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.66 IQD 860

$1.00 $1.00

-34.00%

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

$16.9K IQD 22.2M

$35.5K $35.5K

-52.32%

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

$19.1K IQD 25.0M

$25.9K $25.9K

-26.12%

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

$113 IQD 148.2K

$222 $222

-49.05%

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

$15.84 IQD 20.7K

$61.1 $61.1

-74.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.79 IQD 44.2K

$74.7 $74.7

-54.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.74 IQD 46.8K

$44.49 $44.49

-19.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.36 IQD 24.0K

$22.35 $22.35

-17.85%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 IQD 10.2K

$15.03 $15.03

-48.24%

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

$171 IQD 224.2K

$1,431 $1,431

-88.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,756 IQD 3.6M

$25.9K $25.9K

-89.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.41 IQD 28.0K

$53.6 $53.6

-60.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.13 IQD 35.5K

$43.46 $43.46

-37.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.7 IQD 78.1K

$91.5 $91.5

-34.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.36 IQD 58.1K

$114 $114

-60.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$308 IQD 403.0K

$1,633 $1,633

-81.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$210 IQD 275.6K

$1,328 $1,328

-84.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$551 IQD 722.0K

$2,606 $2,606

-78.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$400 IQD 524.4K

$2,206 $2,206

-81.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,557 IQD 2.0M

$3,323 $3,323

-53.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$789 IQD 1.0M

$2,653 $2,653

-70.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$582 IQD 762.0K

$4,306 $4,306

-86.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.32

6.21

1.77%

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

Last update for Iraq: September 5, 2026

Last update for United States: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $133 in Iraq, $1,604 in United States. Capital cities: $566 in Baghdad vs $1,360 in Columbia, TN.

National salary averages: $551 in Iraq, $4,526 in United States. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 1106% higher in United States.

Dining out costs 275% more in United States.

Public transport is 145% more expensive in United States.

Salaries are 721% higher in United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in United States.

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 States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $562 per month in Iraq and $3,142 in United States, there's a 459% 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 States 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 States 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 States may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.