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

Name: Iraq
Address: IQ

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,720 in Italy versus $760 in Iraq.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,626 in Italy versus $1,167 in Iraq.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,531 in Italy versus $1,574 in Iraq.

Living in Italy is roughly 126% more expensive than in Iraq on average.

Italy (29% above) and Iraq (43% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,191 to $2,443, compared to $521–$1,055 in Iraq. City choice carries more weight in Italy.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.16 €14.96

$4.70 IQD 6,157

265.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.4 €70.9

$23.21 IQD 30.4K

250.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.60 €10.11

$6.49 IQD 8,494

78.74%

Cappuccino

$1.98 €1.73

$2.25 IQD 2,950

-12.00%

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

$3.00 €2.62

$0.39 IQD 506

669.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$0.22 IQD 282

518.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.92 €5.16

$2.26 IQD 2,956

161.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.25 €4.58

$2.62 IQD 3,431

100.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 €1.49

$1.28 IQD 1,675

32.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 €2.07

$0.82 IQD 1,072

189.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 €2.65

$1.56 IQD 2,045

94.23%

Eggs

$3.95 €3.44

$1.73 IQD 2,268

128.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.66 €14.53

$4.89 IQD 6,402

240.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.26 €10.68

$4.15 IQD 5,429

195.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.06 €17.49

$12.49 IQD 16.4K

60.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 €2.23

$1.03 IQD 1,345

147.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 €1.92

$1.18 IQD 1,541

86.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 €2.40

$1.01 IQD 1,322

172.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.22 €2.81

$0.68 IQD 896

373.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 €1.69

$0.66 IQD 858

193.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 €1.59

$0.65 IQD 853

180.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.62 IQD 810

138.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 €0.43

$0.55 IQD 721

-9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.21

$1.93 IQD 2,531

269.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.37 €6.43

$12.15 IQD 15.9K

-39.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.78 IQD 2,328

-1.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 €2.20

$2.21 IQD 2,890

14.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 €1.73

$0.36 IQD 477

452.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.32 €36.90

$32.91 IQD 43.1K

28.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.67 €4.94

$2.23 IQD 2,923

154.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 €1.32

$1.71 IQD 2,244

-11.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.94 €30.46

$5.99 IQD 7,841

483.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.83

$0.59 IQD 774

254.24%

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

$32.7K €28.5K

$18.2K IQD 23.8M

79.80%

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

$32.9K €28.7K

$20.1K IQD 26.4M

63.37%

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

$227 €198

$98.1 IQD 128.4K

131.25%

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

$13.58 €11.84

$19.26 IQD 25.2K

-29.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.57 €27.52

$31.85 IQD 41.7K

-0.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €50.3

$34.85 IQD 45.6K

65.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.23 €22.00

$14.57 IQD 19.1K

73.16%

Cinema Ticket

$10.59 €9.24

$7.75 IQD 10.2K

36.65%

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

$568 €495

$133 IQD 174.4K

326.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K €9,187

$2,672 IQD 3.5M

294.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.7 €79.0

$22.72 IQD 29.8K

299.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.49 €35.30

$25.90 IQD 33.9K

56.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 €87.0

$56.9 IQD 74.5K

75.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 €113

$39.49 IQD 51.7K

228.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$865 €754

$303 IQD 397.0K

185.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$672 €586

$198 IQD 259.8K

239.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,523 €1,328

$549 IQD 718.8K

177.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 €940

$378 IQD 494.8K

185.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,767 €3,284

$1,559 IQD 2.0M

141.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,360 €2,058

$789 IQD 1.0M

199.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,949 €1,699

$562 IQD 736.3K

246.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.41

8.23

-46.42%

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

Last update for Italy: July 27, 2026

Last update for Iraq: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $743 in Italy, $254 in Iraq. Capital cities: $1,334 in Rome vs $554 in Baghdad.

National salary averages: $1,912 in Italy, $562 in Iraq. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 193% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 208% more in Italy.

Public transport is 38% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are 240% 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

Italy vs Iraq: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $788 per month in Iraq and $1,817 in Italy, there's a 131% 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 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.

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.

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.