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: $1,719 in Italy versus $761 in Iraq.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,625 in Italy versus $1,168 in Iraq.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,531 in Italy versus $1,575 in Iraq.

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

Italy (28% above) and Iraq (43% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,156 to $2,452, compared to $535–$1,074 in Iraq. City choice carries more weight in Italy.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.02 €14.70

$4.62 IQD 6,049

268.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.3 €71.2

$23.22 IQD 30.4K

254.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.62 €10.04

$6.17 IQD 8,081

88.33%

Cappuccino

$1.91 €1.65

$2.24 IQD 2,936

-14.73%

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

$3.02 €2.61

$0.42 IQD 549

619.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.13

$0.17 IQD 227

670.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.81 €5.02

$2.25 IQD 2,951

158.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.12 €4.42

$2.73 IQD 3,574

87.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 €1.42

$1.23 IQD 1,611

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.42 €2.09

$0.82 IQD 1,073

195.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.92 €2.52

$1.58 IQD 2,065

84.81%

Eggs

$4.12 €3.56

$1.79 IQD 2,346

130.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.70 €14.43

$4.98 IQD 6,517

235.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.60 €10.89

$4.11 IQD 5,376

206.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.61 €17.81

$12.42 IQD 16.3K

65.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.48 €2.15

$1.04 IQD 1,356

138.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 €1.86

$1.13 IQD 1,475

90.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.72 €2.35

$1.05 IQD 1,373

159.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.25 €2.81

$0.68 IQD 895

377.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$0.62 IQD 807

212.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$0.65 IQD 852

178.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.28

$0.66 IQD 865

124.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 €0.47

$0.51 IQD 672

5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.89

$2.00 IQD 2,624

241.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 €6.34

$11.92 IQD 15.6K

-38.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.56

$1.86 IQD 2,435

-3.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 €2.20

$2.16 IQD 2,834

17.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.01 €1.73

$0.40 IQD 521

402.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.70 €36.03

$32.71 IQD 42.8K

27.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.90 €5.10

$2.35 IQD 3,073

151.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.74 IQD 2,273

-12.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.23 €29.58

$6.10 IQD 7,990

461.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.84

$0.60 IQD 781

255.00%

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

$32.8K €28.4K

$18.3K IQD 24.0M

79.09%

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

$33.5K €28.9K

$19.9K IQD 26.0M

68.63%

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

$226 €195

$98.4 IQD 128.9K

129.25%

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

$13.32 €11.51

$19.08 IQD 25.0K

-30.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.26 €27.02

$32.47 IQD 42.5K

-3.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 €49.16

$34.81 IQD 45.6K

63.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.71 €22.22

$14.82 IQD 19.4K

73.48%

Cinema Ticket

$10.35 €8.95

$7.77 IQD 10.2K

33.20%

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

$579 €500

$134 IQD 174.8K

333.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K €9,102

$2,580 IQD 3.4M

308.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.2 €77.9

$22.33 IQD 29.2K

303.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.79 €35.25

$26.27 IQD 34.4K

55.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.7 €85.3

$57.6 IQD 75.4K

71.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 €115

$39.99 IQD 52.4K

232.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$853 €737

$300 IQD 392.7K

184.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 €576

$198 IQD 258.8K

237.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,517 €1,311

$547 IQD 716.9K

177.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 €935

$376 IQD 493.0K

187.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,767 €3,255

$1,635 IQD 2.1M

130.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,403 €2,077

$779 IQD 1.0M

208.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,986 €1,716

$576 IQD 754.6K

244.57%

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Iraq: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $742 in Italy, $255 in Iraq. Capital cities: $1,368 in Rome vs $553 in Baghdad.

National salary averages: $1,931 in Italy, $557 in Iraq. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 191% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 208% more in Italy.

Public transport is 33% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are 247% higher in Italy, giving Italy stronger purchasing power.

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 $805 per month in Iraq and $1,804 in Italy, there's a 124% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Iraq is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.