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: $1,718 in Italy versus $762 in Iraq.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,623 in Italy versus $1,166 in Iraq.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,528 in Italy versus $1,570 in Iraq.

Living in Italy is roughly 125% 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 $1,147 to $2,536, compared to $535–$1,074 in Iraq. City choice carries more weight in Italy.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.24 €14.72

$4.67 IQD 6,114

269.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.3 €68.6

$22.62 IQD 29.6K

254.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.44 €9.77

$6.22 IQD 8,146

83.92%

Cappuccino

$1.92 €1.64

$2.34 IQD 3,059

-17.95%

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

$2.98 €2.55

$0.39 IQD 505

664.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.13

$0.19 IQD 247

594.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.83 €4.98

$2.22 IQD 2,904

162.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.16 €4.41

$2.62 IQD 3,430

96.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.44

$1.23 IQD 1,614

37.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 €2.06

$0.82 IQD 1,073

193.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.00 €2.57

$1.55 IQD 2,024

93.55%

Eggs

$4.08 €3.49

$1.80 IQD 2,360

126.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.21 €13.85

$5.15 IQD 6,741

214.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.65 €10.80

$4.13 IQD 5,415

206.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.13 €17.19

$12.18 IQD 16.0K

65.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 €2.22

$1.06 IQD 1,391

145.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.89

$1.17 IQD 1,527

88.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.23

$1.00 IQD 1,306

161.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.28 €2.80

$0.69 IQD 909

375.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 €1.66

$0.61 IQD 803

219.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 €1.56

$0.65 IQD 855

181.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.32

$0.65 IQD 850

138.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 €0.43

$0.55 IQD 722

-9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.88 €5.87

$1.91 IQD 2,501

260.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.86 €5.86

$12.06 IQD 15.8K

-43.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.54

$1.77 IQD 2,324

1.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 €2.16

$2.26 IQD 2,961

11.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 €1.65

$0.39 IQD 512

397.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.82 €35.71

$33.19 IQD 43.5K

26.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.71 €4.87

$2.31 IQD 3,026

147.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 €1.31

$1.75 IQD 2,292

-12.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.12 €29.99

$6.16 IQD 8,063

470.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 €1.73

$0.59 IQD 774

244.07%

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

$31.8K €27.2K

$18.3K IQD 24.0M

73.77%

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

$33.3K €28.4K

$20.1K IQD 26.4M

65.12%

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

$224 €191

$99.9 IQD 130.8K

124.25%

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

$13.50 €11.53

$19.71 IQD 25.8K

-31.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.92 €26.41

$32.89 IQD 43.1K

-5.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.3 €48.07

$34.48 IQD 45.2K

63.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.38 €21.68

$14.75 IQD 19.3K

72.07%

Cinema Ticket

$10.41 €8.89

$7.48 IQD 9,802

39.17%

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

$575 €491

$134 IQD 175.3K

329.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K €9,022

$2,613 IQD 3.4M

304.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €76.4

$22.02 IQD 28.8K

306.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.72 €33.92

$26.23 IQD 34.4K

51.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.5 €85.0

$57.6 IQD 75.4K

72.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 €111

$40.28 IQD 52.8K

223.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$854 €729

$300 IQD 392.5K

185.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$651 €556

$194 IQD 253.8K

236.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,478 €1,262

$557 IQD 729.3K

165.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,109 €947

$376 IQD 492.5K

194.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,926 €3,353

$1,528 IQD 2.0M

156.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,410 €2,058

$757 IQD 991.4K

218.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,932 €1,650

$563 IQD 737.2K

243.31%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Iraq: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $742 in Italy, $254 in Iraq. Capital cities: $1,349 in Rome vs $557 in Baghdad.

National salary averages: $1,935 in Italy, $557 in Iraq. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 192% 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 $1,842 in Italy, there's a 129% 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.