Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karbala and Sulaymaniyah

For one person, living is cheaper in Karbala: $584 a month against $663 in Sulaymaniyah, rent and utilities included – about $950 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

28

Cost of Living Index in Karbala
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Karbala Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Sulaymaniyah
Learn more

Sulaymaniyah Living Index

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Karbala

🇮🇶 Iraq

$584

/mo nomad

Sulaymaniyah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karbala and in Sulaymaniyah

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Karbala and in Sulaymaniyah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $584 per month in Karbala vs $663 in Sulaymaniyah, rent included.

Karbala $584
Sulaymaniyah $663

A couple spends around $919 per month in Karbala vs $1,034 in Sulaymaniyah, rent included.

Karbala $919
Sulaymaniyah $1,034

A family of three spends $1,254 per month in Karbala vs $1,406 in Sulaymaniyah, rent included.

Karbala $1,254
Sulaymaniyah $1,406

Karbala is about 12% cheaper than Sulaymaniyah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Karbala and Sulaymaniyah are more affordable than the global median – Karbala 57% lower, Sulaymaniyah 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.88 IQD 5,867

$4.21 IQD 6,363

-7.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.22 IQD 24.5K

$19.75 IQD 29.8K

-17.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.88 IQD 7,374

$5.90 IQD 8,916

-17.29%

Cappuccino

$1.29 IQD 1,948

$2.45 IQD 3,702

-47.35%

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

$0.34 IQD 516

$0.43 IQD 650

-20.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 IQD 362

$0.20 IQD 302

20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 IQD 4,589

$3.22 IQD 4,873

-5.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 IQD 2,687

$2.04 IQD 3,080

-12.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 IQD 1,571

$1.11 IQD 1,677

-6.31%

White Bread (500g)

$0.82 IQD 1,236

$0.89 IQD 1,339

-7.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 IQD 1,806

$1.66 IQD 2,516

-27.71%

Eggs

$1.53 IQD 2,309

$1.55 IQD 2,345

-1.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.97 IQD 7,505

$4.31 IQD 6,509

15.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.51 IQD 5,310

$3.66 IQD 5,536

-4.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.63 IQD 14.5K

$13.27 IQD 20.1K

-27.43%

Apples (1kg)

$0.88 IQD 1,336

$1.11 IQD 1,680

-20.72%

Banana (1kg)

$0.94 IQD 1,427

$1.09 IQD 1,646

-13.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.94 IQD 1,415

$1.04 IQD 1,579

-9.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.48 IQD 724

$0.56 IQD 843

-14.29%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 IQD 975

$0.49 IQD 740

32.65%

Onion (1kg)

$0.50 IQD 753

$0.63 IQD 957

-20.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 IQD 1,057

$0.58 IQD 883

20.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 IQD 684

$0.45 IQD 685

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.70 IQD 2,562

$2.02 IQD 3,049

-15.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.70 IQD 16.2K

$9.76 IQD 14.7K

9.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 IQD 2,104

$1.66 IQD 2,509

-16.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 IQD 2,577

$1.25 IQD 1,896

36.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 IQD 521

$0.52 IQD 786

-32.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.60 IQD 29.6K

$19.74 IQD 29.8K

-0.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 IQD 2,776

$1.92 IQD 2,904

-4.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 IQD 2,023

$1.96 IQD 2,961

-31.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.78 IQD 10.2K

$4.48 IQD 6,774

51.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.44 IQD 672

$0.57 IQD 865

-22.81%

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

$16.2K IQD 24.4M

$17.6K IQD 26.6M

-7.94%

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

$16.8K IQD 25.3M

$17.0K IQD 25.6M

-1.14%

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

$67.6 IQD 102.2K

$85.2 IQD 128.7K

-20.63%

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

$12.08 IQD 18.3K

$10.12 IQD 15.3K

19.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.09 IQD 36.4K

$24.03 IQD 36.3K

0.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.95 IQD 30.1K

$33.78 IQD 51.0K

-40.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.92 IQD 27.1K

Cinema Ticket

$8.13 IQD 12.3K

$6.56 IQD 9,916

23.93%

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

$127 IQD 192.0K

$153 IQD 231.1K

-16.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,760 IQD 4.2M

$2,546 IQD 3.8M

8.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.74 IQD 22.3K

$16.75 IQD 25.3K

-12.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.08 IQD 19.8K

$22.28 IQD 33.7K

-41.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$26.84 IQD 40.6K

$36.83 IQD 55.7K

-27.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.6 IQD 81.0K

$33.01 IQD 49.9K

62.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$174 IQD 262.4K

$187 IQD 282.6K

-7.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$134 IQD 201.8K

$147 IQD 221.9K

-9.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$371 IQD 560.7K

$419 IQD 632.8K

-11.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$320 IQD 483.9K

$314 IQD 474.4K

2.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$721 IQD 1.1M

$695 IQD 1.1M

3.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$581 IQD 877.3K

$548 IQD 828.2K

5.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$347 IQD 524.6K

$501 IQD 757.3K

-30.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.33

5.77

-42.29%

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

Last update for Karbala: October 25, 2026

Last update for Sulaymaniyah: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Karbala

$150 25.7%

Sulaymaniyah

$164 24.7% 9.2% $14

Accommodation & Living

Karbala

$134 22.9%

Sulaymaniyah

$147 22.2% 10% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karbala

$104 17.8%

Sulaymaniyah

$119 18% 15% $16

Eating Out

Karbala

$82 14.1%

Sulaymaniyah

$104 15.6% 25.9% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Karbala

$49 8.3%

Sulaymaniyah

$49 7.4% 0.6% $0.3

Sport & Entertainment

Karbala

$36 6.2%

Sulaymaniyah

$47 7.1% 29.6% $11

Getting Around

Karbala

$30 5.1%

Sulaymaniyah

$34 5.1% 13.6% $4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $174 in Karbala versus $187 in Sulaymaniyah. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 44% higher in Sulaymaniyah. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Karbala versus $20 in Sulaymaniyah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $150 vs $164 – making Karbala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Karbala

🇮🇶 Sulaymaniyah

🕒 Local time

17:05 5:05 PM

Same time as Karbala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

572,300

823,199

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.95 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.95 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Karbala Sulaymaniyah 350 km

From you

Karbala
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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

Karbala vs Sulaymaniyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sulaymaniyah is pricier by about 14%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $876 per month in Karbala and $994 in Sulaymaniyah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $174 in Karbala and $187 in Sulaymaniyah. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $584 in Karbala and $663 in Sulaymaniyah. That’s a gap of about 14%.

Kindergarten costs $127 per month in Karbala and $153 in Sulaymaniyah. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $584 in Karbala and $663 in Sulaymaniyah, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Karbala – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Karbala. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sulaymaniyah makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.