Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kirkuk and Baghdad

For one person, living is cheaper in Kirkuk: $545 a month against $1,048 in Baghdad, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

26

Cost of Living Index in Kirkuk
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Kirkuk Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Baghdad
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Baghdad Living Index

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Kirkuk

🇮🇶 Iraq

$545

/mo nomad

Baghdad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$1,048

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kirkuk and in Baghdad

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $545 in Kirkuk versus $1,048 in Baghdad.

Kirkuk $545
Baghdad $1,048

Estimated couple costs with rent: $871 in Kirkuk versus $1,508 in Baghdad.

Kirkuk $871
Baghdad $1,508

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,197 in Kirkuk versus $1,968 in Baghdad.

Kirkuk $1,197
Baghdad $1,968

Living in Kirkuk costs roughly 48% less than in Baghdad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kirkuk 60% lower, Baghdad 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.55 IQD 5,360

$4.54 IQD 6,866

-21.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.20 IQD 35.1K

$26.64 IQD 40.3K

-12.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 IQD 7,928

$6.47 IQD 9,781

-18.86%

Cappuccino

$2.35 IQD 3,558

$2.68 IQD 4,054

-12.31%

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

$0.38 IQD 576

$0.39 IQD 584

-2.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.19 IQD 283

$0.20 IQD 302

-5.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.71 IQD 4,102

$3.31 IQD 5,009

-18.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 IQD 5,010

$3.22 IQD 4,866

3.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 IQD 1,471

$0.92 IQD 1,390

5.43%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 IQD 858

$0.71 IQD 1,078

-19.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 IQD 2,068

$1.32 IQD 1,999

3.79%

Eggs

$1.27 IQD 1,913

$1.71 IQD 2,577

-25.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.37 IQD 5,090

$3.30 IQD 4,989

2.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 IQD 4,871

$4.15 IQD 6,269

-22.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.21 IQD 16.9K

$12.24 IQD 18.5K

-8.42%

Apples (1kg)

$0.74 IQD 1,121

$1.00 IQD 1,513

-26.00%

Banana (1kg)

$0.79 IQD 1,196

$0.98 IQD 1,487

-19.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.86 IQD 1,294

$0.95 IQD 1,440

-9.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 IQD 964

$0.68 IQD 1,021

-5.88%

Potato (1kg)

$0.49 IQD 736

$0.58 IQD 877

-15.52%

Onion (1kg)

$0.48 IQD 722

$0.57 IQD 854

-15.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 IQD 844

$0.60 IQD 903

-6.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.35 IQD 523

$0.61 IQD 927

-42.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.67 IQD 2,521

$1.67 IQD 2,531

Wine (Bottle)

$11.67 IQD 17.6K

$11.64 IQD 17.6K

0.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 IQD 1,937

$1.99 IQD 3,005

-35.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 IQD 2,472

$1.96 IQD 2,962

-16.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 IQD 522

$0.32 IQD 480

9.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.84 IQD 30.0K

$20.04 IQD 30.3K

-1.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 IQD 2,914

$2.02 IQD 3,045

-4.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 IQD 1,940

$1.30 IQD 1,964

-1.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.62 IQD 10.0K

$6.67 IQD 10.1K

-0.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.48 IQD 726

$0.58 IQD 870

-17.24%

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

$16.2K IQD 24.5M

$16.5K IQD 25.0M

-1.90%

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

$16.4K IQD 24.8M

$16.7K IQD 25.2M

-1.88%

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

$51.8 IQD 78.3K

$188 IQD 284.5K

-72.47%

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

$19.86 IQD 30.0K

$19.25 IQD 29.1K

3.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.46 IQD 58.1K

$37.51 IQD 56.7K

2.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.62 IQD 14.5K

$39.97 IQD 60.4K

-75.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.38 IQD 27.8K

Cinema Ticket

$9.83 IQD 14.8K

$9.70 IQD 14.7K

1.34%

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

$147 IQD 222.9K

$145 IQD 219.6K

1.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,309 IQD 5.0M

$3,297 IQD 5.0M

0.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.85 IQD 39.1K

$25.60 IQD 38.7K

0.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.19 IQD 24.5K

$33.32 IQD 50.3K

-51.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.8 IQD 88.8K

$60.2 IQD 90.9K

-2.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$29.49 IQD 44.6K

$41.85 IQD 63.2K

-29.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$167 IQD 252.8K

$537 IQD 811.6K

-68.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$80.1 IQD 121.1K

$364 IQD 550.5K

-78.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$195 IQD 294.5K

$963 IQD 1.5M

-79.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$198 IQD 298.5K

$624 IQD 943.1K

-68.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$501 IQD 757.5K

$4,276 IQD 6.5M

-88.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$262 IQD 395.8K

$1,379 IQD 2.1M

-81.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$387 IQD 584.6K

$518 IQD 782.8K

-25.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.12

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

Last update for Kirkuk: October 25, 2026

Last update for Baghdad: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kirkuk

$143 26.2%

Baghdad

$164 15.6% 14.7% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kirkuk

$110 20.2%

Baghdad

$245 23.4% 123% $135

Eating Out

Kirkuk

$95 17.4%

Baghdad

$113 10.8% 19.5% $18

Accommodation & Living

Kirkuk

$80 14.7%

Baghdad

$364 34.8% 355% $284

Clothing & Footwear

Kirkuk

$59 10.8%

Baghdad

$72 6.9% 23.5% $14

Getting Around

Kirkuk

$30 5.4%

Baghdad

$30 2.9% 0.9% $0.3

Sport & Entertainment

Kirkuk

$29 5.4%

Baghdad

$59 5.7% 103% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $167 in Kirkuk and $537 in Baghdad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Baghdad pays 34% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $23 in Kirkuk vs $27 in Baghdad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $143 vs $164 per month, with Kirkuk cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Kirkuk

🇮🇶 Baghdad

🕒 Local time

03:06 3:06 AM

Same time as Kirkuk

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

850,787

7,216,040 Capital

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Kirkuk Baghdad 240 km

From you

Kirkuk
Baghdad

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

Kirkuk vs Baghdad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kirkuk wins on cost – living expenses run 48% lower than in Baghdad. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Kirkuk the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 25% lower in Kirkuk. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $167 in Kirkuk versus $537 in Baghdad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Baghdad. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $545 per month in Kirkuk versus $1,048 in Baghdad – Kirkuk is about 48% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $545 in Kirkuk versus $1,048 in Baghdad, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kirkuk but tight or insufficient in Baghdad. The gap between the two cities makes Kirkuk the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Kirkuk wins on affordability, Baghdad on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.