Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kirkuk and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Kirkuk: $540 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 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
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

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Kirkuk

🇮🇶 Iraq

$540

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kirkuk and in Cebu

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 Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $540 in Kirkuk versus $918 in Cebu.

Kirkuk $540
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $868 in Kirkuk versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Kirkuk $868
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,197 in Kirkuk versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Kirkuk $1,197
Cebu $1,900

Living in Kirkuk costs roughly 41% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kirkuk 60% lower, Cebu 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.58 IQD 5,403

$3.09 ₱195

15.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.24 IQD 35.1K

$24.22 ₱1,525

-4.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.40 IQD 8,162

$3.92 ₱247

37.76%

Cappuccino

$2.46 IQD 3,716

$2.51 ₱158

-1.99%

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

$0.36 IQD 537

$1.59 ₱100

-77.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 IQD 238

$0.53 ₱33.45

-69.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 IQD 3,963

$1.78 ₱112

47.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 IQD 5,087

$2.17 ₱137

55.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 IQD 1,433

$1.92 ₱121

-50.52%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 IQD 911

$1.36 ₱85.5

-55.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 IQD 1,984

$1.01 ₱63.6

29.70%

Eggs

$1.27 IQD 1,915

$2.03 ₱128

-37.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.42 IQD 5,160

$9.86 ₱621

-65.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.13 IQD 4,735

$4.39 ₱277

-28.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.18 IQD 16.9K

$7.60 ₱479

47.11%

Apples (1kg)

$0.79 IQD 1,198

$3.30 ₱208

-76.06%

Banana (1kg)

$0.83 IQD 1,254

$1.39 ₱87.8

-40.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.80 IQD 1,209

$2.33 ₱147

-65.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.60 IQD 906

$1.50 ₱94.3

-60.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.48 IQD 730

$2.36 ₱149

-79.66%

Onion (1kg)

$0.48 IQD 730

$1.90 ₱119

-74.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 IQD 854

$1.19 ₱74.9

-52.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.32 IQD 477

$0.63 ₱39.73

-49.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.61 IQD 2,430

$3.00 ₱189

-46.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.55 IQD 17.4K

$6.03 ₱380

91.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 IQD 1,950

$1.23 ₱77.7

4.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 IQD 2,434

$1.75 ₱110

-8.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 IQD 482

$0.25 ₱15.87

28.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.32 IQD 30.7K

$12.64 ₱796

60.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.01 IQD 3,034

$0.77 ₱48.64

161.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 IQD 2,028

$0.23 ₱14.54

482.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.42 IQD 9,693

$4.46 ₱281

43.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.47 IQD 712

$1.31 ₱82.8

-64.12%

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

$16.7K IQD 25.3M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

-21.18%

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

$16.4K IQD 24.8M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

-14.13%

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

$51.6 IQD 78.0K

$120 ₱7,573

-57.07%

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

$17.64 IQD 26.6K

$14.00 ₱882

26.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.97 IQD 55.9K

$27.54 ₱1,735

34.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.82 IQD 14.8K

$32.33 ₱2,036

-69.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$9.80 IQD 14.8K

$5.65 ₱356

73.45%

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

$143 IQD 215.9K

$275 ₱17.3K

-48.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,984 IQD 4.5M

$7,918 ₱498.8K

-62.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.27 IQD 38.2K

$49.33 ₱3,107

-48.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.32 IQD 24.7K

$25.24 ₱1,590

-35.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.3 IQD 88.1K

$77.0 ₱4,848

-24.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$29.54 IQD 44.6K

$57.2 ₱3,603

-48.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$162 IQD 245.2K

$500 ₱31.5K

-67.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$78.1 IQD 118.1K

$309 ₱19.5K

-74.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$198 IQD 299.8K

$1,078 ₱67.9K

-81.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$201 IQD 304.3K

$615 ₱38.8K

-67.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$490 IQD 740.7K

$2,886 ₱181.8K

-83.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$259 IQD 391.8K

$1,917 ₱120.7K

-86.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$379 IQD 572.3K

$346 ₱21.8K

9.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.12

7.2

-42.78%

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

Last update for Kirkuk: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kirkuk

$142 26.2%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 45.3% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kirkuk

$106 19.7%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 52.3% $56

Eating Out

Kirkuk

$96 17.8%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 8.3% $8

Accommodation & Living

Kirkuk

$78 14.5%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 295% $231

Clothing & Footwear

Kirkuk

$58 10.8%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 61.3% $36

Getting Around

Kirkuk

$30 5.6%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 48.6% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Kirkuk

$29 5.4%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 48.3% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $162 in Kirkuk and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kirkuk pays 9% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $23.00 in Kirkuk vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $142 vs $206 per month, with Kirkuk cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Kirkuk

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

10:01 10:01 AM

15:01 3:01 PM

5 h ahead of Kirkuk

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

850,787

964,169

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.88 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to IQD – Iraqi Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇶 Iraqi Dinar (ع.د)

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,701 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.88 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.99 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.93 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to IQD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kirkuk Cebu 8,400 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Kirkuk
Cebu

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 Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kirkuk is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 70% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 9% higher in Kirkuk, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $162 in Kirkuk versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $540 per month in Kirkuk versus $918 in Cebu – a 70% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kirkuk runs roughly 61% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Kirkuk gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Kirkuk is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cebu, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Kirkuk and Cebu are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Kirkuk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.