Cost of Living Comparison Between Kirkuk and Lamia Cost of Living Comparison Between Kirkuk and Lamia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $594 in Kirkuk versus $1,195 in Lamia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $956 in Kirkuk versus $1,846 in Lamia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,319 in Kirkuk versus $2,498 in Lamia.

Living in Kirkuk costs roughly 50% less than in Lamia, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kirkuk 56% lower, Lamia 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.93 IQD 5,148

$17.31 €14.89

-77.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.11 IQD 34.2K

$58.7 €50.5

-55.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.80 IQD 7,592

$8.45 €7.27

-31.36%

Cappuccino

$2.31 IQD 3,031

$3.20 €2.75

-27.81%

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

$0.36 IQD 474

$1.41 €1.21

-74.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 IQD 280

$0.53 €0.46

-60.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.41 IQD 4,468

$5.13 €4.41

-33.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 IQD 3,777

$5.71 €4.91

-49.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 IQD 1,491

$1.54 €1.33

-25.97%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 IQD 854

$1.20 €1.03

-45.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 IQD 2,078

$2.13 €1.83

-25.35%

Eggs

$1.50 IQD 1,958

$3.67 €3.16

-59.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.59 IQD 6,012

$10.13 €8.71

-54.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.89 IQD 3,781

$6.21 €5.34

-53.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.11 IQD 14.6K

$9.65 €8.30

15.13%

Apples (1kg)

$0.99 IQD 1,292

$1.98 €1.70

-50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 IQD 1,382

$1.92 €1.66

-44.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 IQD 1,356

$1.69 €1.46

-38.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 IQD 836

$2.13 €1.83

-69.95%

Potato (1kg)

$0.50 IQD 659

$1.29 €1.11

-61.24%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 IQD 708

$1.18 €1.02

-54.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 IQD 877

$0.57 €0.49

17.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.33 IQD 437

$0.80 €0.69

-58.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.89 IQD 2,477

$5.28 €4.54

-64.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.34 IQD 17.5K

$7.10 €6.11

87.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 IQD 2,349

$1.01 €0.87

77.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 IQD 2,736

$2.34 €2.01

-10.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 IQD 686

$1.40 €1.21

-62.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.91 IQD 40.5K

$46.94 €40.38

-34.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 IQD 3,823

$4.65 €4.00

-37.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 IQD 1,479

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.42 IQD 9,719

$13.51 €11.62

-45.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.54 IQD 709

$2.14 €1.84

-74.77%

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

$20.2K IQD 26.5M

$28.5K €24.5K

-29.03%

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

$20.0K IQD 26.2M

$28.3K €24.4K

-29.33%

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

$53.9 IQD 70.6K

$207 €178

-73.98%

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

$23.35 IQD 30.6K

$22.93 €19.73

1.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.74 IQD 50.7K

$30.84 €26.53

25.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.51 IQD 19.0K

$47.36 €40.74

-69.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.62 IQD 21.8K

$26.25 €22.58

-36.69%

Cinema Ticket

$7.76 IQD 10.2K

$8.15 €7.01

-4.79%

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

$58.2 IQD 76.3K

$288 €248

-79.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$774 IQD 1.0M

$6,846 €5,889

-88.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.41 IQD 37.2K

$43.15 €37.12

-34.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.43 IQD 39.8K

$37.29 €32.07

-18.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.28 IQD 30.5K

$67.9 €58.4

-65.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$14.98 IQD 19.6K

$115 €98.7

-86.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$74.0 IQD 96.9K

$490 €421

-84.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$110 IQD 144.3K

$231 €199

-52.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$114 IQD 149.8K

$514 €443

-77.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$249 IQD 326.0K

$407 €350

-38.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$893 IQD 1.2M

$3,087 €2,656

-71.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$396 IQD 518.8K

$2,516 €2,164

-84.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$625 IQD 818.4K

$1,186 €1,020

-47.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.67

4.68

21.15%

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

Last update for Kirkuk: June 1, 2026

Last update for Lamia: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $74.0 in Kirkuk and $490 in Lamia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lamia pays 90% 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: $26.00 in Kirkuk vs $59.0 in Lamia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $160 vs $222 per month, with Kirkuk cheaper across the board.

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 Lamia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kirkuk is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 101% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Lamia earns 90% less. 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: $74.0 in Kirkuk versus $490 in Lamia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $58.2 in Kirkuk versus $288 in Lamia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Lamia. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $594 in Kirkuk versus $1,195 in Lamia, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kirkuk but tight or insufficient in Lamia. 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.

Safety-wise, Kirkuk and Lamia 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 101% less than in Lamia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.