Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lamia and Kirkuk

For one person, living is cheaper in Kirkuk: $540 a month against $1,192 in Lamia, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Lamia
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Lamia Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Kirkuk
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Kirkuk Living Index

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Lamia

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,192

/mo nomad

Kirkuk

🇮🇶 Iraq

$540

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lamia and in Kirkuk

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,192 in Lamia versus $540 in Kirkuk.

Lamia $1,192
Kirkuk $540

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,853 in Lamia versus $868 in Kirkuk.

Lamia $1,853
Kirkuk $868

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,515 in Lamia versus $1,197 in Kirkuk.

Lamia $2,515
Kirkuk $1,197

Living in Lamia is roughly 121% more expensive than in Kirkuk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lamia 12% lower, Kirkuk 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.07 €15.18

$3.58 IQD 5,403

376.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.8 €48.75

$23.24 IQD 35.1K

135.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.45 €7.52

$5.40 IQD 8,162

56.48%

Cappuccino

$3.09 €2.75

$2.46 IQD 3,716

25.61%

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

$1.37 €1.22

$0.36 IQD 537

280.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 €0.43

$0.16 IQD 238

206.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.06 €4.50

$2.62 IQD 3,963

93.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.22 €5.54

$3.37 IQD 5,087

84.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 €1.49

$0.95 IQD 1,433

75.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 €0.97

$0.60 IQD 911

81.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 €1.82

$1.31 IQD 1,984

55.73%

Eggs

$3.45 €3.07

$1.27 IQD 1,915

171.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.25 €8.23

$3.42 IQD 5,160

170.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.04 €5.37

$3.13 IQD 4,735

92.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.18 €8.17

$11.18 IQD 16.9K

-17.89%

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 €1.74

$0.79 IQD 1,198

148.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

$0.83 IQD 1,254

165.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$0.80 IQD 1,209

146.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 €1.91

$0.60 IQD 906

258.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 €1.09

$0.48 IQD 730

154.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 €1.02

$0.48 IQD 730

137.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 €0.51

$0.57 IQD 854

1.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.78

$0.32 IQD 477

175.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.93 €4.39

$1.61 IQD 2,430

206.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.03 €6.25

$11.55 IQD 17.4K

-39.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.80

$1.29 IQD 1,950

-30.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 €2.02

$1.61 IQD 2,434

40.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.30 €1.16

$0.32 IQD 482

306.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.33 €36.76

$20.32 IQD 30.7K

103.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.15 €3.70

$2.01 IQD 3,034

106.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €1.02

$1.34 IQD 2,028

-14.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.71 €14.87

$6.42 IQD 9,693

160.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.83

$0.47 IQD 712

338.30%

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

$28.0K €24.9K

$16.7K IQD 25.3M

67.34%

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

$27.2K €24.2K

$16.4K IQD 24.8M

65.18%

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

$197 €175

$51.6 IQD 78.0K

281.21%

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

$22.56 €20.06

$17.64 IQD 26.6K

27.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.37 €27.02

$36.97 IQD 55.9K

-17.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.0 €48.94

$9.82 IQD 14.8K

460.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.51 €22.69

Cinema Ticket

$7.62 €6.78

$9.80 IQD 14.8K

-22.24%

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

$275 €244

$143 IQD 215.9K

92.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,477 €5,762

$2,984 IQD 4.5M

117.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.11 €35.68

$25.27 IQD 38.2K

58.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.68 €40.63

$16.32 IQD 24.7K

179.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.1 €59.7

$58.3 IQD 88.1K

14.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 €116

$29.54 IQD 44.6K

341.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$486 €432

$162 IQD 245.2K

199.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$225 €200

$78.1 IQD 118.1K

188.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$497 €442

$198 IQD 299.8K

150.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$389 €346

$201 IQD 304.3K

93.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,640 €2,349

$490 IQD 740.7K

438.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,193 €1,951

$259 IQD 391.8K

745.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,112 €989

$379 IQD 572.3K

193.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.34

4.12

29.61%

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

Last update for Lamia: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kirkuk: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lamia

$250 21%

Kirkuk

$106 19.7% 57.5% $143

Eating Out

Lamia

$244 20.5%

Kirkuk

$96 17.8% 60.6% $148

Accommodation & Living

Lamia

$225 18.9%

Kirkuk

$78 14.5% 65.3% $147

Groceries & Markets

Lamia

$219 18.3%

Kirkuk

$142 26.2% 35.2% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Lamia

$128 10.7%

Kirkuk

$58 10.8% 54.3% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Lamia

$70 5.9%

Kirkuk

$29 5.4% 58.1% $41

Getting Around

Lamia

$56 4.7%

Kirkuk

$30 5.6% 46.3% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $486 in Lamia and $162 in Kirkuk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lamia pays 194% 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: $55.0 in Lamia vs $23.00 in Kirkuk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $219 vs $142 per month, with Kirkuk cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Lamia

🇮🇶 Kirkuk

🕒 Local time

18:57 6:57 PM

Same time as Lamia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

52,006

850,787

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lamia Kirkuk 1,980 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Lamia
Kirkuk

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

Lamia vs Kirkuk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kirkuk is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 121% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 194% higher in Lamia, 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: $486 in Lamia versus $162 in Kirkuk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $275 in Lamia versus $143 in Kirkuk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Lamia. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $540 in Kirkuk versus $1,192 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, Lamia and Kirkuk 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 121% less than in Lamia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.