Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lome and Erbil

For one person, living is cheaper in Lome: $563 a month against $956 in Erbil, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Lome
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Lome Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Erbil
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Erbil Living Index

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Lome

🇹🇬 Togo

$563

/mo nomad

Erbil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$956

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lome and in Erbil

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

A single person spends $563 per month in Lome vs $956 in Erbil, rent included.

Lome $563
Erbil $956

A couple spends around $992 per month in Lome vs $1,421 in Erbil, rent included.

Lome $992
Erbil $1,421

A family of three spends $1,422 per month in Lome vs $1,887 in Erbil, rent included.

Lome $1,422
Erbil $1,887

Lome is about 41% cheaper than Erbil, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Lome and Erbil are more affordable than the global median – Lome 58% lower, Erbil 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.95 F CFA 1,721

$6.45 IQD 9,753

-54.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.24 F CFA 17.6K

$36.44 IQD 55.1K

-17.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 F CFA 3,260

$7.09 IQD 10.7K

-21.16%

Cappuccino

$5.89 F CFA 3,436

$3.23 IQD 4,873

82.35%

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

$3.99 F CFA 2,326

$0.89 IQD 1,338

348.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 F CFA 402

$0.33 IQD 503

109.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.92 F CFA 537

$5.17 IQD 7,819

-82.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 F CFA 1,002

$3.85 IQD 5,825

-55.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 F CFA 1,354

$1.06 IQD 1,600

118.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 F CFA 781

$0.73 IQD 1,101

83.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 F CFA 831

$1.52 IQD 2,300

-5.92%

Eggs

$1.95 F CFA 1,138

$1.57 IQD 2,373

24.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.90 IQD 10.4K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.27 IQD 6,458

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.68 F CFA 3,311

$12.51 IQD 18.9K

-54.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 F CFA 1,711

$0.99 IQD 1,501

195.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 F CFA 968

$0.99 IQD 1,495

67.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 IQD 1,555

Tomato (1kg)

$2.49 F CFA 1,452

$0.65 IQD 988

283.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 F CFA 1,002

$0.64 IQD 964

168.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 F CFA 704

$0.61 IQD 925

98.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 IQD 909

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 F CFA 509

$0.47 IQD 709

85.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.15 IQD 3,250

Wine (Bottle)

$4.72 F CFA 2,750

$10.81 IQD 16.3K

-56.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 F CFA 631

$1.47 IQD 2,222

-26.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 F CFA 855

$1.87 IQD 2,825

-21.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.48 IQD 718

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.85 IQD 58.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 IQD 2,531

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.17 F CFA 681

$1.60 IQD 2,421

-26.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 F CFA 2,550

$5.67 IQD 8,566

-22.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 F CFA 682

$0.55 IQD 825

112.73%

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

$16.3K IQD 24.7M

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

$17.0K IQD 25.6M

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

$147 F CFA 85.8K

$113 IQD 170.3K

30.55%

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

$21.43 F CFA 12.5K

$12.21 IQD 18.4K

75.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.93 F CFA 25.0K

$24.30 IQD 36.7K

76.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.2 F CFA 34.5K

$56.6 IQD 85.5K

4.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.47 F CFA 4,942

$13.33 IQD 20.1K

-36.46%

Cinema Ticket

$4.35 F CFA 2,537

$10.00 IQD 15.1K

-56.50%

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

$315 IQD 476.0K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,809 IQD 4.2M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.70 IQD 40.3K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.59 IQD 59.8K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.4 IQD 89.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.4 IQD 89.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 IQD 639.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$275 IQD 415.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,184 F CFA 690.4K

$700 IQD 1.1M

69.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$290 F CFA 168.9K

$406 IQD 613.1K

-28.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,047 IQD 1.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$608 IQD 919.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$293 F CFA 170.9K

$525 IQD 793.9K

-44.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.53

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

Last update for Lome: October 11, 2026

Last update for Erbil: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lome

$212 37.6%

Erbil

$149 15.6% 29.5% $62

Groceries & Markets

Lome

$140 * 24.9%

Erbil

$172 18% 22.8% $32

Eating Out

Lome

$138 24.5%

Erbil

$150 15.7% 8.9% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Lome

$68 12.1%

Erbil

$77 8% 12.9% $8.7

Getting Around

Lome

$5.8 * 1%

Erbil

$50 5.3% 764% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Lome

- * 0%

Erbil

$83 8.7%

Accommodation & Living

Lome

- * 0%

Erbil

$275 28.7%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 79% higher in Erbil, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Lome versus $36.00 in Erbil. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $140 vs $172 – making Lome the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇬 Lome

🇮🇶 Erbil

🕒 Local time

04:26 4:26 AM

07:26 7:26 AM

3 h ahead of Lome

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

837,437 Capital

1,713,461

💱 Currency

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD, EUR to XOF – West African CFA Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 West African CFA Franc (Fr)

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 583 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 20, 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 XOF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lome Erbil 5,480 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Lome
Erbil

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

Lome vs Erbil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Erbil is pricier by about 70%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $845 per month in Lome and $1,435 in Erbil. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 23% more in Erbil, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Lome and $36.00 in Erbil. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $563 in Lome and $956 in Erbil, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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