Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Minsk and Sulaymaniyah

For one person, living is cheaper in Sulaymaniyah: $665 a month against $1,029 in Minsk, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Minsk
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Minsk Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Sulaymaniyah
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Sulaymaniyah Living Index

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Minsk

🇧🇾 Belarus

$1,029

/mo nomad

Sulaymaniyah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$665

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Minsk and in Sulaymaniyah

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

A single person spends $1,029 per month in Minsk vs $665 in Sulaymaniyah, rent included.

Minsk $1,029
Sulaymaniyah $665

A couple spends around $1,668 per month in Minsk vs $1,028 in Sulaymaniyah, rent included.

Minsk $1,668
Sulaymaniyah $1,028

A family of three spends $2,307 per month in Minsk vs $1,391 in Sulaymaniyah, rent included.

Minsk $2,307
Sulaymaniyah $1,391

Minsk costs about 55% more than Sulaymaniyah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Minsk and Sulaymaniyah are more affordable than the global median – Minsk 24% lower, Sulaymaniyah 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.91 BYN 29.73

$4.35 IQD 6,572

127.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.39 BYN 148

$19.60 IQD 29.6K

151.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.14 BYN 21.41

$5.93 IQD 8,957

20.40%

Cappuccino

$2.37 BYN 7.10

$2.35 IQD 3,553

0.85%

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

$1.04 BYN 3.11

$0.39 IQD 589

166.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 BYN 1.89

$0.22 IQD 333

186.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.70 BYN 5.09

$3.25 IQD 4,917

-47.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 BYN 7.81

$2.00 IQD 3,027

30.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 BYN 2.93

$1.12 IQD 1,688

-12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 BYN 2.03

$0.83 IQD 1,250

-18.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 BYN 4.03

$1.67 IQD 2,524

-19.76%

Eggs

$1.70 BYN 5.11

$1.48 IQD 2,238

14.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.71 BYN 23.12

$4.53 IQD 6,842

70.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.55 BYN 16.66

$3.58 IQD 5,404

55.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.01 BYN 33.03

$13.05 IQD 19.7K

-15.63%

Apples (1kg)

$1.57 BYN 4.70

$1.10 IQD 1,663

42.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 BYN 5.30

$1.12 IQD 1,686

58.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 BYN 6.83

$1.05 IQD 1,583

117.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 BYN 8.18

$0.59 IQD 897

362.71%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 BYN 2.04

$0.46 IQD 690

47.83%

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 BYN 2.35

$0.62 IQD 942

25.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 BYN 4.39

$0.64 IQD 965

128.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 BYN 1.84

$0.43 IQD 646

41.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.71 BYN 8.12

$2.04 IQD 3,077

32.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.24 BYN 24.72

$9.61 IQD 14.5K

-14.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 BYN 3.02

$1.68 IQD 2,537

-39.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 BYN 5.91

$1.27 IQD 1,925

55.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 BYN 1.10

$0.52 IQD 780

-28.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.48 BYN 58.5

$19.41 IQD 29.3K

0.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.72 BYN 5.15

$2.03 IQD 3,060

-15.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 BYN 1.43

$2.01 IQD 3,041

-76.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.26 BYN 30.77

$4.51 IQD 6,820

127.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 BYN 2.84

$0.57 IQD 854

66.67%

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

$21.9K BYN 65.8K

$17.9K IQD 27.1M

22.31%

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

$23.0K BYN 68.9K

$16.4K IQD 24.8M

39.90%

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

$62.9 BYN 189

$86.4 IQD 130.6K

-27.24%

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

$8.70 BYN 26.09

$9.77 IQD 14.8K

-10.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.65 BYN 40.94

$24.18 IQD 36.5K

-43.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.61 BYN 113

$33.41 IQD 50.5K

12.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.42 BYN 64.3

$17.26 IQD 26.1K

24.10%

Cinema Ticket

$6.00 BYN 17.99

$6.73 IQD 10.2K

-10.85%

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

$415 BYN 1,246

$152 IQD 229.3K

173.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.3K BYN 72.8K

$2,479 IQD 3.7M

879.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.6 BYN 155

$16.44 IQD 24.8K

213.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.69 BYN 134

$22.23 IQD 33.6K

101.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 BYN 333

$37.34 IQD 56.4K

197.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 BYN 334

$33.57 IQD 50.7K

231.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$582 BYN 1,746

$185 IQD 278.9K

215.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$380 BYN 1,140

$149 IQD 225.6K

154.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 BYN 3,174

$423 IQD 638.5K

150.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 BYN 2,149

$302 IQD 456.7K

136.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,566 BYN 7,697

$707 IQD 1.1M

263.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,696 BYN 5,088

$536 IQD 810.5K

216.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$949 BYN 2,846

$488 IQD 737.3K

94.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.93

5.77

176.08%

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

Last update for Minsk: October 19, 2026

Last update for Sulaymaniyah: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Minsk

$380 36.9%

Sulaymaniyah

$149 22.4% 60.7% $231

Groceries & Markets

Minsk

$196 19.1%

Sulaymaniyah

$162 24.4% 17.1% $34

Eating Out

Minsk

$149 14.5%

Sulaymaniyah

$104 15.6% 30.7% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Minsk

$143 13.9%

Sulaymaniyah

$49 7.4% 65.6% $94

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Minsk

$85 8.3%

Sulaymaniyah

$120 18.1% 41.3% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Minsk

$50 4.8%

Sulaymaniyah

$47 7% 5.5% $2.7

Getting Around

Minsk

$25 2.4%

Sulaymaniyah

$34 5% 34% $8.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $582 in Minsk versus $185 in Sulaymaniyah. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 94% higher in Minsk, 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 $49.00 in Minsk versus $20.00 in Sulaymaniyah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $196 vs $162 – making Sulaymaniyah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇾 Minsk

🇮🇶 Sulaymaniyah

🕒 Local time

02:55 2:55 AM

Same time as Minsk

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,992,862 Capital

823,199

💱 Currency

Belarusian Ruble BYN Br

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

1 BYN = 0.333 USD

1 BYN = 0.297 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD, EUR to BYN – Belarusian Ruble Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇾 Belarusian Ruble (Br)

Belarusian Ruble exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 3 BYN (1 BYN = 0.333 USD). 1 EUR = 3.37 BYN (1 BYN = 0.297 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 23, 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 BYN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Minsk Sulaymaniyah 2,470 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Minsk
Sulaymaniyah

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

Minsk vs Sulaymaniyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Minsk costs about 55% more than Sulaymaniyah, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,543 per month in Minsk and $998 in Sulaymaniyah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sulaymaniyah, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 21% more in Minsk, 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 $49.00 in Minsk and $20.00 in Sulaymaniyah. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sulaymaniyah, where all-in costs run around $665, than in Minsk at $1,029. In Sulaymaniyah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Minsk it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Sulaymaniyah costs $665 versus $1,029 in Minsk. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Sulaymaniyah. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Minsk makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.