Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mosul and Baghdad

For one person, living is cheaper in Mosul: $573 a month against $1,048 in Baghdad, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

28

Cost of Living Index in Mosul
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Mosul Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Baghdad
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Baghdad Living Index

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Mosul

🇮🇶 Iraq

$573

/mo nomad

Baghdad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$1,048

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mosul and in Baghdad

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $573 in Mosul versus $1,048 in Baghdad.

Mosul $573
Baghdad $1,048

Estimated couple costs with rent: $906 in Mosul versus $1,508 in Baghdad.

Mosul $906
Baghdad $1,508

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,239 in Mosul versus $1,968 in Baghdad.

Mosul $1,239
Baghdad $1,968

Living in Mosul costs roughly 45% less than in Baghdad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mosul 58% lower, Baghdad 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.07 IQD 6,154

$4.54 IQD 6,866

-10.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.30 IQD 24.6K

$26.64 IQD 40.3K

-38.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.21 IQD 7,870

$6.47 IQD 9,781

-19.47%

Cappuccino

$1.44 IQD 2,171

$2.68 IQD 4,054

-46.27%

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

$0.37 IQD 552

$0.39 IQD 584

-5.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 IQD 241

$0.20 IQD 302

-20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.35 IQD 2,045

$3.31 IQD 5,009

-59.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 IQD 1,965

$3.22 IQD 4,866

-59.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.72 IQD 1,086

$0.92 IQD 1,390

-21.74%

White Bread (500g)

$0.63 IQD 955

$0.71 IQD 1,078

-11.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 IQD 1,645

$1.32 IQD 1,999

-17.42%

Eggs

$1.35 IQD 2,045

$1.71 IQD 2,577

-21.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.05 IQD 4,611

$3.30 IQD 4,989

-7.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 IQD 5,481

$4.15 IQD 6,269

-12.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.20 IQD 15.4K

$12.24 IQD 18.5K

-16.67%

Apples (1kg)

$0.60 IQD 900

$1.00 IQD 1,513

-40.00%

Banana (1kg)

$0.89 IQD 1,347

$0.98 IQD 1,487

-9.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.61 IQD 915

$0.95 IQD 1,440

-35.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.43 IQD 650

$0.68 IQD 1,021

-36.76%

Potato (1kg)

$0.41 IQD 617

$0.58 IQD 877

-29.31%

Onion (1kg)

$0.41 IQD 621

$0.57 IQD 854

-28.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.36 IQD 544

$0.60 IQD 903

-40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 IQD 785

$0.61 IQD 927

-14.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.67 IQD 2,528

$1.67 IQD 2,531

Wine (Bottle)

$6.47 IQD 9,779

$11.64 IQD 17.6K

-44.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 IQD 2,222

$1.99 IQD 3,005

-26.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 IQD 2,516

$1.96 IQD 2,962

-14.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 IQD 518

$0.32 IQD 480

6.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 IQD 113.4K

$20.04 IQD 30.3K

274.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 IQD 1,954

$2.02 IQD 3,045

-36.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 IQD 2,051

$1.30 IQD 1,964

4.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 IQD 6,032

$6.67 IQD 10.1K

-40.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.44 IQD 661

$0.58 IQD 870

-24.14%

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

$15.0K IQD 22.7M

$16.5K IQD 25.0M

-9.34%

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

$17.3K IQD 26.2M

$16.7K IQD 25.2M

3.74%

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

$76.1 IQD 115.0K

$188 IQD 284.5K

-59.59%

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

$12.24 IQD 18.5K

$19.25 IQD 29.1K

-36.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.78 IQD 35.9K

$37.51 IQD 56.7K

-36.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.66 IQD 31.2K

$39.97 IQD 60.4K

-48.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.72 IQD 34.3K

$18.38 IQD 27.8K

23.61%

Cinema Ticket

$8.09 IQD 12.2K

$9.70 IQD 14.7K

-16.60%

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

$172 IQD 259.6K

$145 IQD 219.6K

18.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,729 IQD 4.1M

$3,297 IQD 5.0M

-17.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.79 IQD 16.3K

$25.60 IQD 38.7K

-57.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.25 IQD 24.6K

$33.32 IQD 50.3K

-51.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.17 IQD 35.0K

$60.2 IQD 90.9K

-61.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$22.08 IQD 33.4K

$41.85 IQD 63.2K

-47.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$142 IQD 215.2K

$537 IQD 811.6K

-73.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$103 IQD 155.9K

$364 IQD 550.5K

-71.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$247 IQD 373.8K

$963 IQD 1.5M

-74.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$252 IQD 380.7K

$624 IQD 943.1K

-59.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$730 IQD 1.1M

$4,276 IQD 6.5M

-82.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$502 IQD 758.5K

$1,379 IQD 2.1M

-63.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$420 IQD 634.2K

$518 IQD 782.8K

-18.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.53

4.12

-38.59%

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

Last update for Mosul: October 25, 2026

Last update for Baghdad: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Mosul

$127 22.2%

Baghdad

$164 15.6% 28.5% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mosul

$112 19.6%

Baghdad

$245 23.4% 119% $133

Accommodation & Living

Mosul

$103 18%

Baghdad

$364 34.8% 253% $261

Getting Around

Mosul

$84 14.7%

Baghdad

$30 2.9% 64.7% $55

Eating Out

Mosul

$77 13.4%

Baghdad

$113 10.8% 47.3% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Mosul

$37 6.4%

Baghdad

$59 5.7% 61.2% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Mosul

$33 5.7%

Baghdad

$72 6.9% 123% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $142 in Mosul and $537 in Baghdad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Baghdad pays 23% 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: $16 in Mosul vs $27 in Baghdad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $127 vs $164 per month, with Mosul cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Mosul

🇮🇶 Baghdad

🕒 Local time

22:52 10:52 PM

Same time as Mosul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,683,000

7,216,040 Capital

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Mosul Baghdad 360 km

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Mosul
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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

Mosul vs Baghdad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mosul wins on cost – living expenses run 45% lower than in Baghdad. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Mosul the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 19% lower in Mosul. 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: $142 in Mosul versus $537 in Baghdad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Baghdad runs roughly 73% less than in Mosul. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $172 in Mosul versus $145 in Baghdad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Mosul gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Mosul wins on affordability, Baghdad on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.