Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mosul and Sulaymaniyah

For one person, living is cheaper in Mosul: $573 a month against $663 in Sulaymaniyah, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 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
32

Cost of Living Index in Sulaymaniyah
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Sulaymaniyah Living Index

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Mosul

🇮🇶 Iraq

$573

/mo nomad

Sulaymaniyah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mosul 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 Mosul and in Sulaymaniyah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $573 per month in Mosul vs $663 in Sulaymaniyah, rent included.

Mosul $573
Sulaymaniyah $663

A couple spends around $906 per month in Mosul vs $1,034 in Sulaymaniyah, rent included.

Mosul $906
Sulaymaniyah $1,034

A family of three spends $1,239 per month in Mosul vs $1,406 in Sulaymaniyah, rent included.

Mosul $1,239
Sulaymaniyah $1,406

Mosul is about 13% cheaper than Sulaymaniyah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mosul and Sulaymaniyah are more affordable than the global median – Mosul 58% lower, Sulaymaniyah 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.07 IQD 6,154

$4.21 IQD 6,363

-3.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.30 IQD 24.6K

$19.75 IQD 29.8K

-17.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.21 IQD 7,870

$5.90 IQD 8,916

-11.69%

Cappuccino

$1.44 IQD 2,171

$2.45 IQD 3,702

-41.22%

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

$0.37 IQD 552

$0.43 IQD 650

-13.95%

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

$3.22 IQD 4,873

-58.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 IQD 1,965

$2.04 IQD 3,080

-36.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.72 IQD 1,086

$1.11 IQD 1,677

-35.14%

White Bread (500g)

$0.63 IQD 955

$0.89 IQD 1,339

-29.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 IQD 1,645

$1.66 IQD 2,516

-34.34%

Eggs

$1.35 IQD 2,045

$1.55 IQD 2,345

-12.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.05 IQD 4,611

$4.31 IQD 6,509

-29.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 IQD 5,481

$3.66 IQD 5,536

-0.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.20 IQD 15.4K

$13.27 IQD 20.1K

-23.13%

Apples (1kg)

$0.60 IQD 900

$1.11 IQD 1,680

-45.95%

Banana (1kg)

$0.89 IQD 1,347

$1.09 IQD 1,646

-18.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.61 IQD 915

$1.04 IQD 1,579

-41.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.43 IQD 650

$0.56 IQD 843

-23.21%

Potato (1kg)

$0.41 IQD 617

$0.49 IQD 740

-16.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.41 IQD 621

$0.63 IQD 957

-34.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.36 IQD 544

$0.58 IQD 883

-37.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 IQD 785

$0.45 IQD 685

15.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.67 IQD 2,528

$2.02 IQD 3,049

-17.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.47 IQD 9,779

$9.76 IQD 14.7K

-33.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 IQD 2,222

$1.66 IQD 2,509

-11.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 IQD 2,516

$1.25 IQD 1,896

33.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 IQD 518

$0.52 IQD 786

-34.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 IQD 113.4K

$19.74 IQD 29.8K

280.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 IQD 1,954

$1.92 IQD 2,904

-32.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 IQD 2,051

$1.96 IQD 2,961

-30.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 IQD 6,032

$4.48 IQD 6,774

-10.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.44 IQD 661

$0.57 IQD 865

-22.81%

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

$15.0K IQD 22.7M

$17.6K IQD 26.6M

-14.71%

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

$17.3K IQD 26.2M

$17.0K IQD 25.6M

2.17%

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

$76.1 IQD 115.0K

$85.2 IQD 128.7K

-10.65%

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

$12.24 IQD 18.5K

$10.12 IQD 15.3K

20.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.78 IQD 35.9K

$24.03 IQD 36.3K

-1.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.66 IQD 31.2K

$33.78 IQD 51.0K

-38.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.72 IQD 34.3K

$17.92 IQD 27.1K

26.79%

Cinema Ticket

$8.09 IQD 12.2K

$6.56 IQD 9,916

23.32%

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

$172 IQD 259.6K

$153 IQD 231.1K

12.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,729 IQD 4.1M

$2,546 IQD 3.8M

7.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.79 IQD 16.3K

$16.75 IQD 25.3K

-35.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.25 IQD 24.6K

$22.28 IQD 33.7K

-27.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.17 IQD 35.0K

$36.83 IQD 55.7K

-37.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$22.08 IQD 33.4K

$33.01 IQD 49.9K

-33.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$142 IQD 215.2K

$187 IQD 282.6K

-23.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$103 IQD 155.9K

$147 IQD 221.9K

-29.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$247 IQD 373.8K

$419 IQD 632.8K

-40.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$252 IQD 380.7K

$314 IQD 474.4K

-19.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$730 IQD 1.1M

$695 IQD 1.1M

4.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$502 IQD 758.5K

$548 IQD 828.2K

-8.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$420 IQD 634.2K

$501 IQD 757.3K

-16.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.53

5.77

-56.15%

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

Last update for Mosul: October 25, 2026

Last update for Sulaymaniyah: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Mosul

$127 22.2%

Sulaymaniyah

$164 24.7% 28.5% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mosul

$112 19.6%

Sulaymaniyah

$119 18% 6.4% $7.2

Accommodation & Living

Mosul

$103 18%

Sulaymaniyah

$147 22.2% 42.4% $44

Getting Around

Mosul

$84 14.7%

Sulaymaniyah

$34 5.1% 60.3% $51

Eating Out

Mosul

$77 13.4%

Sulaymaniyah

$104 15.6% 34.6% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Mosul

$37 6.4%

Sulaymaniyah

$47 7.1% 27.3% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Mosul

$33 5.7%

Sulaymaniyah

$49 7.4% 50.6% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $142 in Mosul versus $187 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 19% higher in Sulaymaniyah. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Mosul versus $20 in Sulaymaniyah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $127 vs $164 – making Mosul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Mosul

🇮🇶 Sulaymaniyah

🕒 Local time

20:45 8:45 PM

Same time as Mosul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,683,000

823,199

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.95 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.95 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Mosul Sulaymaniyah 230 km

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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 Sulaymaniyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $573 in Mosul, $663 in Sulaymaniyah – roughly 16% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $860 per month in Mosul and $994 in Sulaymaniyah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mosul, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $142 there versus $187 in Sulaymaniyah.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $573 in Mosul and $663 in Sulaymaniyah. That’s a gap of about 16%.

Public transport costs about 74% less in Sulaymaniyah. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $573 in Mosul and $663 in Sulaymaniyah, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Sulaymaniyah has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $573 in Mosul to $663 in Sulaymaniyah. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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