Cost of Living Comparison Between Oral and Sulaymaniyah Cost of Living Comparison Between Oral and Sulaymaniyah

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $750 per month in Oral vs $750 in Sulaymaniyah, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,163 per month in Oral vs $1,166 in Sulaymaniyah, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,577 per month in Oral vs $1,581 in Sulaymaniyah, rent included.

Oral and Sulaymaniyah have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Oral and Sulaymaniyah are more affordable than the global median – Oral 44% lower, Sulaymaniyah 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.27 ₸3,360

$5.26 IQD 6,895

38.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.64 ₸14.2K

$26.81 IQD 35.1K

14.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.29 ₸3,371

$7.01 IQD 9,182

3.99%

Cappuccino

$1.70 ₸784

$2.64 IQD 3,461

-35.61%

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

$0.90 ₸415

$0.39 IQD 514

130.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₸261

$0.21 IQD 269

171.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.81 ₸374

$2.07 IQD 2,714

-60.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ₸832

$2.71 IQD 3,550

-33.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 ₸574

$1.41 IQD 1,851

-12.06%

White Bread (500g)

$0.38 ₸174

$1.02 IQD 1,332

-62.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 ₸673

$1.61 IQD 2,109

-9.94%

Eggs

$1.33 ₸615

$1.78 IQD 2,329

-25.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.86 ₸3,634

$6.10 IQD 7,998

28.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.90 ₸1,802

$3.56 IQD 4,667

9.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.73 ₸4,498

$14.01 IQD 18.4K

-30.55%

Apples (1kg)

$1.05 ₸485

$1.17 IQD 1,532

-10.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 ₸862

$1.29 IQD 1,694

44.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 ₸930

$1.27 IQD 1,662

58.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.95 ₸1,365

$0.73 IQD 957

304.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.40 ₸185

$0.61 IQD 798

-34.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.31 ₸144

$0.67 IQD 879

-53.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 ₸295

$0.59 IQD 777

8.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ₸441

$0.45 IQD 590

111.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.79 ₸830

$1.94 IQD 2,536

-7.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.48 ₸3,459

$11.61 IQD 15.2K

-35.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ₸283

$1.51 IQD 1,975

-59.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 ₸702

$1.81 IQD 2,367

-16.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₸101

$0.55 IQD 715

-60.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.16 IQD 30.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.57 ₸265

$2.36 IQD 3,096

-75.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 ₸306

$2.33 IQD 3,053

-71.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.79 ₸2,216

$5.46 IQD 7,150

-12.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.50 ₸231

$0.77 IQD 1,006

-35.06%

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

$19.7K ₸9.1M

$20.3K IQD 26.6M

-2.94%

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

$24.4K ₸11.3M

$20.6K IQD 26.9M

18.72%

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

$73.7 ₸34.1K

$76.6 IQD 100.4K

-3.75%

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

$7.93 ₸3,669

$16.90 IQD 22.1K

-53.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.54 ₸5,797

$26.27 IQD 34.4K

-52.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.0 ₸31.9K

$39.65 IQD 51.9K

74.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.92 IQD 22.2K

Cinema Ticket

$2.96 ₸1,367

$7.47 IQD 9,788

-60.37%

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

$208 ₸96.4K

$151 IQD 198.4K

37.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,923 ₸2.3M

$3,491 IQD 4.6M

41.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.77 ₸13.8K

$23.36 IQD 30.6K

27.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.77 ₸16.5K

$24.92 IQD 32.6K

43.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.9 ₸41.1K

$43.74 IQD 57.3K

103.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.7 ₸35.9K

$36.40 IQD 47.7K

113.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$249 ₸115.0K

$240 IQD 315.0K

3.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$187 ₸86.4K

$175 IQD 229.4K

6.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$394 ₸182.0K

$572 IQD 749.7K

-31.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 ₸126.3K

$341 IQD 446.4K

-19.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$810 IQD 1.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$579 IQD 758.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$429 ₸198.2K

$580 IQD 759.7K

-26.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.39

104.33%

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

Last update for Oral: April 27, 2026

Last update for Sulaymaniyah: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $249 in Oral versus $240 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 35% higher in Sulaymaniyah. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31.00 in Oral versus $27.00 in Sulaymaniyah. Groceries tell a different story – $176 in Oral vs $184 in Sulaymaniyah – so Oral wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Oral vs Sulaymaniyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,125 per month in Oral and $1,126 in Sulaymaniyah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31.00 in Oral and $27.00 in Sulaymaniyah. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Kindergarten costs $208 per month in Oral and $151 in Sulaymaniyah. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $750 in Oral and $750 in Sulaymaniyah, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Oral – 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 Oral. 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.