Cost of Living Comparison Between Pakistan and Iraq Cost of Living Comparison Between Pakistan and Iraq

Name: Iraq
Address: IQ

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $450 in Pakistan versus $561 in Iraq.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $678 in Pakistan versus $864 in Iraq.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $905 in Pakistan versus $1,166 in Iraq.

Living in Pakistan costs about 20% less than in Iraq on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Pakistan 67% lower, Iraq 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.10 PKR 581

$4.51 IQD 5,902

-53.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.51 PKR 4,021

$22.77 IQD 29.8K

-36.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 PKR 1,533

$7.44 IQD 9,743

-25.67%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 PKR 594

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 PKR 1,120

Cappuccino

$2.04 PKR 564

$2.75 IQD 3,597

-25.82%

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

$0.38 PKR 105

$0.42 IQD 551

-9.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 PKR 66.7

$0.24 IQD 315

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 IQD 5,028

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 IQD 5,060

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 PKR 235

$1.14 IQD 1,497

-25.44%

White Bread (500g)

$0.63 PKR 174

$0.85 IQD 1,112

-25.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 PKR 339

$1.52 IQD 1,987

-19.74%

Eggs

$1.22 PKR 337

$1.73 IQD 2,271

-29.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.79 PKR 1,603

$4.85 IQD 6,352

19.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.90 PKR 803

$4.26 IQD 5,573

-31.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.08 PKR 1,407

$12.93 IQD 16.9K

-60.71%

Apples (1kg)

$1.13 PKR 313

$1.05 IQD 1,373

7.62%

Banana (1kg)

$0.69 PKR 191

$1.13 IQD 1,480

-38.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.84 PKR 232

$0.96 IQD 1,263

-12.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.57 PKR 159

$0.67 IQD 871

-14.93%

Potato (1kg)

$0.34 PKR 95.0

$0.68 IQD 886

-50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.42 PKR 116

$0.61 IQD 792

-31.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.34 PKR 95.1

$0.67 IQD 880

-49.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 PKR 113

$0.51 IQD 666

-19.61%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.04 PKR 566

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 PKR 299

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 PKR 644

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.14 PKR 594

$1.87 IQD 2,450

14.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.95 IQD 15.7K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 IQD 2,594

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 IQD 2,769

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 PKR 48.48

$0.39 IQD 511

-53.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.87 PKR 2,736

$26.00 IQD 34.0K

-62.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.91 PKR 252

$2.26 IQD 2,955

-59.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 PKR 144

$1.66 IQD 2,175

-68.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 PKR 601

$5.97 IQD 7,817

-63.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 PKR 337

$0.66 IQD 860

84.85%

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

$18.3K PKR 5.1M

$16.9K IQD 22.2M

8.04%

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

$25.4K PKR 7.0M

$19.1K IQD 25.0M

33.16%

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

$108 PKR 30.0K

$113 IQD 148.2K

-4.30%

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

$5.35 PKR 1,481

$15.84 IQD 20.7K

-66.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.67 PKR 4,340

$33.79 IQD 44.2K

-53.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.93 PKR 4,412

$35.74 IQD 46.8K

-55.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.70 PKR 2,964

$18.36 IQD 24.0K

-41.72%

Cinema Ticket

$4.41 PKR 1,222

$7.78 IQD 10.2K

-43.32%

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

$42.68 PKR 11.8K

$171 IQD 224.2K

-75.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,343 PKR 372.0K

$2,756 IQD 3.6M

-51.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.94 PKR 4,417

$21.41 IQD 28.0K

-25.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.78 PKR 6,589

$27.13 IQD 35.5K

-12.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.7 PKR 21.8K

$59.7 IQD 78.1K

31.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.79 PKR 9,361

$44.36 IQD 58.1K

-23.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$134 PKR 37.1K

$308 IQD 403.0K

-56.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$77.9 PKR 21.6K

$210 IQD 275.6K

-62.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$309 PKR 85.5K

$551 IQD 722.0K

-44.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$172 PKR 47.7K

$400 IQD 524.4K

-56.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,017 PKR 281.8K

$1,557 IQD 2.0M

-34.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$522 PKR 144.5K

$789 IQD 1.0M

-33.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$185 PKR 51.2K

$582 IQD 762.0K

-68.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.96

6.32

120.89%

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

Last update for Pakistan: September 7, 2026

Last update for Iraq: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $122 in Pakistan, $133 in Iraq. Capital cities: $270 in Islamabad vs $566 in Baghdad.

National salary averages: $181 in Pakistan, $551 in Iraq. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 9% higher in Iraq.

Dining out costs 54% more in Iraq.

Public transport is 22% more expensive in Iraq.

Salaries are 204% higher in Iraq, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Iraq.

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

Pakistan vs Iraq: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $562 per month in Iraq and $450 in Pakistan, there's a 25% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Pakistan: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Iraq is consistently higher than in Pakistan across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Pakistan, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in Iraq it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Pakistan wins on affordability; Iraq may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.