Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sulaymaniyah and Ad Diwaniyah

For one person, living is cheaper in Ad Diwaniyah: $559 a month against $663 in Sulaymaniyah, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Sulaymaniyah, Iraq
Ad Diwaniyah, Iraq
Sulaymaniyah
🇮🇶 Iraq
$663
/mo nomad
Ad Diwaniyah
🇮🇶 Iraq
$559
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sulaymaniyah and in Ad Diwaniyah

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

A single person spends $663 per month in Sulaymaniyah vs $559 in Ad Diwaniyah, rent included.

  • Sulaymaniyah $663
  • Ad Diwaniyah $559

A couple spends around $1,034 per month in Sulaymaniyah vs $876 in Ad Diwaniyah, rent included.

  • Sulaymaniyah $1,034
  • Ad Diwaniyah $876

A family of three spends $1,406 per month in Sulaymaniyah vs $1,193 in Ad Diwaniyah, rent included.

  • Sulaymaniyah $1,406
  • Ad Diwaniyah $1,193

Sulaymaniyah costs about 19% more than Ad Diwaniyah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sulaymaniyah and Ad Diwaniyah are more affordable than the global median – Sulaymaniyah 51% lower, Ad Diwaniyah 59% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sulaymaniyah
Ad Diwaniyah
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.21 IQD 6,363
$2.75 IQD 4,154
53.09%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.75 IQD 29.8K
$9.87 IQD 14.9K
100.10%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.90 IQD 8,916
$4.61 IQD 6,960
27.98%
Cappuccino
$2.45 IQD 3,702
$1.62 IQD 2,442
51.23%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.43 IQD 650
$0.36 IQD 538
19.44%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.20 IQD 302
$0.22 IQD 333
-9.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.22 IQD 4,873
$3.24 IQD 4,901
-0.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.04 IQD 3,080
$3.23 IQD 4,876
-36.84%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sulaymaniyah
Ad Diwaniyah
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.11 IQD 1,677
$0.95 IQD 1,440
16.84%
White Bread (500g)
$0.89 IQD 1,339
$0.69 IQD 1,045
28.99%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.66 IQD 2,516
$1.13 IQD 1,708
46.90%
Eggs
$1.55 IQD 2,345
$1.69 IQD 2,552
-8.28%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.31 IQD 6,509
$3.40 IQD 5,142
26.76%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.66 IQD 5,536
$3.38 IQD 5,112
8.28%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.27 IQD 20.1K
$9.80 IQD 14.8K
35.41%
Apples (1kg)
$1.11 IQD 1,680
$0.69 IQD 1,038
60.87%
Banana (1kg)
$1.09 IQD 1,646
$0.65 IQD 980
67.69%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.04 IQD 1,579
$0.64 IQD 968
62.50%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.56 IQD 843
$0.68 IQD 1,027
-17.65%
Potato (1kg)
$0.49 IQD 740
$0.55 IQD 837
-10.91%
Onion (1kg)
$0.63 IQD 957
$0.55 IQD 838
14.55%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.58 IQD 883
$0.32 IQD 483
81.25%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.45 IQD 685
$0.62 IQD 930
-27.42%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.02 IQD 3,049
$1.69 IQD 2,560
19.53%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.76 IQD 14.7K
$3.24 IQD 4,903
201.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 IQD 2,509
$1.89 IQD 2,859
-12.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.25 IQD 1,896
$1.97 IQD 2,973
-36.55%
🚌 Getting Around
Sulaymaniyah
Ad Diwaniyah
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.52 IQD 786
$0.38 IQD 572
36.84%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.74 IQD 29.8K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.92 IQD 2,904
$2.04 IQD 3,076
-5.88%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.96 IQD 2,961
$0.80 IQD 1,202
145.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.48 IQD 6,774
$6.52 IQD 9,850
-31.29%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.57 IQD 865
$0.29 IQD 432
96.55%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$17.6K IQD 26.6M
$16.4K IQD 24.7M
7.46%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$17.0K IQD 25.6M
$16.7K IQD 25.3M
1.36%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sulaymaniyah
Ad Diwaniyah
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$85.2 IQD 128.7K
$33.29 IQD 50.3K
155.84%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.12 IQD 15.3K
$14.94 IQD 22.6K
-32.26%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$24.03 IQD 36.3K
$33.23 IQD 50.2K
-27.69%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sulaymaniyah
Ad Diwaniyah
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$33.78 IQD 51.0K
$36.21 IQD 54.7K
-6.71%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.92 IQD 27.1K
$6.76 IQD 10.2K
165.09%
Cinema Ticket
$6.56 IQD 9,916
$6.45 IQD 9,752
1.71%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sulaymaniyah
Ad Diwaniyah
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$153 IQD 231.1K
$65.8 IQD 99.5K
132.31%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,546 IQD 3.8M
$3,258 IQD 4.9M
-21.85%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sulaymaniyah
Ad Diwaniyah
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$16.75 IQD 25.3K
$25.65 IQD 38.8K
-34.70%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$22.28 IQD 33.7K
$33.66 IQD 50.9K
-33.81%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$36.83 IQD 55.7K
$58.6 IQD 88.5K
-37.14%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$33.01 IQD 49.9K
$42.15 IQD 63.7K
-21.68%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sulaymaniyah
Ad Diwaniyah
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$187 IQD 282.6K
$204 IQD 309.0K
-8.54%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$147 IQD 221.9K
$140 IQD 210.8K
5.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$419 IQD 632.8K
$368 IQD 555.7K
13.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$314 IQD 474.4K
$316 IQD 478.1K
-0.78%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$695 IQD 1.1M
$890 IQD 1.3M
-21.85%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$548 IQD 828.2K
$498 IQD 752.9K
9.99%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sulaymaniyah
Ad Diwaniyah
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$501 IQD 757.3K
$328 IQD 495.7K
52.78%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.77
4.12
40.05%

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

Last update for Sulaymaniyah: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ad Diwaniyah: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Sulaymaniyah
$164
Ad Diwaniyah
$129 21.3% $35
Accommodation & Living
Sulaymaniyah
$147
Ad Diwaniyah
$140 5% $7.4
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sulaymaniyah
$119
Ad Diwaniyah
$81 31.7% $38
Eating Out
Sulaymaniyah
$104
Ad Diwaniyah
$80 22.5% $23
Clothing & Footwear
Sulaymaniyah
$49
Ad Diwaniyah
$72 47% $23
Sport & Entertainment
Sulaymaniyah
$47
Ad Diwaniyah
$49 4.7% $2.2
Getting Around
Sulaymaniyah
$34
Ad Diwaniyah
$7.5 * 77.5% $26

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $187 in Sulaymaniyah versus $204 in Ad Diwaniyah. 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 53% higher in Sulaymaniyah. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20 in Sulaymaniyah versus $10 in Ad Diwaniyah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $164 vs $129 – making Ad Diwaniyah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇶 Sulaymaniyah
🇮🇶 Ad Diwaniyah
🕒 Local time
13:42 1:42 PM
13:42 1:42 PM
Same time as Sulaymaniyah
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
823,199
650,927
💱 Currency
Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د
Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to IQD – Iraqi Dinar Converter

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,686 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sulaymaniyah Ad Diwaniyah 400 km
From you
  • Sulaymaniyah
  • Ad Diwaniyah

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
Sulaymaniyah vs Ad Diwaniyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ad Diwaniyah cheaper than Sulaymaniyah?
Yes – Sulaymaniyah is pricier by about 19%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $994 per month in Sulaymaniyah and $838 in Ad Diwaniyah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What is the rent difference between Sulaymaniyah and Ad Diwaniyah?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $187 in Sulaymaniyah and $204 in Ad Diwaniyah. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
What are total monthly expenses in Sulaymaniyah and in Ad Diwaniyah?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $663 in Sulaymaniyah and $559 in Ad Diwaniyah. That makes Ad Diwaniyah about 16% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $153 per month in Sulaymaniyah and $66 in Ad Diwaniyah. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,000 enough for either Sulaymaniyah or Ad Diwaniyah?
$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $663 in Sulaymaniyah and $559 in Ad Diwaniyah, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is it better to live in Sulaymaniyah or in Ad Diwaniyah?
It depends on your priorities. Sulaymaniyah has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $559 in Ad Diwaniyah to $663 in Sulaymaniyah. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Ad Diwaniyah. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sulaymaniyah makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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