Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sulaymaniyah and Al Hillah

For one person, living is cheaper in Sulaymaniyah: $663 a month against $693 in Al Hillah, rent and utilities included – about $360 less a year. The total is higher in Al Hillah despite lower rent and utilities.

32

Cost of Living Index in Sulaymaniyah
Learn more

Sulaymaniyah Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Al Hillah
Learn more

Al Hillah Living Index

Jump to prices

Sulaymaniyah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$663

/mo nomad

Al Hillah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$693

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sulaymaniyah and in Al Hillah

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 Al Hillah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $663 per month in Sulaymaniyah vs $693 in Al Hillah, rent included.

Sulaymaniyah $663
Al Hillah $693

A couple spends around $1,034 per month in Sulaymaniyah vs $1,067 in Al Hillah, rent included.

Sulaymaniyah $1,034
Al Hillah $1,067

A family of three spends $1,406 per month in Sulaymaniyah vs $1,442 in Al Hillah, rent included.

Sulaymaniyah $1,406
Al Hillah $1,442

Sulaymaniyah is about 4% cheaper than Al Hillah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Sulaymaniyah and Al Hillah are more affordable than the global median – Sulaymaniyah 51% lower, Al Hillah 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.21 IQD 6,358

$4.69 IQD 7,078

-10.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.75 IQD 29.8K

$26.52 IQD 40.0K

-25.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.90 IQD 8,910

$5.51 IQD 8,321

7.08%

Cappuccino

$2.45 IQD 3,699

$2.69 IQD 4,066

-8.92%

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

$0.43 IQD 650

$0.34 IQD 519

26.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 IQD 302

$0.20 IQD 309

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.22 IQD 4,869

$2.73 IQD 4,118

17.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 IQD 3,078

$3.35 IQD 5,060

-39.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 IQD 1,676

$0.97 IQD 1,462

14.43%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 IQD 1,338

$0.64 IQD 962

39.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 IQD 2,514

$1.38 IQD 2,079

20.29%

Eggs

$1.55 IQD 2,344

$1.54 IQD 2,328

0.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.31 IQD 6,505

$3.36 IQD 5,080

28.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 IQD 5,532

$4.01 IQD 6,061

-8.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.27 IQD 20.0K

$12.29 IQD 18.6K

7.97%

Apples (1kg)

$1.11 IQD 1,679

$0.96 IQD 1,449

15.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 IQD 1,645

$0.95 IQD 1,442

14.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 IQD 1,578

$0.90 IQD 1,366

15.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 IQD 843

$0.68 IQD 1,031

-17.65%

Potato (1kg)

$0.49 IQD 740

$0.58 IQD 883

-15.52%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 IQD 956

$0.60 IQD 911

5.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 IQD 883

$0.52 IQD 785

11.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 IQD 685

$0.52 IQD 779

-13.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.02 IQD 3,047

$1.66 IQD 2,513

21.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.76 IQD 14.7K

$11.71 IQD 17.7K

-16.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 IQD 2,507

$1.90 IQD 2,874

-12.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 IQD 1,895

$1.96 IQD 2,964

-36.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 IQD 786

$0.34 IQD 517

52.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.74 IQD 29.8K

$55.0 IQD 83.1K

-64.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 IQD 2,903

$1.96 IQD 2,967

-2.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 IQD 2,959

$1.28 IQD 1,937

53.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.48 IQD 6,769

$2.98 IQD 4,503

50.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.57 IQD 865

$0.50 IQD 756

14.00%

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

$17.6K IQD 26.5M

$14.8K IQD 22.4M

18.46%

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

$17.0K IQD 25.6M

$16.6K IQD 25.1M

2.15%

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

$85.2 IQD 128.6K

$65.1 IQD 98.3K

30.89%

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

$10.12 IQD 15.3K

$13.34 IQD 20.1K

-24.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.03 IQD 36.3K

$33.35 IQD 50.4K

-27.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.78 IQD 51.0K

$19.62 IQD 29.6K

72.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.92 IQD 27.1K

$16.36 IQD 24.7K

9.54%

Cinema Ticket

$6.56 IQD 9,909

$6.44 IQD 9,717

1.86%

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

$153 IQD 230.9K

$81.2 IQD 122.5K

88.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,546 IQD 3.8M

$664 IQD 1.0M

283.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.75 IQD 25.3K

$18.98 IQD 28.7K

-11.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.28 IQD 33.6K

$21.34 IQD 32.2K

4.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$36.83 IQD 55.6K

$57.8 IQD 87.3K

-36.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.01 IQD 49.8K

$42.36 IQD 64.0K

-22.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$187 IQD 282.4K

$245 IQD 369.3K

-23.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$147 IQD 221.8K

$151 IQD 228.5K

-2.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$419 IQD 632.4K

$436 IQD 658.7K

-3.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$314 IQD 474.1K

$258 IQD 389.5K

21.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$695 IQD 1.0M

$1,477 IQD 2.2M

-52.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$548 IQD 827.6K

$483 IQD 728.9K

13.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 IQD 756.8K

$436 IQD 658.8K

14.87%

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 Al Hillah: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sulaymaniyah

$164 24.7%

Al Hillah

$160 23.2% 2.1% $3.4

Accommodation & Living

Sulaymaniyah

$147 22.2%

Al Hillah

$151 21.8% 3% $4.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sulaymaniyah

$119 18%

Al Hillah

$112 16.1% 6.3% $7.6

Eating Out

Sulaymaniyah

$104 15.6%

Al Hillah

$109 15.7% 5.2% $5.4

Clothing & Footwear

Sulaymaniyah

$49 7.4%

Al Hillah

$63 9.1% 29.1% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Sulaymaniyah

$47 7.1%

Al Hillah

$32 4.7% 30.7% $14

Getting Around

Sulaymaniyah

$34 5.1%

Al Hillah

$65 9.4% 93.1% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $187 in Sulaymaniyah versus $245 in Al Hillah. 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 15% higher in Sulaymaniyah, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20 in Sulaymaniyah versus $27 in Al Hillah. Groceries tell a different story – $164 in Sulaymaniyah vs $160 in Al Hillah – so Al Hillah wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Sulaymaniyah

🇮🇶 Al Hillah

🕒 Local time

06:11 6:11 AM

Same time as Sulaymaniyah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

823,199

1,729,666

💱 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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sulaymaniyah Al Hillah 350 km

From you

Sulaymaniyah
Al Hillah

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 Al Hillah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Al Hillah is pricier by about 5%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $994 per month in Sulaymaniyah and $1,039 in Al Hillah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sulaymaniyah, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $187 there versus $245 in Al Hillah.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20 in Sulaymaniyah and $27 in Al Hillah. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 64% less in Sulaymaniyah. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $663 in Sulaymaniyah and $693 in Al Hillah, 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 $663 in Sulaymaniyah to $693 in Al Hillah. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.