Cost of Living Comparison Between Sulaymaniyah and Al Kut Cost of Living Comparison Between Sulaymaniyah and Al Kut

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $761 per month in Sulaymaniyah vs $724 in Al Kut, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,176 per month in Sulaymaniyah vs $1,142 in Al Kut, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,591 per month in Sulaymaniyah vs $1,559 in Al Kut, rent included.

Sulaymaniyah costs about 5% more than Al Kut, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Sulaymaniyah and Al Kut are more affordable than the global median – Sulaymaniyah 43% lower, Al Kut 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.42 IQD 7,098

$4.06 IQD 5,320

33.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.66 IQD 34.9K

$24.97 IQD 32.7K

6.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.84 IQD 8,953

$6.69 IQD 8,763

2.24%

Cappuccino

$2.65 IQD 3,468

$2.59 IQD 3,394

2.32%

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

$0.39 IQD 515

$0.37 IQD 480

5.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 IQD 256

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.05 IQD 2,681

$2.97 IQD 3,891

-30.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 IQD 3,529

$2.95 IQD 3,865

-8.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 IQD 1,913

$1.32 IQD 1,727

10.61%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 IQD 1,295

$0.84 IQD 1,101

17.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 IQD 2,105

$1.48 IQD 1,942

8.78%

Eggs

$1.71 IQD 2,244

$1.54 IQD 2,017

11.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.05 IQD 7,920

$4.61 IQD 6,042

31.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.53 IQD 4,617

$3.49 IQD 4,567

1.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.46 IQD 18.9K

$13.29 IQD 17.4K

8.80%

Apples (1kg)

$1.17 IQD 1,527

$0.84 IQD 1,098

39.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 IQD 1,615

$1.01 IQD 1,317

21.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 IQD 1,671

$0.82 IQD 1,069

56.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.75 IQD 985

$0.73 IQD 962

2.74%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 IQD 871

$0.66 IQD 862

1.52%

Onion (1kg)

$0.65 IQD 845

$0.66 IQD 867

-1.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 IQD 715

$0.63 IQD 824

-12.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 IQD 586

$0.53 IQD 689

-15.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.94 IQD 2,543

$1.86 IQD 2,429

4.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.56 IQD 15.1K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 IQD 1,976

$1.79 IQD 2,344

-15.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 IQD 2,269

$2.07 IQD 2,711

-16.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 IQD 724

$0.39 IQD 511

41.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.59 IQD 29.6K

$31.59 IQD 41.4K

-28.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.27 IQD 2,966

$2.29 IQD 2,996

-0.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.28 IQD 2,986

$1.55 IQD 2,034

47.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.21 IQD 6,828

$6.16 IQD 8,067

-15.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.75 IQD 985

$0.58 IQD 756

29.31%

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

$20.7K IQD 27.1M

$19.1K IQD 25.1M

8.21%

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

$21.1K IQD 27.7M

$20.2K IQD 26.4M

4.71%

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

$77.5 IQD 101.5K

$76.0 IQD 99.5K

1.93%

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

$16.80 IQD 22.0K

$17.86 IQD 23.4K

-5.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.70 IQD 35.0K

$34.28 IQD 44.9K

-22.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.57 IQD 50.5K

$37.26 IQD 48.8K

3.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.67 IQD 21.8K

$16.97 IQD 22.2K

-1.77%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 IQD 9,799

$7.87 IQD 10.3K

-4.96%

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

$150 IQD 196.2K

$155 IQD 202.4K

-3.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,550 IQD 4.6M

$3,292 IQD 4.3M

7.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.44 IQD 30.7K

$27.28 IQD 35.7K

-14.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.93 IQD 32.6K

$25.40 IQD 33.3K

-1.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$43.58 IQD 57.1K

$62.0 IQD 81.2K

-29.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.28 IQD 47.5K

$41.87 IQD 54.8K

-13.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$235 IQD 308.2K

$247 IQD 323.6K

-4.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$180 IQD 236.2K

$176 IQD 230.5K

2.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$568 IQD 744.4K

$575 IQD 753.5K

-1.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$340 IQD 445.3K

$338 IQD 442.8K

0.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$820 IQD 1.1M

$981 IQD 1.3M

-16.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$576 IQD 753.9K

$497 IQD 650.5K

15.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$570 IQD 746.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.67

58.73%

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

Last update for Sulaymaniyah: July 27, 2026

Last update for Al Kut: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $235 in Sulaymaniyah versus $247 in Al Kut. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27.00 in Sulaymaniyah versus $25.00 in Al Kut. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $184 vs $147 – making Al Kut the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Kut: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $761 in Sulaymaniyah, $724 in Al Kut – roughly 5% apart. Sulaymaniyah costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,142 per month in Sulaymaniyah and $1,086 in Al Kut. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 25% more in Sulaymaniyah, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27.00 in Sulaymaniyah and $25.00 in Al Kut. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $761 in Sulaymaniyah and $724 in Al Kut, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Al Kut – 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 Al Kut. 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.