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 $750 per month in Sulaymaniyah vs $719 in Al Kut, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,166 per month in Sulaymaniyah vs $1,124 in Al Kut, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,581 per month in Sulaymaniyah vs $1,530 in Al Kut, rent included.

Sulaymaniyah costs about 4% more than Al Kut, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Sulaymaniyah and Al Kut are more affordable than the global median – Sulaymaniyah 44% lower, Al Kut 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.26 IQD 6,895

$3.94 IQD 5,165

33.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.81 IQD 35.1K

$25.03 IQD 32.8K

7.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.01 IQD 9,182

$6.76 IQD 8,853

3.70%

Cappuccino

$2.64 IQD 3,461

$2.63 IQD 3,452

0.38%

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

$0.39 IQD 514

$0.39 IQD 512

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 IQD 269

$0.21 IQD 281

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.07 IQD 2,714

$2.93 IQD 3,844

-29.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 IQD 3,550

$2.94 IQD 3,847

-7.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 IQD 1,851

$1.33 IQD 1,738

6.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 IQD 1,332

$0.84 IQD 1,096

21.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 IQD 2,109

$1.49 IQD 1,956

8.05%

Eggs

$1.78 IQD 2,329

$1.59 IQD 2,081

11.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.10 IQD 7,998

$4.56 IQD 5,978

33.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.56 IQD 4,667

$3.58 IQD 4,690

-0.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.01 IQD 18.4K

$13.25 IQD 17.4K

5.74%

Apples (1kg)

$1.17 IQD 1,532

$0.84 IQD 1,102

39.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 IQD 1,694

$1.00 IQD 1,315

29.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 IQD 1,662

$0.85 IQD 1,109

49.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.73 IQD 957

$0.75 IQD 985

-2.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.61 IQD 798

$0.69 IQD 902

-11.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 IQD 879

$0.62 IQD 811

8.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 IQD 777

$0.67 IQD 880

-11.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 IQD 590

$0.56 IQD 736

-19.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.94 IQD 2,536

$1.88 IQD 2,460

3.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.61 IQD 15.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 IQD 1,975

$1.76 IQD 2,310

-14.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 IQD 2,367

$2.15 IQD 2,813

-15.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 IQD 715

$0.37 IQD 480

48.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.16 IQD 30.3K

$31.33 IQD 41.0K

-26.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.36 IQD 3,096

$2.24 IQD 2,932

5.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.33 IQD 3,053

$1.52 IQD 1,994

53.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.46 IQD 7,150

$5.87 IQD 7,690

-6.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.77 IQD 1,006

$0.53 IQD 700

45.28%

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

$20.3K IQD 26.6M

$19.2K IQD 25.1M

5.89%

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

$20.6K IQD 26.9M

$19.8K IQD 25.9M

3.87%

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

$76.6 IQD 100.4K

$76.2 IQD 99.8K

0.58%

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

$16.90 IQD 22.1K

$17.76 IQD 23.3K

-4.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.27 IQD 34.4K

$35.11 IQD 46.0K

-25.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.65 IQD 51.9K

$36.97 IQD 48.4K

7.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.92 IQD 22.2K

$17.06 IQD 22.4K

-0.82%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 IQD 9,788

$7.61 IQD 9,975

-1.84%

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

$151 IQD 198.4K

$152 IQD 199.6K

-0.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,491 IQD 4.6M

$3,254 IQD 4.3M

7.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.36 IQD 30.6K

$27.30 IQD 35.8K

-14.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.92 IQD 32.6K

$24.98 IQD 32.7K

-0.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$43.74 IQD 57.3K

$61.9 IQD 81.0K

-29.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.40 IQD 47.7K

$40.65 IQD 53.3K

-10.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$240 IQD 315.0K

$241 IQD 315.7K

-0.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$175 IQD 229.4K

$179 IQD 234.1K

-2.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$572 IQD 749.7K

$569 IQD 745.4K

0.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$341 IQD 446.4K

$346 IQD 452.6K

-1.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$810 IQD 1.1M

$990 IQD 1.3M

-18.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$579 IQD 758.5K

$509 IQD 666.6K

13.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$580 IQD 759.7K

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Al Kut: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $240 in Sulaymaniyah versus $241 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 $149 – 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: $750 in Sulaymaniyah, $719 in Al Kut – roughly 4% apart. Sulaymaniyah costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,126 per month in Sulaymaniyah and $1,078 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 24% 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 $750 in Sulaymaniyah and $719 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.