Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sulaymaniyah and Al-mawsil

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-mawsil: $598 a month against $663 in Sulaymaniyah, rent and utilities included – about $780 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Sulaymaniyah
Learn more

Sulaymaniyah Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Al-mawsil
Learn more

Al-mawsil Living Index

Jump to prices

Sulaymaniyah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$663

/mo nomad

Al-mawsil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$598

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sulaymaniyah and in Al-mawsil

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-mawsil actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $663 in Sulaymaniyah versus $598 in Al-mawsil.

Sulaymaniyah $663
Al-mawsil $598

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,034 in Sulaymaniyah versus $903 in Al-mawsil.

Sulaymaniyah $1,034
Al-mawsil $903

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,406 in Sulaymaniyah versus $1,207 in Al-mawsil.

Sulaymaniyah $1,406
Al-mawsil $1,207

Living in Sulaymaniyah is roughly 11% more expensive than in Al-mawsil, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sulaymaniyah 51% lower, Al-mawsil 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.21 IQD 6,363

$4.07 IQD 6,148

3.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.75 IQD 29.8K

$10.40 IQD 15.7K

89.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.90 IQD 8,916

$5.01 IQD 7,571

17.76%

Cappuccino

$2.45 IQD 3,702

$0.64 IQD 974

282.81%

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

$0.43 IQD 650

$0.35 IQD 522

22.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 IQD 302

$0.18 IQD 279

11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.22 IQD 4,873

$0.87 IQD 1,311

270.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 IQD 3,080

$1.36 IQD 2,051

50.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 IQD 1,677

$0.64 IQD 970

73.44%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 IQD 1,339

$0.65 IQD 978

36.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 IQD 2,516

$0.55 IQD 830

201.82%

Eggs

$1.55 IQD 2,345

$0.95 IQD 1,440

63.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.31 IQD 6,509

$7.19 IQD 10.9K

-40.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 IQD 5,536

$2.88 IQD 4,353

27.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.27 IQD 20.1K

$8.14 IQD 12.3K

63.02%

Apples (1kg)

$1.11 IQD 1,680

$0.64 IQD 963

73.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 IQD 1,646

$0.64 IQD 972

70.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 IQD 1,579

$0.48 IQD 728

116.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 IQD 843

$0.22 IQD 331

154.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.49 IQD 740

$0.25 IQD 375

96.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 IQD 957

$0.31 IQD 474

103.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 IQD 883

$0.60 IQD 911

-3.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 IQD 685

$0.49 IQD 740

-8.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.02 IQD 3,049

$1.61 IQD 2,439

25.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.76 IQD 14.7K

$10.94 IQD 16.5K

-10.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 IQD 2,509

$1.45 IQD 2,195

14.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 IQD 1,896

$1.80 IQD 2,714

-30.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 IQD 786

$0.31 IQD 475

67.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.74 IQD 29.8K

$26.19 IQD 39.6K

-24.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 IQD 2,904

$1.61 IQD 2,438

19.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 IQD 2,961

$1.60 IQD 2,420

22.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.48 IQD 6,774

$3.98 IQD 6,021

12.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.57 IQD 865

$0.31 IQD 472

83.87%

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

$17.6K IQD 26.6M

$13.0K IQD 19.7M

34.95%

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

$17.0K IQD 25.6M

$15.3K IQD 23.2M

10.51%

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

$85.2 IQD 128.7K

$93.7 IQD 141.5K

-9.06%

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

$10.12 IQD 15.3K

$12.00 IQD 18.1K

-15.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.03 IQD 36.3K

$22.95 IQD 34.7K

4.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.78 IQD 51.0K

$37.48 IQD 56.6K

-9.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.92 IQD 27.1K

$6.48 IQD 9,784

176.54%

Cinema Ticket

$6.56 IQD 9,916

$6.42 IQD 9,708

2.18%

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

$153 IQD 231.1K

$301 IQD 455.1K

-49.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,546 IQD 3.8M

$604 IQD 912.4K

321.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.75 IQD 25.3K

$16.49 IQD 24.9K

1.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.28 IQD 33.7K

$12.99 IQD 19.6K

71.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$36.83 IQD 55.7K

$60.0 IQD 90.6K

-38.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.01 IQD 49.9K

$15.65 IQD 23.6K

110.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$187 IQD 282.6K

$211 IQD 318.8K

-11.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$147 IQD 221.9K

$139 IQD 209.6K

5.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$419 IQD 632.8K

$369 IQD 557.1K

13.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$314 IQD 474.4K

$309 IQD 466.9K

1.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$695 IQD 1.1M

$851 IQD 1.3M

-18.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$548 IQD 828.2K

$435 IQD 657.4K

25.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 IQD 757.3K

$521 IQD 787.2K

-3.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.77

2.53

128.06%

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

Last update for Sulaymaniyah: October 25, 2026

Last update for Al-mawsil: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sulaymaniyah

$164 24.7%

Al-mawsil

$132 22% 19.6% $32

Accommodation & Living

Sulaymaniyah

$147 22.2%

Al-mawsil

$139 23.2% 5.5% $8.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sulaymaniyah

$119 18%

Al-mawsil

$129 21.5% 7.8% $9.3

Eating Out

Sulaymaniyah

$104 15.6%

Al-mawsil

$64 10.8% 37.7% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Sulaymaniyah

$49 7.4%

Al-mawsil

$47 7.9% 3.5% $1.7

Sport & Entertainment

Sulaymaniyah

$47 7.1%

Al-mawsil

$50 8.4% 7.3% $3.4

Getting Around

Sulaymaniyah

$34 5.1%

Al-mawsil

$37 6.2% 10.5% $3.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $187 in Sulaymaniyah and $211 in Al-mawsil. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al-mawsil pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $20 in Sulaymaniyah vs $10 in Al-mawsil for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $164 vs $132 per month, with Al-mawsil cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Sulaymaniyah

🇮🇶 Al-mawsil

🕒 Local time

22:44 10:44 PM

Same time as Sulaymaniyah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

823,199

1,683,000

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sulaymaniyah Al-mawsil 230 km

From you

Sulaymaniyah
Al-mawsil

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-mawsil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al-mawsil is about 10% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 4% lower in Sulaymaniyah. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $187 in Sulaymaniyah versus $211 in Al-mawsil. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $153 in Sulaymaniyah versus $301 in Al-mawsil. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Sulaymaniyah. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Al-mawsil gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.