Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sulaymaniyah and As Samawah

For one person, living costs are similar in Sulaymaniyah and in As Samawah: $667 and $651 a month, rent and utilities included.

32

Cost of Living Index in Sulaymaniyah
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Sulaymaniyah Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in As Samawah
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As Samawah Living Index

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Sulaymaniyah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$667

/mo nomad

As Samawah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$651

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sulaymaniyah and in As Samawah

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 As Samawah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $667 in Sulaymaniyah versus $651 in As Samawah.

Sulaymaniyah $667
As Samawah $651

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,035 in Sulaymaniyah versus $1,052 in As Samawah.

Sulaymaniyah $1,035
As Samawah $1,052

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,403 in Sulaymaniyah versus $1,452 in As Samawah.

Sulaymaniyah $1,403
As Samawah $1,452

Monthly costs are close between Sulaymaniyah and As Samawah; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sulaymaniyah 51% lower, As Samawah 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.35 IQD 6,570

$4.66 IQD 7,041

-6.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.15 IQD 30.5K

$26.87 IQD 40.6K

-25.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.91 IQD 8,935

$6.63 IQD 10.0K

-10.86%

Cappuccino

$2.37 IQD 3,580

$2.82 IQD 4,266

-15.96%

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

$0.43 IQD 644

$0.35 IQD 522

22.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 IQD 302

$0.19 IQD 281

5.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 IQD 4,890

$3.36 IQD 5,079

-3.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 IQD 3,071

$3.24 IQD 4,889

-37.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 IQD 1,732

$0.90 IQD 1,367

27.78%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 IQD 1,306

$0.63 IQD 951

36.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 IQD 2,534

$1.31 IQD 1,978

28.24%

Eggs

$1.53 IQD 2,306

$1.61 IQD 2,436

-4.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.31 IQD 6,514

$1.34 IQD 2,019

221.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 IQD 5,627

$4.02 IQD 6,070

-7.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.96 IQD 19.6K

$11.86 IQD 17.9K

9.27%

Apples (1kg)

$1.11 IQD 1,684

$0.96 IQD 1,455

15.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 IQD 1,631

$0.92 IQD 1,383

17.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 IQD 1,496

$0.83 IQD 1,256

19.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 IQD 833

$0.40 IQD 606

37.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.45 IQD 683

$0.52 IQD 784

-13.46%

Onion (1kg)

$0.62 IQD 940

$0.56 IQD 851

10.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 IQD 881

$0.59 IQD 892

-1.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 IQD 634

$0.58 IQD 878

-27.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.96 IQD 2,956

$1.69 IQD 2,548

15.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.04 IQD 15.2K

$6.66 IQD 10.1K

50.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 IQD 2,532

$1.97 IQD 2,973

-14.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 IQD 1,855

$1.89 IQD 2,854

-34.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 IQD 705

$0.34 IQD 517

38.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.85 IQD 30.0K

$19.98 IQD 30.2K

-0.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 IQD 3,017

$1.96 IQD 2,968

2.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 IQD 2,951

$1.28 IQD 1,940

52.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.74 IQD 7,164

$2.61 IQD 3,937

81.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.57 IQD 864

$0.57 IQD 866

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

$17.6K IQD 26.7M

$16.7K IQD 25.3M

5.40%

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

$16.7K IQD 25.2M

$16.6K IQD 25.1M

0.25%

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

$86.4 IQD 130.6K

$69.4 IQD 104.9K

24.56%

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

$9.75 IQD 14.7K

$16.69 IQD 25.2K

-41.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.74 IQD 35.9K

$16.78 IQD 25.3K

41.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.60 IQD 52.3K

$36.45 IQD 55.1K

-5.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 IQD 26.9K

$16.68 IQD 25.2K

6.83%

Cinema Ticket

$6.43 IQD 9,711

$7.81 IQD 11.8K

-17.67%

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

$150 IQD 226.9K

$49.72 IQD 75.1K

201.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,562 IQD 3.9M

$1,297 IQD 2.0M

97.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.49 IQD 24.9K

$25.54 IQD 38.6K

-35.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.41 IQD 33.9K

$33.33 IQD 50.4K

-32.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$36.43 IQD 55.0K

$58.9 IQD 89.0K

-38.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.62 IQD 55.3K

$41.08 IQD 62.1K

-10.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$187 IQD 282.3K

$209 IQD 316.2K

-10.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$150 IQD 225.9K

$137 IQD 207.7K

8.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$412 IQD 621.8K

$168 IQD 254.1K

144.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$308 IQD 464.7K

$309 IQD 467.1K

-0.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$703 IQD 1.1M

$867 IQD 1.3M

-18.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$541 IQD 817.5K

$496 IQD 750.1K

8.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 IQD 758.7K

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: November 3, 2026

Last update for As Samawah: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sulaymaniyah

$163 24.4%

As Samawah

$141 21.7% 13.3% $22

Accommodation & Living

Sulaymaniyah

$150 22.4%

As Samawah

$137 21.1% 8.1% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sulaymaniyah

$120 18%

As Samawah

$103 15.8% 14.2% $17

Eating Out

Sulaymaniyah

$104 15.5%

As Samawah

$116 17.9% 12.3% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Sulaymaniyah

$50 7.6%

As Samawah

$71 11% 41.9% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Sulaymaniyah

$47 7.1%

As Samawah

$52 8% 9.7% $4.6

Getting Around

Sulaymaniyah

$33 5%

As Samawah

$30 4.6% 11.2% $3.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $187 in Sulaymaniyah and $209 in As Samawah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $20 in Sulaymaniyah vs $27 in As Samawah. Groceries flip the comparison at $163 vs $141, with As Samawah cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Sulaymaniyah

🇮🇶 As Samawah

🕒 Local time

14:50 2:50 PM

Same time as Sulaymaniyah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

823,199

250,000

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Sulaymaniyah As Samawah 470 km

From you

Sulaymaniyah
As Samawah

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 As Samawah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

You’d need roughly $1,001 in Sulaymaniyah and $977 in As Samawah to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $187 in Sulaymaniyah versus $209 in As Samawah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Sulaymaniyah – a meal for two runs $20 versus $27 in As Samawah. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Childcare runs $150 in Sulaymaniyah versus $50 in As Samawah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though As Samawah 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.