Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sulaymaniyah and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Sulaymaniyah: $667 a month against $1,779 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Sulaymaniyah
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Sulaymaniyah Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index

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Sulaymaniyah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$667

/mo nomad

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,779

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sulaymaniyah and in Athens

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $667 in Sulaymaniyah versus $1,779 in Athens.

Sulaymaniyah $667
Athens $1,779

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,035 in Sulaymaniyah versus $2,721 in Athens.

Sulaymaniyah $1,035
Athens $2,721

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,403 in Sulaymaniyah versus $3,663 in Athens.

Sulaymaniyah $1,403
Athens $3,663

Living in Sulaymaniyah costs roughly 62% less than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sulaymaniyah is 51% below, Athens is 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.35 IQD 6,570

$16.83 €15.10

-74.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.15 IQD 30.5K

$66.0 €59.2

-69.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.91 IQD 8,935

$11.21 €10.06

-47.28%

Cappuccino

$2.37 IQD 3,580

$4.08 €3.66

-41.91%

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

$0.43 IQD 644

$2.77 €2.49

-84.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 IQD 302

$0.54 €0.48

-62.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 IQD 4,890

$5.70 €5.11

-43.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 IQD 3,071

$6.26 €5.62

-67.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 IQD 1,732

$1.84 €1.65

-37.50%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 IQD 1,306

$1.43 €1.28

-39.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 IQD 2,534

$2.67 €2.40

-37.08%

Eggs

$1.53 IQD 2,306

$4.95 €4.44

-69.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.31 IQD 6,514

$15.09 €13.55

-71.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 IQD 5,627

$10.99 €9.86

-66.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.96 IQD 19.6K

$19.77 €17.74

-34.45%

Apples (1kg)

$1.11 IQD 1,684

$2.12 €1.90

-47.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 IQD 1,631

$1.98 €1.78

-45.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 IQD 1,496

$1.33 €1.19

-25.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 IQD 833

$2.16 €1.94

-74.54%

Potato (1kg)

$0.45 IQD 683

$1.06 €0.95

-57.55%

Onion (1kg)

$0.62 IQD 940

$1.15 €1.03

-46.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 IQD 881

$1.08 €0.97

-46.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 IQD 634

$0.85 €0.76

-50.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.96 IQD 2,956

$5.46 €4.90

-64.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.04 IQD 15.2K

$10.03 €9.00

0.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 IQD 2,532

$2.04 €1.83

-17.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 IQD 1,855

$2.38 €2.14

-48.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 IQD 705

$1.35 €1.21

-65.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.85 IQD 30.0K

$30.52 €27.39

-34.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 IQD 3,017

$3.81 €3.42

-47.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 IQD 2,951

$1.03 €0.92

89.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.74 IQD 7,164

$16.49 €14.79

-71.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.57 IQD 864

$2.34 €2.10

-75.64%

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

$17.6K IQD 26.7M

$27.8K €24.9K

-36.46%

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

$16.7K IQD 25.2M

$26.6K €23.9K

-37.34%

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

$86.4 IQD 130.6K

$202 €181

-57.26%

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

$9.75 IQD 14.7K

$26.81 €24.06

-63.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.74 IQD 35.9K

$30.49 €27.36

-22.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.60 IQD 52.3K

$54.1 €48.52

-36.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 IQD 26.9K

$27.40 €24.59

-34.96%

Cinema Ticket

$6.43 IQD 9,711

$10.44 €9.37

-38.41%

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

$150 IQD 226.9K

$568 €509

-73.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,562 IQD 3.9M

$15.2K €13.6K

-83.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.49 IQD 24.9K

$90.7 €81.4

-81.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.41 IQD 33.9K

$39.32 €35.29

-43.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$36.43 IQD 55.0K

$105 €94.4

-65.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.62 IQD 55.3K

$129 €116

-71.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$187 IQD 282.3K

$742 €666

-74.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$150 IQD 225.9K

$648 €582

-76.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$412 IQD 621.8K

$1,271 €1,141

-67.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$308 IQD 464.7K

$1,122 €1,006

-72.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$703 IQD 1.1M

$3,999 €3,589

-82.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$541 IQD 817.5K

$3,281 €2,944

-83.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 IQD 758.7K

$1,245 €1,117

-59.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.77

4.44

29.95%

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

Last update for Sulaymaniyah: November 3, 2026

Last update for Athens: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sulaymaniyah

$163 24.4%

Athens

$316 17.8% 94.1% $153

Accommodation & Living

Sulaymaniyah

$150 22.4%

Athens

$648 36.4% 334% $499

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sulaymaniyah

$120 18%

Athens

$260 14.6% 116% $140

Eating Out

Sulaymaniyah

$104 15.5%

Athens

$272 15.3% 162% $168

Clothing & Footwear

Sulaymaniyah

$50 7.6%

Athens

$164 9.2% 225% $113

Sport & Entertainment

Sulaymaniyah

$47 7.1%

Athens

$75 4.2% 58% $28

Getting Around

Sulaymaniyah

$33 5%

Athens

$45 2.5% 34.1% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $187 in Sulaymaniyah and $742 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays about 2.5 times more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $20 in Sulaymaniyah vs $66 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $163 vs $316 per month, with Sulaymaniyah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Sulaymaniyah

🇬🇷 Athens

🕒 Local time

05:34 5:34 AM

04:34 4:34 AM

1 h behind Sulaymaniyah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

823,199

3,090,508 Capital

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.92 EUR

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to IQD – Iraqi Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇶 Iraqi Dinar (ع.د)

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,689 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.92 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 0.897 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

USD to IQD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sulaymaniyah Athens 1,950 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Sulaymaniyah
Athens

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 Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sulaymaniyah wins on cost – living expenses run 62% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Sulaymaniyah the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 60% 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 $742 in Athens. 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 $66 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $667 per month in Sulaymaniyah versus $1,779 in Athens – Sulaymaniyah is about 62% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $667 in Sulaymaniyah versus $1,779 in Athens, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sulaymaniyah but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Sulaymaniyah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Sulaymaniyah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.