Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sulaymaniyah and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Sulaymaniyah: $773 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Sulaymaniyah
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Sulaymaniyah Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Sulaymaniyah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$773

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sulaymaniyah and in Budapest

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

A single person spends $773 per month in Sulaymaniyah vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Sulaymaniyah $773
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $1,194 per month in Sulaymaniyah vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Sulaymaniyah $1,194
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $1,615 per month in Sulaymaniyah vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Sulaymaniyah $1,615
Budapest $3,489

Sulaymaniyah is about 52% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Sulaymaniyah sits 42% below the global median, while Budapest is 21% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.07 IQD 7,660

$13.99 Ft 4,551

-63.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.93 IQD 34.6K

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

-62.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.04 IQD 10.6K

$9.96 Ft 3,241

-29.32%

Cappuccino

$2.88 IQD 4,344

$3.38 Ft 1,100

-14.79%

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

$0.50 IQD 759

$2.13 Ft 692

-76.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 IQD 378

$1.87 Ft 608

-86.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 IQD 5,943

$3.75 Ft 1,221

4.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 IQD 3,427

$3.57 Ft 1,162

-36.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 IQD 1,935

$1.13 Ft 368

13.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 IQD 1,519

$1.84 Ft 599

-45.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 IQD 2,812

$2.39 Ft 777

-22.18%

Eggs

$1.77 IQD 2,672

$3.83 Ft 1,245

-53.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.96 IQD 7,490

$11.33 Ft 3,686

-56.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.22 IQD 6,382

$6.74 Ft 2,192

-37.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.30 IQD 23.1K

$14.69 Ft 4,780

4.15%

Apples (1kg)

$1.28 IQD 1,935

$1.84 Ft 597

-30.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 IQD 1,937

$2.01 Ft 653

-36.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.15 IQD 1,737

$2.36 Ft 767

-51.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 IQD 1,025

$3.77 Ft 1,226

-81.96%

Potato (1kg)

$0.56 IQD 847

$0.96 Ft 313

-41.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 IQD 1,096

$1.03 Ft 334

-29.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 IQD 1,101

$1.56 Ft 509

-53.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 IQD 752

$0.66 Ft 216

-24.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 IQD 3,444

$7.96 Ft 2,591

-71.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.23 IQD 17.0K

$6.01 Ft 1,954

86.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 IQD 2,949

$1.30 Ft 421

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 IQD 2,141

$2.08 Ft 676

-31.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 IQD 902

$1.50 Ft 489

-60.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.68 IQD 34.3K

$27.61 Ft 8,982

-17.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 IQD 3,361

$3.30 Ft 1,074

-32.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.34 IQD 3,531

$1.30 Ft 424

80.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.50 IQD 8,306

$19.78 Ft 6,436

-72.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.69 IQD 1,045

$1.81 Ft 591

-61.88%

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

$20.9K IQD 31.5M

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

-28.82%

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

$18.9K IQD 28.6M

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-44.47%

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

$100 IQD 151.7K

$170 Ft 55.3K

-40.94%

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

$11.49 IQD 17.4K

$23.98 Ft 7,802

-52.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.04 IQD 42.4K

$23.42 Ft 7,621

19.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.70 IQD 60.0K

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-40.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.09 IQD 30.4K

$19.18 Ft 6,239

4.74%

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 IQD 11.5K

$9.52 Ft 3,098

-20.38%

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

$173 IQD 261.0K

$537 Ft 174.6K

-67.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,946 IQD 4.5M

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

-82.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.91 IQD 28.6K

$101 Ft 33.0K

-81.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.19 IQD 38.1K

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

-41.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$43.24 IQD 65.3K

$113 Ft 36.7K

-61.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.64 IQD 58.4K

$119 Ft 38.6K

-67.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$215 IQD 324.7K

$805 Ft 262.0K

-73.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$175 IQD 264.2K

$629 Ft 204.7K

-72.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$492 IQD 743.9K

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

-68.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$363 IQD 548.8K

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

-68.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$786 IQD 1.2M

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-86.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$630 IQD 952.4K

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-84.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$584 IQD 882.1K

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

-64.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.77

6.43

-10.26%

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

Last update for Sulaymaniyah: October 5, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sulaymaniyah

$188 24.2%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 36.7% $69

Accommodation & Living

Sulaymaniyah

$175 22.5%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 260% $454

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sulaymaniyah

$140 18%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 55.4% $77

Eating Out

Sulaymaniyah

$123 15.9%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 81.8% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Sulaymaniyah

$57 7.3%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 198% $112

Sport & Entertainment

Sulaymaniyah

$55 7.1%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 55.5% $30

Getting Around

Sulaymaniyah

$39 5%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 11.4% $4.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $215 in Sulaymaniyah versus $805 in Budapest. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 178% higher in Budapest, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Sulaymaniyah versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $188 vs $258 – making Sulaymaniyah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Sulaymaniyah

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

11:36 11:36 AM

10:36 10:36 AM

1 h behind Sulaymaniyah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

823,199

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to IQD – Iraqi Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇶 Iraqi Dinar (ع.د)

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,695 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

USD to IQD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Sulaymaniyah Budapest 2,550 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Sulaymaniyah
Budapest

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 Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 110%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,160 per month in Sulaymaniyah and $2,432 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 22% less in Sulaymaniyah. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $173 per month in Sulaymaniyah and $537 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sulaymaniyah, where all-in costs run around $773, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Sulaymaniyah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sulaymaniyah – 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 Sulaymaniyah. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Budapest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.