Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sulaymaniyah and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Sulaymaniyah: $773 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cebu outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

37

Cost of Living Index in Sulaymaniyah
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Sulaymaniyah Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

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Sulaymaniyah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$773

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sulaymaniyah and in Cebu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $773 in Sulaymaniyah versus $934 in Cebu.

Sulaymaniyah $773
Cebu $934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,194 in Sulaymaniyah versus $1,415 in Cebu.

Sulaymaniyah $1,194
Cebu $1,415

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,615 in Sulaymaniyah versus $1,896 in Cebu.

Sulaymaniyah $1,615
Cebu $1,896

Living in Sulaymaniyah costs roughly 17% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sulaymaniyah 42% lower, Cebu 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.07 IQD 7,660

$3.03 ₱190

67.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.93 IQD 34.6K

$23.48 ₱1,473

-2.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.04 IQD 10.6K

$4.09 ₱256

72.13%

Cappuccino

$2.88 IQD 4,344

$2.52 ₱158

14.29%

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

$0.50 IQD 759

$1.54 ₱96.9

-67.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 IQD 378

$0.49 ₱30.98

-48.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 IQD 5,943

$1.79 ₱112

119.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 IQD 3,427

$2.26 ₱142

0.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 IQD 1,935

$1.95 ₱122

-34.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 IQD 1,519

$1.43 ₱89.7

-29.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 IQD 2,812

$1.02 ₱63.8

82.35%

Eggs

$1.77 IQD 2,672

$2.06 ₱129

-14.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.96 IQD 7,490

$9.81 ₱615

-49.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.22 IQD 6,382

$4.61 ₱289

-8.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.30 IQD 23.1K

$7.70 ₱483

98.70%

Apples (1kg)

$1.28 IQD 1,935

$3.31 ₱207

-61.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 IQD 1,937

$1.45 ₱90.9

-11.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.15 IQD 1,737

$2.36 ₱148

-51.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 IQD 1,025

$1.54 ₱96.4

-55.84%

Potato (1kg)

$0.56 IQD 847

$2.36 ₱148

-76.27%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 IQD 1,096

$1.99 ₱125

-63.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 IQD 1,101

$1.15 ₱72.1

-36.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 IQD 752

$0.67 ₱42.15

-25.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 IQD 3,444

$3.00 ₱188

-24.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.23 IQD 17.0K

$6.35 ₱398

76.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 IQD 2,949

$1.31 ₱81.9

48.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 IQD 2,141

$1.73 ₱108

-17.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 IQD 902

$0.25 ₱15.78

140.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.68 IQD 34.3K

$12.65 ₱793

79.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 IQD 3,361

$0.74 ₱46.32

200.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.34 IQD 3,531

$0.21 ₱13.11

1014.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.50 IQD 8,306

$4.33 ₱271

27.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.69 IQD 1,045

$1.33 ₱83.5

-48.12%

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

$20.9K IQD 31.5M

$21.8K ₱1.4M

-4.10%

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

$18.9K IQD 28.6M

$19.4K ₱1.2M

-2.35%

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

$100 IQD 151.7K

$121 ₱7,563

-16.76%

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

$11.49 IQD 17.4K

$14.45 ₱907

-20.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.04 IQD 42.4K

$28.29 ₱1,774

-0.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.70 IQD 60.0K

$32.68 ₱2,050

21.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.09 IQD 30.4K

$6.39 ₱401

214.40%

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 IQD 11.5K

$5.46 ₱342

38.83%

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

$173 IQD 261.0K

$273 ₱17.1K

-36.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,946 IQD 4.5M

$8,156 ₱511.5K

-63.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.91 IQD 28.6K

$49.57 ₱3,109

-61.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.19 IQD 38.1K

$24.87 ₱1,560

1.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$43.24 IQD 65.3K

$76.6 ₱4,804

-43.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.64 IQD 58.4K

$59.3 ₱3,717

-34.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$215 IQD 324.7K

$506 ₱31.7K

-57.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$175 IQD 264.2K

$309 ₱19.4K

-43.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$492 IQD 743.9K

$1,052 ₱66.0K

-53.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$363 IQD 548.8K

$619 ₱38.8K

-41.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$786 IQD 1.2M

$2,915 ₱182.9K

-73.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$630 IQD 952.4K

$1,867 ₱117.1K

-66.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$584 IQD 882.1K

$341 ₱21.4K

71.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.77

7.2

-19.86%

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

Last update for Sulaymaniyah: October 5, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sulaymaniyah

$188 24.2%

Cebu

$210 22.7% 11.6% $22

Accommodation & Living

Sulaymaniyah

$175 22.5%

Cebu

$309 33.5% 76.9% $135

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sulaymaniyah

$140 18%

Cebu

$163 17.7% 16.7% $23

Eating Out

Sulaymaniyah

$123 15.9%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 28.4% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Sulaymaniyah

$57 7.3%

Cebu

$95 10.2% 66.9% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Sulaymaniyah

$55 7.1%

Cebu

$44 4.7% 20.5% $11

Getting Around

Sulaymaniyah

$39 5%

Cebu

$15 1.7% 60.4% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $215 in Sulaymaniyah and $506 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sulaymaniyah pays 71% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $23.00 in Sulaymaniyah vs $23.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $210 per month, with Sulaymaniyah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Sulaymaniyah

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

11:30 11:30 AM

16:30 4:30 PM

5 h ahead of Sulaymaniyah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

823,199

964,169

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, 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).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.35 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

USD to IQD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sulaymaniyah Cebu 8,310 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Sulaymaniyah
Cebu

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 Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sulaymaniyah is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and utilities. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 71% higher in Sulaymaniyah, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $215 in Sulaymaniyah versus $506 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $773 per month in Sulaymaniyah versus $934 in Cebu – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Sulaymaniyah runs roughly 79% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

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

For families, Sulaymaniyah is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cebu, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sulaymaniyah and Cebu are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Sulaymaniyah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.