Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sulaymaniyah and Duhok

For one person, living is cheaper in Duhok: $608 a month against $665 in Sulaymaniyah, rent and utilities included – about $680 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Sulaymaniyah
Learn more

Sulaymaniyah Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Duhok
Learn more

Duhok Living Index

Jump to prices

Sulaymaniyah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$665

/mo nomad

Duhok

🇮🇶 Iraq

$608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sulaymaniyah and in Duhok

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $665 in Sulaymaniyah versus $608 in Duhok.

Sulaymaniyah $665
Duhok $608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,028 in Sulaymaniyah versus $978 in Duhok.

Sulaymaniyah $1,028
Duhok $978

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,391 in Sulaymaniyah versus $1,349 in Duhok.

Sulaymaniyah $1,391
Duhok $1,349

Living in Sulaymaniyah is roughly 9% more expensive than in Duhok, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sulaymaniyah 51% lower, Duhok 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.35 IQD 6,572

$3.38 IQD 5,111

28.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.60 IQD 29.6K

$16.59 IQD 25.1K

18.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.93 IQD 8,957

$7.40 IQD 11.2K

-19.86%

Cappuccino

$2.35 IQD 3,553

$2.43 IQD 3,665

-3.29%

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

$0.39 IQD 589

$0.32 IQD 481

21.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 IQD 333

$0.19 IQD 294

15.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 IQD 4,917

$1.69 IQD 2,550

92.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 IQD 3,027

$1.94 IQD 2,932

3.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 IQD 1,688

$1.11 IQD 1,680

0.90%

White Bread (500g)

$0.83 IQD 1,250

$0.67 IQD 1,016

23.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 IQD 2,524

$1.48 IQD 2,232

12.84%

Eggs

$1.48 IQD 2,238

$1.58 IQD 2,391

-6.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.53 IQD 6,842

$4.87 IQD 7,359

-6.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.58 IQD 5,404

$2.96 IQD 4,478

20.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 IQD 19.7K

$10.95 IQD 16.6K

19.18%

Apples (1kg)

$1.10 IQD 1,663

$0.99 IQD 1,489

11.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 IQD 1,686

$0.97 IQD 1,461

15.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.05 IQD 1,583

$0.75 IQD 1,136

40.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.59 IQD 897

$0.63 IQD 959

-6.35%

Potato (1kg)

$0.46 IQD 690

$0.61 IQD 919

-24.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.62 IQD 942

$0.62 IQD 940

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 IQD 965

$0.61 IQD 926

4.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 IQD 646

$0.52 IQD 787

-17.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.04 IQD 3,077

$1.73 IQD 2,609

17.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.61 IQD 14.5K

$10.97 IQD 16.6K

-12.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 IQD 2,537

$1.40 IQD 2,121

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 IQD 1,925

$1.79 IQD 2,700

-29.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 IQD 780

$0.30 IQD 459

73.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.41 IQD 29.3K

$15.64 IQD 23.6K

24.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.03 IQD 3,060

$1.60 IQD 2,420

26.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.01 IQD 3,041

$1.29 IQD 1,945

55.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 IQD 6,820

$5.52 IQD 8,343

-18.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.57 IQD 854

$0.54 IQD 819

5.56%

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

$17.9K IQD 27.1M

$16.6K IQD 25.1M

7.97%

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

$16.4K IQD 24.8M

$17.1K IQD 25.9M

-4.08%

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

$86.4 IQD 130.6K

$87.3 IQD 131.8K

-0.93%

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

$9.77 IQD 14.8K

$8.86 IQD 13.4K

10.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 IQD 36.5K

$23.83 IQD 36.0K

1.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.41 IQD 50.5K

$50.1 IQD 75.7K

-33.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.26 IQD 26.1K

$26.55 IQD 40.1K

-34.99%

Cinema Ticket

$6.73 IQD 10.2K

$7.52 IQD 11.4K

-10.51%

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

$152 IQD 229.3K

$106 IQD 160.6K

42.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,479 IQD 3.7M

$2,727 IQD 4.1M

-9.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.44 IQD 24.8K

$10.02 IQD 15.1K

64.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.23 IQD 33.6K

$20.32 IQD 30.7K

9.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$37.34 IQD 56.4K

$30.27 IQD 45.7K

23.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.57 IQD 50.7K

$19.60 IQD 29.6K

71.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$185 IQD 278.9K

$157 IQD 237.0K

17.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$149 IQD 225.6K

$116 IQD 174.7K

29.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 IQD 638.5K

$329 IQD 496.7K

28.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$302 IQD 456.7K

$324 IQD 489.1K

-6.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$707 IQD 1.1M

$445 IQD 671.8K

58.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$536 IQD 810.5K

$362 IQD 547.1K

48.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$488 IQD 737.3K

$415 IQD 627.4K

17.53%

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 18, 2026

Last update for Duhok: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sulaymaniyah

$162 24.4%

Duhok

$154 25.3% 5.5% $8.9

Accommodation & Living

Sulaymaniyah

$149 22.4%

Duhok

$116 19% 22.6% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sulaymaniyah

$120 18.1%

Duhok

$120 19.7% 0.4% $0.5

Eating Out

Sulaymaniyah

$104 15.6%

Duhok

$93 15.3% 10.4% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Sulaymaniyah

$49 7.4%

Duhok

$36 5.9% 26.8% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Sulaymaniyah

$47 7%

Duhok

$65 10.7% 39% $18

Getting Around

Sulaymaniyah

$34 5%

Duhok

$25 4.1% 25.9% $8.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $185 in Sulaymaniyah and $157 in Duhok. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sulaymaniyah pays 18% 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: $20.00 in Sulaymaniyah vs $17.00 in Duhok for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $162 vs $154 per month, with Duhok cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Sulaymaniyah

🇮🇶 Duhok

🕒 Local time

01:14 1:14 AM

Same time as Sulaymaniyah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

823,199

340,900

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sulaymaniyah Duhok 260 km

From you

Sulaymaniyah
Duhok

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 Duhok: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sulaymaniyah and Duhok differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($665 vs $608 including rent). Duhok is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 18% 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: $185 in Sulaymaniyah versus $157 in Duhok. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $152 in Sulaymaniyah versus $106 in Duhok. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Sulaymaniyah. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Duhok 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.

Safety-wise, Sulaymaniyah and Duhok 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 Duhok gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Sulaymaniyah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.