Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sulaymaniyah and Erbil

For one person, living is cheaper in Sulaymaniyah: $668 a month against $956 in Erbil, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Sulaymaniyah
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Sulaymaniyah Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Erbil
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Erbil Living Index

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Sulaymaniyah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$668

/mo nomad

Erbil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$956

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sulaymaniyah and in Erbil

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

A single person spends $668 per month in Sulaymaniyah vs $956 in Erbil, rent included.

Sulaymaniyah $668
Erbil $956

A couple spends around $1,038 per month in Sulaymaniyah vs $1,421 in Erbil, rent included.

Sulaymaniyah $1,038
Erbil $1,421

A family of three spends $1,407 per month in Sulaymaniyah vs $1,887 in Erbil, rent included.

Sulaymaniyah $1,407
Erbil $1,887

Sulaymaniyah is about 30% cheaper than Erbil, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Sulaymaniyah and Erbil are more affordable than the global median – Sulaymaniyah 51% lower, Erbil 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 IQD 6,664

$6.45 IQD 9,753

-31.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.08 IQD 30.3K

$36.44 IQD 55.1K

-44.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.02 IQD 9,090

$7.09 IQD 10.7K

-15.09%

Cappuccino

$2.38 IQD 3,595

$3.23 IQD 4,873

-26.32%

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

$0.42 IQD 639

$0.89 IQD 1,338

-52.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 IQD 332

$0.33 IQD 503

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 IQD 4,910

$5.17 IQD 7,819

-37.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 IQD 2,968

$3.85 IQD 5,825

-49.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 IQD 1,659

$1.06 IQD 1,600

3.77%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 IQD 1,300

$0.73 IQD 1,101

17.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 IQD 2,494

$1.52 IQD 2,300

8.55%

Eggs

$1.48 IQD 2,232

$1.57 IQD 2,373

-5.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.46 IQD 6,743

$6.90 IQD 10.4K

-35.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.53 IQD 5,334

$4.27 IQD 6,458

-17.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.97 IQD 19.6K

$12.51 IQD 18.9K

3.68%

Apples (1kg)

$1.14 IQD 1,730

$0.99 IQD 1,501

15.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 IQD 1,619

$0.99 IQD 1,495

8.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.01 IQD 1,524

$1.03 IQD 1,555

-1.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.58 IQD 878

$0.65 IQD 988

-10.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.49 IQD 739

$0.64 IQD 964

-23.44%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 IQD 892

$0.61 IQD 925

-3.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 IQD 950

$0.60 IQD 909

5.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 IQD 682

$0.47 IQD 709

-4.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.00 IQD 3,021

$2.15 IQD 3,250

-6.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.99 IQD 15.1K

$10.81 IQD 16.3K

-7.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 IQD 2,527

$1.47 IQD 2,222

13.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 IQD 1,899

$1.87 IQD 2,825

-32.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 IQD 769

$0.48 IQD 718

6.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 IQD 29.8K

$38.85 IQD 58.7K

-49.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.95 IQD 2,952

$1.68 IQD 2,531

16.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 IQD 2,925

$1.60 IQD 2,421

21.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 IQD 6,957

$5.67 IQD 8,566

-18.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.57 IQD 857

$0.55 IQD 825

3.64%

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

$17.6K IQD 26.6M

$16.3K IQD 24.7M

7.76%

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

$16.6K IQD 25.1M

$17.0K IQD 25.6M

-2.15%

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

$87.2 IQD 131.7K

$113 IQD 170.3K

-22.67%

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

$10.17 IQD 15.4K

$12.21 IQD 18.4K

-16.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.75 IQD 35.9K

$24.30 IQD 36.7K

-2.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.59 IQD 52.3K

$56.6 IQD 85.5K

-38.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.49 IQD 26.4K

$13.33 IQD 20.1K

31.21%

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 IQD 10.1K

$10.00 IQD 15.1K

-33.40%

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

$150 IQD 227.3K

$315 IQD 476.0K

-52.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,553 IQD 3.9M

$2,809 IQD 4.2M

-9.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.58 IQD 25.0K

$26.70 IQD 40.3K

-37.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.70 IQD 32.8K

$39.59 IQD 59.8K

-45.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$37.04 IQD 56.0K

$59.4 IQD 89.7K

-37.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.18 IQD 50.1K

$59.4 IQD 89.8K

-44.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$187 IQD 283.1K

$423 IQD 639.7K

-55.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$149 IQD 225.8K

$275 IQD 415.2K

-45.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$410 IQD 619.7K

$700 IQD 1.1M

-41.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 IQD 472.8K

$406 IQD 613.1K

-22.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$688 IQD 1.0M

$1,047 IQD 1.6M

-34.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$530 IQD 800.5K

$608 IQD 919.3K

-12.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$487 IQD 735.7K

$525 IQD 793.9K

-7.33%

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 10, 2026

Last update for Erbil: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sulaymaniyah

$163 24.4%

Erbil

$172 18% 5.8% $9.5

Accommodation & Living

Sulaymaniyah

$149 22.4%

Erbil

$275 28.7% 83.9% $125

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sulaymaniyah

$121 18.1%

Erbil

$149 15.6% 23.2% $28

Eating Out

Sulaymaniyah

$105 15.7%

Erbil

$150 15.7% 43.4% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Sulaymaniyah

$49 7.3%

Erbil

$83 8.7% 70.6% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Sulaymaniyah

$48 7.2%

Erbil

$77 8% 59.9% $29

Getting Around

Sulaymaniyah

$33 5%

Erbil

$50 5.3% 51% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $187 in Sulaymaniyah versus $423 in Erbil. 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 8% higher in Erbil, 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 $20.00 in Sulaymaniyah versus $36.00 in Erbil. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $163 vs $172 – making Sulaymaniyah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Sulaymaniyah

🇮🇶 Erbil

🕒 Local time

19:27 7:27 PM

Same time as Sulaymaniyah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

823,199

1,713,461

💱 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

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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 Erbil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Erbil is pricier by about 43%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,002 per month in Sulaymaniyah and $1,435 in Erbil. 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.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Erbil, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Sulaymaniyah and $36.00 in Erbil. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $668 in Sulaymaniyah and $956 in Erbil, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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, Erbil makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.