Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sulaymaniyah and Karbala

For one person, living is cheaper in Karbala: $584 a month against $663 in Sulaymaniyah, rent and utilities included – about $950 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Sulaymaniyah
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Sulaymaniyah Living Index
28

Cost of Living Index in Karbala
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Karbala Living Index

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Sulaymaniyah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$663

/mo nomad

Karbala

🇮🇶 Iraq

$584

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sulaymaniyah and in Karbala

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

A single person spends $663 per month in Sulaymaniyah vs $584 in Karbala, rent included.

Sulaymaniyah $663
Karbala $584

A couple spends around $1,034 per month in Sulaymaniyah vs $919 in Karbala, rent included.

Sulaymaniyah $1,034
Karbala $919

A family of three spends $1,406 per month in Sulaymaniyah vs $1,254 in Karbala, rent included.

Sulaymaniyah $1,406
Karbala $1,254

Sulaymaniyah costs about 14% more than Karbala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Sulaymaniyah and Karbala are more affordable than the global median – Sulaymaniyah 51% lower, Karbala 57% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.21 IQD 6,363

$3.88 IQD 5,867

8.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.75 IQD 29.8K

$16.22 IQD 24.5K

21.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.90 IQD 8,916

$4.88 IQD 7,374

20.90%

Cappuccino

$2.45 IQD 3,702

$1.29 IQD 1,948

89.92%

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

$0.43 IQD 650

$0.34 IQD 516

26.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 IQD 302

$0.24 IQD 362

-16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.22 IQD 4,873

$3.04 IQD 4,589

5.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 IQD 3,080

$1.78 IQD 2,687

14.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 IQD 1,677

$1.04 IQD 1,571

6.73%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 IQD 1,339

$0.82 IQD 1,236

8.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 IQD 2,516

$1.20 IQD 1,806

38.33%

Eggs

$1.55 IQD 2,345

$1.53 IQD 2,309

1.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.31 IQD 6,509

$4.97 IQD 7,505

-13.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 IQD 5,536

$3.51 IQD 5,310

4.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.27 IQD 20.1K

$9.63 IQD 14.5K

37.80%

Apples (1kg)

$1.11 IQD 1,680

$0.88 IQD 1,336

26.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 IQD 1,646

$0.94 IQD 1,427

15.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 IQD 1,579

$0.94 IQD 1,415

10.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 IQD 843

$0.48 IQD 724

16.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.49 IQD 740

$0.65 IQD 975

-24.62%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 IQD 957

$0.50 IQD 753

26.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 IQD 883

$0.70 IQD 1,057

-17.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 IQD 685

$0.45 IQD 684

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.02 IQD 3,049

$1.70 IQD 2,562

18.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.76 IQD 14.7K

$10.70 IQD 16.2K

-8.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 IQD 2,509

$1.39 IQD 2,104

19.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 IQD 1,896

$1.71 IQD 2,577

-26.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 IQD 786

$0.35 IQD 521

48.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.74 IQD 29.8K

$19.60 IQD 29.6K

0.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 IQD 2,904

$1.84 IQD 2,776

4.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 IQD 2,961

$1.34 IQD 2,023

46.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.48 IQD 6,774

$6.78 IQD 10.2K

-33.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.57 IQD 865

$0.44 IQD 672

29.55%

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

$17.6K IQD 26.6M

$16.2K IQD 24.4M

8.63%

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

$17.0K IQD 25.6M

$16.8K IQD 25.3M

1.16%

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

$85.2 IQD 128.7K

$67.6 IQD 102.2K

25.99%

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

$10.12 IQD 15.3K

$12.08 IQD 18.3K

-16.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.03 IQD 36.3K

$24.09 IQD 36.4K

-0.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.78 IQD 51.0K

$19.95 IQD 30.1K

69.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.92 IQD 27.1K

Cinema Ticket

$6.56 IQD 9,916

$8.13 IQD 12.3K

-19.31%

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

$153 IQD 231.1K

$127 IQD 192.0K

20.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,546 IQD 3.8M

$2,760 IQD 4.2M

-7.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.75 IQD 25.3K

$14.74 IQD 22.3K

13.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.28 IQD 33.7K

$13.08 IQD 19.8K

70.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$36.83 IQD 55.7K

$26.84 IQD 40.6K

37.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.01 IQD 49.9K

$53.6 IQD 81.0K

-38.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$187 IQD 282.6K

$174 IQD 262.4K

7.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$147 IQD 221.9K

$134 IQD 201.8K

9.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$419 IQD 632.8K

$371 IQD 560.7K

12.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$314 IQD 474.4K

$320 IQD 483.9K

-1.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$695 IQD 1.1M

$721 IQD 1.1M

-3.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$548 IQD 828.2K

$581 IQD 877.3K

-5.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 IQD 757.3K

$347 IQD 524.6K

44.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.77

3.33

73.27%

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

Last update for Sulaymaniyah: October 25, 2026

Last update for Karbala: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sulaymaniyah

$164 24.7%

Karbala

$150 25.7% 8.4% $14

Accommodation & Living

Sulaymaniyah

$147 22.2%

Karbala

$134 22.9% 9.1% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sulaymaniyah

$119 18%

Karbala

$104 17.8% 13% $16

Eating Out

Sulaymaniyah

$104 15.6%

Karbala

$82 14.1% 20.5% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Sulaymaniyah

$49 7.4%

Karbala

$49 8.3% 0.6% $0.3

Sport & Entertainment

Sulaymaniyah

$47 7.1%

Karbala

$36 6.2% 22.8% $11

Getting Around

Sulaymaniyah

$34 5.1%

Karbala

$30 5.1% 12% $4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $187 in Sulaymaniyah versus $174 in Karbala. 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 44% higher in Sulaymaniyah. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20 in Sulaymaniyah versus $16 in Karbala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $164 vs $150 – making Karbala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Sulaymaniyah

🇮🇶 Karbala

🕒 Local time

21:00 9:00 PM

Same time as Sulaymaniyah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

823,199

572,300

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.95 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.95 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Sulaymaniyah Karbala 350 km

From you

Sulaymaniyah
Karbala

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 Karbala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sulaymaniyah is pricier by about 14%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $994 per month in Sulaymaniyah and $876 in Karbala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $187 in Sulaymaniyah and $174 in Karbala. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $663 in Sulaymaniyah and $584 in Karbala. That’s a gap of about 14%.

Kindergarten costs $153 per month in Sulaymaniyah and $127 in Karbala. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $663 in Sulaymaniyah and $584 in Karbala, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Karbala – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Karbala. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sulaymaniyah makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.