Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sulaymaniyah and Kirkuk

For one person, living is cheaper in Kirkuk: $547 a month against $667 in Sulaymaniyah, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Sulaymaniyah
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Sulaymaniyah Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Kirkuk
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Kirkuk Living Index

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Sulaymaniyah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$667

/mo nomad

Kirkuk

🇮🇶 Iraq

$547

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sulaymaniyah and in Kirkuk

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $667 in Sulaymaniyah versus $547 in Kirkuk.

Sulaymaniyah $667
Kirkuk $547

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,035 in Sulaymaniyah versus $873 in Kirkuk.

Sulaymaniyah $1,035
Kirkuk $873

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,403 in Sulaymaniyah versus $1,199 in Kirkuk.

Sulaymaniyah $1,403
Kirkuk $1,199

Living in Sulaymaniyah is roughly 22% more expensive than in Kirkuk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sulaymaniyah 51% lower, Kirkuk 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.35 IQD 6,570

$3.62 IQD 5,468

20.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.15 IQD 30.5K

$23.17 IQD 35.0K

-13.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.91 IQD 8,935

$5.20 IQD 7,855

13.65%

Cappuccino

$2.37 IQD 3,580

$2.38 IQD 3,602

-0.42%

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

$0.43 IQD 644

$0.35 IQD 536

22.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 IQD 302

$0.14 IQD 214

42.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 IQD 4,890

$2.66 IQD 4,018

21.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 IQD 3,071

$3.20 IQD 4,839

-36.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 IQD 1,732

$0.97 IQD 1,463

18.56%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 IQD 1,306

$0.60 IQD 909

43.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 IQD 2,534

$1.32 IQD 1,997

27.27%

Eggs

$1.53 IQD 2,306

$1.32 IQD 1,989

15.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.31 IQD 6,514

$3.43 IQD 5,178

25.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 IQD 5,627

$3.17 IQD 4,787

17.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.96 IQD 19.6K

$11.37 IQD 17.2K

13.98%

Apples (1kg)

$1.11 IQD 1,684

$0.74 IQD 1,121

50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 IQD 1,631

$0.79 IQD 1,196

36.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 IQD 1,496

$0.79 IQD 1,195

25.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 IQD 833

$0.63 IQD 959

-12.70%

Potato (1kg)

$0.45 IQD 683

$0.48 IQD 719

-6.25%

Onion (1kg)

$0.62 IQD 940

$0.49 IQD 736

26.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 IQD 881

$0.55 IQD 834

5.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 IQD 634

$0.34 IQD 520

23.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.96 IQD 2,956

$1.60 IQD 2,417

22.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.04 IQD 15.2K

$11.91 IQD 18.0K

-15.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 IQD 2,532

$1.34 IQD 2,023

25.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 IQD 1,855

$1.62 IQD 2,449

-24.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 IQD 705

$0.34 IQD 518

38.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.85 IQD 30.0K

$19.81 IQD 29.9K

0.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 IQD 3,017

$1.96 IQD 2,961

2.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 IQD 2,951

$1.35 IQD 2,039

44.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.74 IQD 7,164

$6.71 IQD 10.1K

-29.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.57 IQD 864

$0.51 IQD 777

11.76%

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

$17.6K IQD 26.7M

$16.7K IQD 25.3M

5.42%

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

$16.7K IQD 25.2M

$16.5K IQD 24.9M

1.32%

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

$86.4 IQD 130.6K

$52.8 IQD 79.7K

63.79%

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

$9.75 IQD 14.7K

$19.52 IQD 29.5K

-50.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.74 IQD 35.9K

$39.57 IQD 59.8K

-40.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.60 IQD 52.3K

$9.88 IQD 14.9K

250.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 IQD 26.9K

Cinema Ticket

$6.43 IQD 9,711

$9.85 IQD 14.9K

-34.72%

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

$150 IQD 226.9K

$146 IQD 220.6K

2.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,562 IQD 3.9M

$5,418 IQD 8.2M

-52.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.49 IQD 24.9K

$25.35 IQD 38.3K

-34.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.41 IQD 33.9K

$16.32 IQD 24.7K

37.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$36.43 IQD 55.0K

$59.0 IQD 89.1K

-38.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.62 IQD 55.3K

$29.64 IQD 44.8K

23.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$187 IQD 282.3K

$164 IQD 248.1K

13.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$150 IQD 225.9K

$78.3 IQD 118.3K

90.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$412 IQD 621.8K

$196 IQD 296.5K

109.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$308 IQD 464.7K

$195 IQD 294.0K

58.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$703 IQD 1.1M

$499 IQD 754.1K

40.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$541 IQD 817.5K

$263 IQD 397.8K

105.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 IQD 758.7K

$373 IQD 563.6K

34.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.77

4.12

40.05%

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

Last update for Sulaymaniyah: November 3, 2026

Last update for Kirkuk: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sulaymaniyah

$163 24.4%

Kirkuk

$144 26.3% 11.8% $19

Accommodation & Living

Sulaymaniyah

$150 22.4%

Kirkuk

$78 14.3% 47.6% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sulaymaniyah

$120 18%

Kirkuk

$112 20.5% 6.7% $8

Eating Out

Sulaymaniyah

$104 15.5%

Kirkuk

$95 17.3% 8.5% $8.9

Clothing & Footwear

Sulaymaniyah

$50 7.6%

Kirkuk

$59 10.7% 16.4% $8.2

Sport & Entertainment

Sulaymaniyah

$47 7.1%

Kirkuk

$30 5.4% 37.7% $18

Getting Around

Sulaymaniyah

$33 5%

Kirkuk

$30 5.5% 10.8% $3.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $187 in Sulaymaniyah and $164 in Kirkuk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sulaymaniyah pays 35% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $20 in Sulaymaniyah vs $23 in Kirkuk. Groceries flip the comparison at $163 vs $144, with Kirkuk cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Sulaymaniyah

🇮🇶 Kirkuk

🕒 Local time

18:43 6:43 PM

Same time as Sulaymaniyah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

823,199

850,787

💱 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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Sulaymaniyah Kirkuk 95 km

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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 Kirkuk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kirkuk is about 18% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 35% 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: $187 in Sulaymaniyah versus $164 in Kirkuk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $150 in Sulaymaniyah versus $146 in Kirkuk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sulaymaniyah – a meal for two runs $20 versus $23 in Kirkuk. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Kirkuk 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.

It comes down to priorities – Kirkuk wins on affordability, Sulaymaniyah on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.