Cost of Living Comparison Between Sulaymaniyah and Oral Cost of Living Comparison Between Sulaymaniyah and Oral

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $750 per month in Sulaymaniyah vs $750 in Oral, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,166 per month in Sulaymaniyah vs $1,163 in Oral, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,581 per month in Sulaymaniyah vs $1,577 in Oral, rent included.

Sulaymaniyah and Oral have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Sulaymaniyah and Oral are more affordable than the global median – Sulaymaniyah 44% lower, Oral 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.26 IQD 6,893

$7.27 ₸3,334

-27.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.81 IQD 35.1K

$30.64 ₸14.1K

-12.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.01 IQD 9,180

$7.29 ₸3,344

-3.84%

Cappuccino

$2.64 IQD 3,461

$1.70 ₸778

55.29%

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

$0.39 IQD 514

$0.90 ₸412

-56.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 IQD 269

$0.57 ₸259

-63.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.07 IQD 2,713

$0.81 ₸371

155.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 IQD 3,549

$1.80 ₸826

50.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 IQD 1,851

$1.24 ₸570

13.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 IQD 1,332

$0.38 ₸172

168.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 IQD 2,108

$1.45 ₸667

11.03%

Eggs

$1.78 IQD 2,328

$1.33 ₸610

33.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.10 IQD 7,996

$7.86 ₸3,606

-22.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.56 IQD 4,666

$3.90 ₸1,788

-8.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.01 IQD 18.4K

$9.73 ₸4,463

43.99%

Apples (1kg)

$1.17 IQD 1,531

$1.05 ₸481

11.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 IQD 1,693

$1.86 ₸855

-30.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 IQD 1,662

$2.01 ₸923

-36.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.73 IQD 957

$2.95 ₸1,354

-75.25%

Potato (1kg)

$0.61 IQD 798

$0.40 ₸184

52.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 IQD 879

$0.31 ₸143

116.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 IQD 777

$0.64 ₸292

-7.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 IQD 590

$0.95 ₸438

-52.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.94 IQD 2,535

$1.79 ₸823

8.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.61 IQD 15.2K

$7.48 ₸3,432

55.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 IQD 1,974

$0.61 ₸281

147.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 IQD 2,367

$1.52 ₸696

19.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 IQD 715

$0.22 ₸100

150.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.16 IQD 30.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.36 IQD 3,096

$0.57 ₸263

314.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.33 IQD 3,053

$0.66 ₸303

253.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.46 IQD 7,149

$4.79 ₸2,199

13.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.77 IQD 1,005

$0.50 ₸229

54.00%

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

$20.3K IQD 26.6M

$19.7K ₸9.0M

3.03%

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

$20.6K IQD 26.9M

$24.4K ₸11.2M

-15.77%

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

$76.6 IQD 100.3K

$73.7 ₸33.8K

3.89%

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

$16.90 IQD 22.1K

$7.93 ₸3,640

113.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.27 IQD 34.4K

$12.54 ₸5,752

109.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.65 IQD 51.9K

$69.0 ₸31.7K

-42.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.92 IQD 22.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 IQD 9,786

$2.96 ₸1,357

152.36%

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

$151 IQD 198.3K

$208 ₸95.6K

-27.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,491 IQD 4.6M

$4,923 ₸2.3M

-29.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.36 IQD 30.6K

$29.77 ₸13.7K

-21.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.92 IQD 32.6K

$35.77 ₸16.4K

-30.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$43.74 IQD 57.3K

$88.9 ₸40.8K

-50.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.40 IQD 47.7K

$77.7 ₸35.6K

-53.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$240 IQD 315.0K

$249 ₸114.1K

-3.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$175 IQD 229.3K

$187 ₸85.8K

-6.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$572 IQD 749.5K

$394 ₸180.6K

45.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$341 IQD 446.3K

$273 ₸125.3K

24.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$810 IQD 1.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$579 IQD 758.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$580 IQD 759.5K

$429 ₸196.6K

35.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.39

-51.06%

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

Last update for Sulaymaniyah: April 27, 2026

Last update for Oral: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $240 in Sulaymaniyah versus $249 in Oral. 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 35% higher in Sulaymaniyah. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27.00 in Sulaymaniyah versus $31.00 in Oral. Groceries tell a different story – $184 in Sulaymaniyah vs $176 in Oral – so Oral wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Oral: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,126 per month in Sulaymaniyah and $1,125 in Oral. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Oral, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27.00 in Sulaymaniyah and $31.00 in Oral. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Kindergarten costs $151 per month in Sulaymaniyah and $208 in Oral. 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 $750 in Sulaymaniyah and $750 in Oral, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Oral – 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 Oral. 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.