Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sulaymaniyah and Tbilisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Sulaymaniyah: $773 a month against $1,242 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Sulaymaniyah
🇮🇶 Iraq
$773
/mo nomad
Tbilisi
🇬🇪 Georgia
$1,242
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sulaymaniyah and in Tbilisi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $773 in Sulaymaniyah versus $1,242 in Tbilisi.

  • Sulaymaniyah $773
  • Tbilisi $1,242

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,194 in Sulaymaniyah versus $1,962 in Tbilisi.

  • Sulaymaniyah $1,194
  • Tbilisi $1,962

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,615 in Sulaymaniyah versus $2,682 in Tbilisi.

  • Sulaymaniyah $1,615
  • Tbilisi $2,682

Living in Sulaymaniyah costs roughly 38% less than in Tbilisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sulaymaniyah 42% lower, Tbilisi 7% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sulaymaniyah
Tbilisi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.07 IQD 7,660
$10.98 ₾28.46
-53.83%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$22.93 IQD 34.6K
$38.21 ₾99.0
-39.99%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.04 IQD 10.6K
$9.58 ₾24.84
-26.51%
Cappuccino
$2.88 IQD 4,344
$3.59 ₾9.31
-19.78%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.50 IQD 759
$1.03 ₾2.66
-51.46%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.25 IQD 378
$0.63 ₾1.64
-60.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.93 IQD 5,943
$2.74 ₾7.10
43.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27 IQD 3,427
$3.17 ₾8.22
-28.39%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sulaymaniyah
Tbilisi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.28 IQD 1,935
$2.13 ₾5.53
-39.91%
White Bread (500g)
$1.01 IQD 1,519
$0.74 ₾1.91
36.49%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.86 IQD 2,812
$1.72 ₾4.46
8.14%
Eggs
$1.77 IQD 2,672
$2.78 ₾7.21
-36.33%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.96 IQD 7,490
$9.48 ₾24.56
-47.68%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.22 IQD 6,382
$6.45 ₾16.71
-34.57%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.30 IQD 23.1K
$13.02 ₾33.76
17.51%
Apples (1kg)
$1.28 IQD 1,935
$1.69 ₾4.37
-24.26%
Banana (1kg)
$1.28 IQD 1,937
$1.84 ₾4.76
-30.43%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.15 IQD 1,737
$1.89 ₾4.90
-39.15%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.68 IQD 1,025
$2.40 ₾6.22
-71.67%
Potato (1kg)
$0.56 IQD 847
$0.84 ₾2.17
-33.33%
Onion (1kg)
$0.73 IQD 1,096
$0.68 ₾1.75
7.35%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.73 IQD 1,101
$1.42 ₾3.68
-48.59%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.50 IQD 752
$0.77 ₾2.01
-35.06%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.28 IQD 3,444
$3.56 ₾9.22
-35.96%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.23 IQD 17.0K
$7.48 ₾19.39
50.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.95 IQD 2,949
$1.71 ₾4.43
14.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 IQD 2,141
$2.29 ₾5.94
-37.99%
🚌 Getting Around
Sulaymaniyah
Tbilisi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.60 IQD 902
$0.40 ₾1.04
50.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.68 IQD 34.3K
$15.15 ₾39.27
49.70%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.22 IQD 3,361
$1.19 ₾3.08
86.55%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.34 IQD 3,531
$0.78 ₾2.03
200.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.50 IQD 8,306
$11.77 ₾30.50
-53.27%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.69 IQD 1,045
$1.41 ₾3.65
-51.06%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.9K IQD 31.5M
$24.3K ₾62.9K
-13.94%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.9K IQD 28.6M
$21.7K ₾56.3K
-12.88%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sulaymaniyah
Tbilisi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$100 IQD 151.7K
$87.6 ₾227
14.55%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.49 IQD 17.4K
$13.33 ₾34.55
-13.80%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.04 IQD 42.4K
$19.51 ₾50.6
43.72%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sulaymaniyah
Tbilisi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.70 IQD 60.0K
$64.7 ₾168
-38.64%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.09 IQD 30.4K
$18.85 ₾48.86
6.58%
Cinema Ticket
$7.58 IQD 11.5K
$6.55 ₾16.97
15.73%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sulaymaniyah
Tbilisi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$173 IQD 261.0K
$377 ₾978
-54.20%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,946 IQD 4.5M
$10.6K ₾27.5K
-72.28%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sulaymaniyah
Tbilisi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$18.91 IQD 28.6K
$102 ₾265
-81.50%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.19 IQD 38.1K
$40.36 ₾105
-37.59%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$43.24 IQD 65.3K
$117 ₾302
-62.92%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$38.64 IQD 58.4K
$121 ₾314
-68.09%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sulaymaniyah
Tbilisi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$215 IQD 324.7K
$675 ₾1,749
-68.15%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$175 IQD 264.2K
$451 ₾1,170
-61.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$492 IQD 743.9K
$1,275 ₾3,305
-61.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$363 IQD 548.8K
$883 ₾2,288
-58.86%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$786 IQD 1.2M
$2,415 ₾6,259
-67.43%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$630 IQD 952.4K
$1,404 ₾3,640
-55.11%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sulaymaniyah
Tbilisi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$584 IQD 882.1K
$706 ₾1,830
-17.31%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.77
12.62
-54.28%

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

Last update for Sulaymaniyah: October 5, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Sulaymaniyah
$188
Tbilisi
$232 23.3% $44
Accommodation & Living
Sulaymaniyah
$175
Tbilisi
$451 158% $277
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sulaymaniyah
$140
Tbilisi
$120 13.9% $19
Eating Out
Sulaymaniyah
$123
Tbilisi
$186 51.1% $63
Clothing & Footwear
Sulaymaniyah
$57
Tbilisi
$171 202% $114
Sport & Entertainment
Sulaymaniyah
$55
Tbilisi
$78 41.8% $23
Getting Around
Sulaymaniyah
$39
Tbilisi
$22 43.9% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $215 in Sulaymaniyah and $675 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tbilisi pays 21% 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: $23.00 in Sulaymaniyah vs $38.00 in Tbilisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $232 per month, with Sulaymaniyah cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇶 Sulaymaniyah
🇬🇪 Tbilisi
🕒 Local time
04:47 4:47 AM
05:47 5:47 AM
1 h ahead of Sulaymaniyah
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
823,199
1,241,700 Capital
💱 Currency
Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د
Exchange rates and currency converter

GEL, USD, EUR to IQD – Iraqi Dinar Converter

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,695 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR).

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sulaymaniyah Tbilisi 680 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Sulaymaniyah
  • Tbilisi

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 Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tbilisi cheaper than Sulaymaniyah?
Sulaymaniyah is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 61% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Sulaymaniyah or Tbilisi?
On paper, salaries run 21% lower in Tbilisi. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Sulaymaniyah and Tbilisi?
Rent for a central apartment: $215 in Sulaymaniyah versus $675 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Is eating out cheaper in Sulaymaniyah or in Tbilisi?
Dining out is cheaper in Sulaymaniyah – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $38.00 in Tbilisi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
What are total monthly expenses in Sulaymaniyah and in Tbilisi?
All in, you'll spend $773 per month in Sulaymaniyah versus $1,242 in Tbilisi – a 61% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Sulaymaniyah or in Tbilisi?
At $773 in Sulaymaniyah versus $1,242 in Tbilisi, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sulaymaniyah but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Sulaymaniyah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Sulaymaniyah or Tbilisi more family-friendly?
For families, Sulaymaniyah is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Tbilisi, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Sulaymaniyah or Tbilisi?
Safety-wise, Sulaymaniyah and Tbilisi are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Sulaymaniyah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Sulaymaniyah vs other spots: cost of living compared

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