Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tikrit and Baghdad

For one person, living is cheaper in Tikrit: $646 a month against $1,048 in Baghdad, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Tikrit
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Tikrit Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Baghdad
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Baghdad Living Index

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Tikrit

🇮🇶 Iraq

$646

/mo nomad

Baghdad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$1,048

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tikrit and in Baghdad

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Tikrit and in Baghdad actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $646 in Tikrit versus $1,048 in Baghdad.

Tikrit $646
Baghdad $1,048

Estimated couple costs with rent: $997 in Tikrit versus $1,508 in Baghdad.

Tikrit $997
Baghdad $1,508

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,349 in Tikrit versus $1,968 in Baghdad.

Tikrit $1,349
Baghdad $1,968

Living in Tikrit costs roughly 38% less than in Baghdad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tikrit 53% lower, Baghdad 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.21 IQD 6,365

$4.54 IQD 6,866

-7.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.27 IQD 30.6K

$26.64 IQD 40.3K

-23.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.52 IQD 9,850

$6.47 IQD 9,781

0.77%

Cappuccino

$2.66 IQD 4,019

$2.68 IQD 4,054

-0.75%

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

$0.34 IQD 511

$0.39 IQD 584

-12.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 IQD 352

$0.20 IQD 302

15.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 IQD 4,755

$3.31 IQD 5,009

-4.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 IQD 3,762

$3.22 IQD 4,866

-22.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 IQD 1,719

$0.92 IQD 1,390

23.91%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 IQD 905

$0.71 IQD 1,078

-15.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 IQD 1,992

$1.32 IQD 1,999

Eggs

$1.56 IQD 2,353

$1.71 IQD 2,577

-8.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.21 IQD 6,361

$3.30 IQD 4,989

27.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.67 IQD 5,544

$4.15 IQD 6,269

-11.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 IQD 15.5K

$12.24 IQD 18.5K

-16.34%

Apples (1kg)

$0.98 IQD 1,479

$1.00 IQD 1,513

-2.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 IQD 1,588

$0.98 IQD 1,487

7.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.86 IQD 1,306

$0.95 IQD 1,440

-9.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.62 IQD 935

$0.68 IQD 1,021

-8.82%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 IQD 987

$0.58 IQD 877

12.07%

Onion (1kg)

$0.53 IQD 803

$0.57 IQD 854

-7.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 IQD 844

$0.60 IQD 903

-6.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 IQD 831

$0.61 IQD 927

-9.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.64 IQD 2,485

$1.67 IQD 2,531

-1.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.59 IQD 16.0K

$11.64 IQD 17.6K

-9.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 IQD 2,404

$1.99 IQD 3,005

-20.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 IQD 2,403

$1.96 IQD 2,962

-18.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 IQD 552

$0.32 IQD 480

15.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.04 IQD 30.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 IQD 2,830

$2.02 IQD 3,045

-7.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 IQD 1,901

$1.30 IQD 1,964

-3.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 IQD 7,523

$6.67 IQD 10.1K

-25.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.54 IQD 819

$0.58 IQD 870

-6.90%

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

$15.6K IQD 23.6M

$16.5K IQD 25.0M

-5.41%

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

$18.1K IQD 27.3M

$16.7K IQD 25.2M

8.11%

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

$89.4 IQD 135.0K

$188 IQD 284.5K

-52.54%

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

$14.36 IQD 21.7K

$19.25 IQD 29.1K

-25.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.25 IQD 44.2K

$37.51 IQD 56.7K

-22.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.36 IQD 47.4K

$39.97 IQD 60.4K

-21.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.38 IQD 27.8K

Cinema Ticket

$10.09 IQD 15.2K

$9.70 IQD 14.7K

4.02%

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

$129 IQD 194.8K

$145 IQD 219.6K

-11.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,947 IQD 4.5M

$3,297 IQD 5.0M

-10.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.87 IQD 33.0K

$25.60 IQD 38.7K

-14.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.35 IQD 30.7K

$33.32 IQD 50.3K

-38.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.3 IQD 77.5K

$60.2 IQD 90.9K

-14.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.33 IQD 57.9K

$41.85 IQD 63.2K

-8.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$183 IQD 276.0K

$537 IQD 811.6K

-65.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$131 IQD 198.5K

$364 IQD 550.5K

-63.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$398 IQD 601.7K

$963 IQD 1.5M

-58.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 IQD 441.4K

$624 IQD 943.1K

-53.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$958 IQD 1.4M

$4,276 IQD 6.5M

-77.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$543 IQD 820.3K

$1,379 IQD 2.1M

-60.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$302 IQD 457.0K

$518 IQD 782.8K

-41.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.12

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

Last update for Tikrit: October 27, 2026

Last update for Baghdad: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Tikrit

$152 23.6%

Baghdad

$164 15.6% 7.4% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tikrit

$133 20.6%

Baghdad

$245 23.4% 84.3% $112

Accommodation & Living

Tikrit

$131 20.4%

Baghdad

$364 34.8% 177% $233

Eating Out

Tikrit

$108 16.8%

Baghdad

$113 10.8% 4.8% $5.1

Clothing & Footwear

Tikrit

$59 9.2%

Baghdad

$72 6.9% 22.1% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Tikrit

$52 8%

Baghdad

$59 5.7% 15.2% $7.9

Getting Around

Tikrit

$9.6 * 1.5%

Baghdad

$30 2.9% 210% $20

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $183 in Tikrit and $537 in Baghdad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Baghdad pays 71% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $20 in Tikrit vs $27 in Baghdad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $152 vs $164 per month, with Tikrit cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Tikrit

🇮🇶 Baghdad

🕒 Local time

04:40 4:40 AM

Same time as Tikrit

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

260,000

7,216,040 Capital

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.91 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.91 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Tikrit Baghdad 160 km

From you

Tikrit
Baghdad

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

Tikrit vs Baghdad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tikrit wins on cost – living expenses run 38% lower than in Baghdad. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Tikrit the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 42% lower in Tikrit. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $183 in Tikrit versus $537 in Baghdad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Baghdad. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $646 per month in Tikrit versus $1,048 in Baghdad – Tikrit is about 38% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $646 in Tikrit versus $1,048 in Baghdad, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tikrit but tight or insufficient in Baghdad. The gap between the two cities makes Tikrit the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 – Tikrit wins on affordability, Baghdad on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.