Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tikrit and Erbil

For one person, living is cheaper in Tikrit: $646 a month against $958 in Erbil, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Tikrit
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Tikrit Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Erbil
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Erbil Living Index

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Tikrit

🇮🇶 Iraq

$646

/mo nomad

Erbil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$958

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tikrit and in Erbil

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

A single person spends $646 per month in Tikrit vs $958 in Erbil, rent included.

Tikrit $646
Erbil $958

A couple spends around $997 per month in Tikrit vs $1,427 in Erbil, rent included.

Tikrit $997
Erbil $1,427

A family of three spends $1,349 per month in Tikrit vs $1,896 in Erbil, rent included.

Tikrit $1,349
Erbil $1,896

Tikrit is about 33% cheaper than Erbil, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Tikrit and Erbil are more affordable than the global median – Tikrit 53% lower, Erbil 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.21 IQD 6,365

$6.42 IQD 9,704

-34.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.27 IQD 30.6K

$36.55 IQD 55.2K

-44.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.52 IQD 9,850

$7.41 IQD 11.2K

-12.01%

Cappuccino

$2.66 IQD 4,019

$3.24 IQD 4,889

-17.90%

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

$0.34 IQD 511

$0.89 IQD 1,341

-61.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 IQD 352

$0.33 IQD 505

-30.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 IQD 4,755

$5.75 IQD 8,681

-45.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 IQD 3,762

$3.92 IQD 5,921

-36.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 IQD 1,719

$1.07 IQD 1,611

6.54%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 IQD 905

$0.67 IQD 1,019

-10.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 IQD 1,992

$1.52 IQD 2,303

-13.16%

Eggs

$1.56 IQD 2,353

$1.60 IQD 2,413

-2.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.21 IQD 6,361

$7.00 IQD 10.6K

-39.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.67 IQD 5,544

$4.38 IQD 6,614

-16.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 IQD 15.5K

$12.67 IQD 19.1K

-19.18%

Apples (1kg)

$0.98 IQD 1,479

$0.94 IQD 1,415

4.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 IQD 1,588

$1.01 IQD 1,528

3.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.86 IQD 1,306

$1.02 IQD 1,544

-15.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.62 IQD 935

$0.70 IQD 1,064

-11.43%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 IQD 987

$0.65 IQD 982

Onion (1kg)

$0.53 IQD 803

$0.63 IQD 952

-15.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 IQD 844

$0.64 IQD 968

-12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 IQD 831

$0.52 IQD 781

5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.64 IQD 2,485

$2.19 IQD 3,303

-25.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.59 IQD 16.0K

$10.83 IQD 16.4K

-2.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 IQD 2,404

$1.45 IQD 2,191

9.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 IQD 2,403

$1.79 IQD 2,712

-11.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 IQD 552

$0.49 IQD 736

-24.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.29 IQD 59.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 IQD 2,830

$1.67 IQD 2,519

11.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 IQD 1,901

$1.60 IQD 2,418

-21.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 IQD 7,523

$5.78 IQD 8,728

-13.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.54 IQD 819

$0.57 IQD 867

-5.26%

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

$15.6K IQD 23.6M

$16.8K IQD 25.4M

-6.87%

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

$18.1K IQD 27.3M

$17.1K IQD 25.9M

5.39%

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

$89.4 IQD 135.0K

$111 IQD 168.1K

-19.66%

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

$14.36 IQD 21.7K

$12.24 IQD 18.5K

17.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.25 IQD 44.2K

$24.61 IQD 37.2K

18.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.36 IQD 47.4K

$57.0 IQD 86.1K

-44.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.48 IQD 20.4K

Cinema Ticket

$10.09 IQD 15.2K

$9.63 IQD 14.6K

4.78%

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

$129 IQD 194.8K

$294 IQD 443.8K

-56.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,947 IQD 4.5M

$2,726 IQD 4.1M

8.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.87 IQD 33.0K

$26.71 IQD 40.4K

-18.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.35 IQD 30.7K

$38.49 IQD 58.2K

-47.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.3 IQD 77.5K

$61.1 IQD 92.3K

-15.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.33 IQD 57.9K

$59.9 IQD 90.5K

-36.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$183 IQD 276.0K

$426 IQD 643.6K

-57.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$131 IQD 198.5K

$271 IQD 410.0K

-51.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$398 IQD 601.7K

$699 IQD 1.1M

-43.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 IQD 441.4K

$404 IQD 610.4K

-27.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$958 IQD 1.4M

$1,017 IQD 1.5M

-5.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$543 IQD 820.3K

$615 IQD 929.8K

-11.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$302 IQD 457.0K

$519 IQD 783.7K

-41.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.12

2.53

62.85%

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

Last update for Tikrit: October 27, 2026

Last update for Erbil: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Tikrit

$152 23.6%

Erbil

$174 18.1% 13.9% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tikrit

$133 20.6%

Erbil

$148 15.5% 11.4% $15

Accommodation & Living

Tikrit

$131 20.4%

Erbil

$271 28.3% 107% $140

Eating Out

Tikrit

$108 16.8%

Erbil

$154 16.1% 42.2% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Tikrit

$59 9.2%

Erbil

$84 8.8% 41.2% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Tikrit

$52 8%

Erbil

$76 8% 47.9% $25

Getting Around

Tikrit

$9.6 * 1.5%

Erbil

$51 5.3% 429% $41

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $183 in Tikrit versus $426 in Erbil. 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 71% higher in Erbil. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20 in Tikrit versus $37 in Erbil. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $152 vs $174 – making Tikrit the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Tikrit

🇮🇶 Erbil

🕒 Local time

23:54 11:54 PM

Same time as Tikrit

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

260,000

1,713,461

💱 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

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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 Erbil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Erbil is pricier by about 48%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $968 per month in Tikrit and $1,437 in Erbil. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tikrit, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $183 there versus $426 in Erbil.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $646 in Tikrit and $958 in Erbil. That makes Tikrit about 33% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $129 per month in Tikrit and $294 in Erbil. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Tikrit – 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 Tikrit. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Erbil makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.