Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tikrit and Sulaymaniyah

For one person, living is cheaper in Tikrit: $646 a month against $663 in Sulaymaniyah, rent and utilities included – about $200 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
32

Cost of Living Index in Sulaymaniyah
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Sulaymaniyah Living Index

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Tikrit

🇮🇶 Iraq

$646

/mo nomad

Sulaymaniyah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tikrit and in Sulaymaniyah

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $646 in Tikrit versus $663 in Sulaymaniyah.

Tikrit $646
Sulaymaniyah $663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $997 in Tikrit versus $1,034 in Sulaymaniyah.

Tikrit $997
Sulaymaniyah $1,034

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,349 in Tikrit versus $1,406 in Sulaymaniyah.

Tikrit $1,349
Sulaymaniyah $1,406

Living in Tikrit costs roughly 3% less than in Sulaymaniyah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tikrit 53% lower, Sulaymaniyah 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.21 IQD 6,365

$4.21 IQD 6,363

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.27 IQD 30.6K

$19.75 IQD 29.8K

2.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.52 IQD 9,850

$5.90 IQD 8,916

10.51%

Cappuccino

$2.66 IQD 4,019

$2.45 IQD 3,702

8.57%

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

$0.34 IQD 511

$0.43 IQD 650

-20.93%

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

$3.22 IQD 4,873

-2.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 IQD 3,762

$2.04 IQD 3,080

22.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 IQD 1,719

$1.11 IQD 1,677

2.70%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 IQD 905

$0.89 IQD 1,339

-32.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 IQD 1,992

$1.66 IQD 2,516

-20.48%

Eggs

$1.56 IQD 2,353

$1.55 IQD 2,345

0.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.21 IQD 6,361

$4.31 IQD 6,509

-2.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.67 IQD 5,544

$3.66 IQD 5,536

0.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 IQD 15.5K

$13.27 IQD 20.1K

-22.83%

Apples (1kg)

$0.98 IQD 1,479

$1.11 IQD 1,680

-11.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 IQD 1,588

$1.09 IQD 1,646

-3.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.86 IQD 1,306

$1.04 IQD 1,579

-17.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.62 IQD 935

$0.56 IQD 843

10.71%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 IQD 987

$0.49 IQD 740

32.65%

Onion (1kg)

$0.53 IQD 803

$0.63 IQD 957

-15.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 IQD 844

$0.58 IQD 883

-3.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 IQD 831

$0.45 IQD 685

22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.64 IQD 2,485

$2.02 IQD 3,049

-18.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.59 IQD 16.0K

$9.76 IQD 14.7K

8.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 IQD 2,404

$1.66 IQD 2,509

-4.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 IQD 2,403

$1.25 IQD 1,896

27.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 IQD 552

$0.52 IQD 786

-28.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.74 IQD 29.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 IQD 2,830

$1.92 IQD 2,904

-2.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 IQD 1,901

$1.96 IQD 2,961

-35.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 IQD 7,523

$4.48 IQD 6,774

11.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.54 IQD 819

$0.57 IQD 865

-5.26%

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

$15.6K IQD 23.6M

$17.6K IQD 26.6M

-11.01%

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

$18.1K IQD 27.3M

$17.0K IQD 25.6M

6.47%

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

$89.4 IQD 135.0K

$85.2 IQD 128.7K

4.93%

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

$14.36 IQD 21.7K

$10.12 IQD 15.3K

41.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.25 IQD 44.2K

$24.03 IQD 36.3K

21.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.36 IQD 47.4K

$33.78 IQD 51.0K

-7.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.92 IQD 27.1K

Cinema Ticket

$10.09 IQD 15.2K

$6.56 IQD 9,916

53.81%

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

$129 IQD 194.8K

$153 IQD 231.1K

-15.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,947 IQD 4.5M

$2,546 IQD 3.8M

15.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.87 IQD 33.0K

$16.75 IQD 25.3K

30.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.35 IQD 30.7K

$22.28 IQD 33.7K

-8.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.3 IQD 77.5K

$36.83 IQD 55.7K

39.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.33 IQD 57.9K

$33.01 IQD 49.9K

16.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$183 IQD 276.0K

$187 IQD 282.6K

-2.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$131 IQD 198.5K

$147 IQD 221.9K

-10.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$398 IQD 601.7K

$419 IQD 632.8K

-4.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 IQD 441.4K

$314 IQD 474.4K

-6.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$958 IQD 1.4M

$695 IQD 1.1M

37.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$543 IQD 820.3K

$548 IQD 828.2K

-0.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$302 IQD 457.0K

$501 IQD 757.3K

-39.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.12

5.77

-28.60%

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

Last update for Tikrit: October 27, 2026

Last update for Sulaymaniyah: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Tikrit

$152 23.6%

Sulaymaniyah

$164 24.7% 7.4% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tikrit

$133 20.6%

Sulaymaniyah

$119 18% 10.3% $14

Accommodation & Living

Tikrit

$131 20.4%

Sulaymaniyah

$147 22.2% 11.8% $15

Eating Out

Tikrit

$108 16.8%

Sulaymaniyah

$104 15.6% 4.3% $4.7

Clothing & Footwear

Tikrit

$59 9.2%

Sulaymaniyah

$49 7.4% 17.4% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Tikrit

$52 8%

Sulaymaniyah

$47 7.1% 9% $4.6

Getting Around

Tikrit

$9.6 * 1.5%

Sulaymaniyah

$34 5.1% 249% $24

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 $187 in Sulaymaniyah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sulaymaniyah pays 66% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $20 in Tikrit vs $20 in Sulaymaniyah 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

🇮🇶 Sulaymaniyah

🕒 Local time

09:57 9:57 AM

Same time as Tikrit

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

260,000

823,199

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.94 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Tikrit Sulaymaniyah 190 km

From you

Tikrit
Sulaymaniyah

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 Sulaymaniyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tikrit is about 3% cheaper overall, especially in transport and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 40% 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 $187 in Sulaymaniyah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

Childcare runs $129 in Tikrit versus $153 in Sulaymaniyah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Tikrit 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 – Tikrit wins on affordability, Sulaymaniyah on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.