Cost of Living Comparison Between Turkey and Iraq Cost of Living Comparison Between Turkey and Iraq

Name: Iraq
Address: IQ

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,078 in Turkey versus $762 in Iraq.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,674 in Turkey versus $1,166 in Iraq.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,270 in Turkey versus $1,570 in Iraq.

Living in Turkey is roughly 41% more expensive than Iraq on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Turkey 19% lower, Iraq 43% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Turkey: monthly costs span $858 to $1,721, compared to $535–$1,074 in Iraq. City choice carries more weight in Turkey.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.09 ₺410

$4.67 IQD 6,114

94.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.58 ₺1,740

$22.62 IQD 29.6K

70.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.96 ₺359

$6.22 IQD 8,146

27.97%

Cappuccino

$3.17 ₺143

$2.34 IQD 3,059

35.47%

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

$1.33 ₺60.0

$0.39 IQD 505

241.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ₺21.86

$0.19 IQD 247

152.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.57 ₺161

$2.22 IQD 2,904

60.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 ₺204

$2.62 IQD 3,430

72.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 ₺44.22

$1.23 IQD 1,614

-20.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.76 ₺34.25

$0.82 IQD 1,073

-7.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ₺97.6

$1.55 IQD 2,024

40.00%

Eggs

$2.34 ₺105

$1.80 IQD 2,360

30.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 ₺432

$5.15 IQD 6,741

86.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.69 ₺257

$4.13 IQD 5,415

37.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.38 ₺874

$12.18 IQD 16.0K

59.11%

Apples (1kg)

$1.38 ₺62.4

$1.06 IQD 1,391

30.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺104

$1.17 IQD 1,527

96.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.21 ₺54.6

$1.00 IQD 1,306

21.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ₺69.0

$0.69 IQD 909

121.74%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ₺34.38

$0.61 IQD 803

24.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.61 ₺27.64

$0.65 IQD 855

-6.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 ₺45.03

$0.65 IQD 850

53.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₺22.62

$0.55 IQD 722

-9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.12 ₺95.6

$1.91 IQD 2,501

10.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.91 ₺492

$12.06 IQD 15.8K

-9.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 ₺96.0

$1.77 IQD 2,324

20.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 ₺129

$2.26 IQD 2,961

26.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 ₺32.44

$0.39 IQD 512

84.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.87 ₺2,023

$33.19 IQD 43.5K

35.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 ₺47.60

$2.31 IQD 3,026

-54.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 ₺29.55

$1.75 IQD 2,292

-62.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.44 ₺336

$6.16 IQD 8,063

20.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ₺54.9

$0.59 IQD 774

106.78%

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

$43.1K ₺1.9M

$18.3K IQD 24.0M

134.94%

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

$43.0K ₺1.9M

$20.1K IQD 26.4M

113.48%

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

$69.4 ₺3,128

$99.9 IQD 130.8K

-30.53%

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

$10.93 ₺493

$19.71 IQD 25.8K

-44.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.73 ₺619

$32.89 IQD 43.1K

-58.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.89 ₺2,205

$34.48 IQD 45.2K

41.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.01 ₺812

$14.75 IQD 19.3K

22.10%

Cinema Ticket

$6.52 ₺294

$7.48 IQD 9,802

-12.83%

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

$631 ₺28.4K

$134 IQD 175.3K

371.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K ₺585.0K

$2,613 IQD 3.4M

396.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ₺2,422

$22.02 IQD 28.8K

143.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.75 ₺1,972

$26.23 IQD 34.4K

66.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 ₺4,856

$57.6 IQD 75.4K

86.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.1 ₺4,379

$40.28 IQD 52.8K

141.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$628 ₺28.3K

$300 IQD 392.5K

109.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$459 ₺20.7K

$194 IQD 253.8K

136.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,152 ₺51.9K

$557 IQD 729.3K

106.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$720 ₺32.5K

$376 IQD 492.5K

91.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,729 ₺78.0K

$1,528 IQD 2.0M

13.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,104 ₺49.8K

$757 IQD 991.4K

45.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,069 ₺48.2K

$563 IQD 737.2K

89.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

42.38

8.23

414.95%

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

Last update for Turkey: April 27, 2026

Last update for Iraq: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $527 in Turkey, $254 in Iraq. Capital cities: $729 in Ankara vs $557 in Baghdad.

National salary averages: $1,041 in Turkey, $557 in Iraq. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 107% higher in Turkey.

Dining out costs 25% more in Turkey.

Salaries are 87% higher in Turkey, giving Turkey stronger purchasing power.

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

Turkey vs Iraq: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $805 per month in Iraq and $1,290 in Turkey, there's a 60% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Iraq is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Turkey beats Iraq across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Iraq, $1,000 covers most cities easily. In Turkey, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. Iraq wins on affordability; Turkey may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.