Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Turkey and Iraq

Name: Iraq
Address: IQ

For one person, living is cheaper in Iraq: $720 a month against $1,212 in Turkey, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Turkey
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Turkey Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Iraq
Learn more

Iraq Living Index

Jump to prices

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,212

/mo nomad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$720

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Turkey and in Iraq

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,212 in Turkey versus $720 in Iraq.

Turkey $1,212
Iraq $720

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,844 in Turkey versus $1,090 in Iraq.

Turkey $1,844
Iraq $1,090

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,475 in Turkey versus $1,460 in Iraq.

Turkey $2,475
Iraq $1,460

Internal cost variation is higher in Turkey: monthly costs span $656 to $1,765, compared to $500–$1,048 in Iraq. City choice carries more weight in Turkey.

Living in Turkey is roughly 68% more expensive than in Iraq on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Turkey 11% lower, Iraq 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.14 ₺455

$3.87 IQD 5,843

136.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.12 ₺1,998

$19.69 IQD 29.7K

103.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.91 ₺444

$6.54 IQD 9,879

36.24%

Cappuccino

$3.75 ₺187

$2.43 IQD 3,673

54.32%

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

$1.47 ₺73.3

$0.41 IQD 614

258.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.64

$0.17 IQD 262

229.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ₺191

$3.39 IQD 5,119

13.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.91 ₺245

$3.26 IQD 4,923

50.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 ₺51.0

$1.01 IQD 1,520

0.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 ₺49.89

$0.69 IQD 1,048

44.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺110

$1.38 IQD 2,083

59.42%

Eggs

$2.21 ₺110

$1.56 IQD 2,357

41.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.72 ₺484

$4.06 IQD 6,133

139.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.86 ₺242

$3.70 IQD 5,593

31.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.09 ₺1,000

$11.26 IQD 17.0K

78.42%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺92.4

$0.92 IQD 1,396

102.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 ₺98.8

$1.00 IQD 1,507

98.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.06 ₺53.0

$0.89 IQD 1,343

19.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 ₺67.8

$0.60 IQD 913

126.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.54 ₺26.84

$0.58 IQD 879

-6.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.45 ₺22.29

$0.57 IQD 862

-21.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 ₺49.57

$0.53 IQD 801

88.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 ₺34.21

$0.44 IQD 670

56.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 ₺113

$1.69 IQD 2,555

33.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.91 ₺593

$10.22 IQD 15.4K

16.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 ₺112

$1.65 IQD 2,498

35.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ₺142

$1.82 IQD 2,755

56.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 ₺37.98

$0.34 IQD 514

123.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.49 ₺1,967

$19.96 IQD 30.1K

97.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 ₺70.9

$2.03 IQD 3,067

-30.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 ₺41.63

$1.47 IQD 2,219

-42.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.98 ₺397

$5.20 IQD 7,858

53.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 ₺68.8

$0.56 IQD 852

146.43%

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

$41.6K ₺2.1M

$16.7K IQD 25.3M

148.76%

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

$40.3K ₺2.0M

$16.6K IQD 25.1M

142.41%

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

$75.0 ₺3,733

$96.4 IQD 145.6K

-22.25%

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

$10.38 ₺517

$13.50 IQD 20.4K

-23.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.56 ₺775

$29.17 IQD 44.0K

-46.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 ₺2,751

$30.82 IQD 46.5K

79.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.01 ₺1,047

$16.41 IQD 24.8K

28.03%

Cinema Ticket

$6.87 ₺342

$6.94 IQD 10.5K

-1.01%

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

$680 ₺33.9K

$158 IQD 238.0K

331.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ₺791.9K

$2,605 IQD 3.9M

510.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ₺2,722

$19.03 IQD 28.7K

187.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.98 ₺2,141

$23.52 IQD 35.5K

82.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 ₺5,070

$52.2 IQD 78.8K

95.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.9 ₺4,674

$38.65 IQD 58.4K

142.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$614 ₺30.6K

$273 IQD 411.7K

125.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$441 ₺21.9K

$187 IQD 282.3K

135.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 ₺50.4K

$508 IQD 767.8K

98.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$703 ₺35.0K

$358 IQD 540.2K

96.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,710 ₺85.2K

$1,491 IQD 2.3M

14.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,115 ₺55.5K

$685 IQD 1.0M

62.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,061 ₺52.8K

$492 IQD 743.4K

115.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.67

6.32

559.34%

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

Last update for Turkey: October 26, 2026

Last update for Iraq: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Turkey

$441 36.4%

Iraq

$187 26% 57.6% $254

Groceries & Markets

Turkey

$239 19.8%

Iraq

$153 21.3% 36% $86

Eating Out

Turkey

$182 15%

Iraq

$106 14.7% 42% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Turkey

$132 10.9%

Iraq

$60 8.3% 54.5% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Turkey

$101 8.3%

Iraq

$139 19.3% 37.8% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Turkey

$69 5.7%

Iraq

$45 6.2% 35.2% $24

Getting Around

Turkey

$48 4%

Iraq

$31 4.3% 36.2% $17

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $446 in Turkey, $225 in Iraq. Capital cities: $765 in Ankara vs $537 in Baghdad.

National salary averages: $1,034 in Turkey, $491 in Iraq. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 98% higher in Turkey.

Dining out costs 55% more in Turkey.

Salaries are about 2.1 times higher in Turkey, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Turkey.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Turkey

🇮🇶 Iraq

🕒 Local time

09:10 9:10 AM

Same time as Turkey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

85,372,377

38,274,618

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.01 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.95 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 49.8 TRY (100 TRY = 2.01 USD). 1 EUR = 55.44 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1,510 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,681 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.95 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Turkey Iraq 1,260 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Turkey
Iraq

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

Turkey vs Iraq: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $720 per month in Iraq and $1,212 in Turkey, Iraq comes out about 41% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is cheaper in Iraq: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $446 in Turkey and $225 in Iraq. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In Iraq, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in Turkey it stretches only to regional areas and 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, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.