Cost of Living Comparison Between United Kingdom and Iraq Cost of Living Comparison Between United Kingdom and Iraq

Name: Iraq
Address: IQ

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,365 in United Kingdom versus $760 in Iraq.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,470 in United Kingdom versus $1,167 in Iraq.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,575 in United Kingdom versus $1,574 in Iraq.

Living in United Kingdom is roughly 211% more expensive than in Iraq on average.

United Kingdom (78% above) and Iraq (43% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in United Kingdom: monthly costs span $1,652 to $3,902, compared to $521–$1,055 in Iraq. City choice carries more weight in United Kingdom.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.15 £15.08

$4.70 IQD 6,157

328.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.5 £66.2

$23.21 IQD 30.4K

281.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.33 £7.73

$6.49 IQD 8,494

59.17%

Cappuccino

$4.53 £3.39

$2.25 IQD 2,950

101.33%

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

$2.38 £1.78

$0.39 IQD 506

510.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 £1.27

$0.22 IQD 282

672.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.61 £4.95

$2.26 IQD 2,956

192.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.24 £4.67

$2.62 IQD 3,431

138.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 £1.23

$1.28 IQD 1,675

28.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 £1.25

$0.82 IQD 1,072

103.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 £1.66

$1.56 IQD 2,045

42.31%

Eggs

$3.98 £2.98

$1.73 IQD 2,268

130.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.60 £7.18

$4.89 IQD 6,402

96.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.15 £6.85

$4.15 IQD 5,429

120.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.94 £10.43

$12.49 IQD 16.4K

11.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 £2.20

$1.03 IQD 1,345

185.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 £1.25

$1.18 IQD 1,541

41.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.85 £2.14

$1.01 IQD 1,322

182.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.44 £2.58

$0.68 IQD 896

405.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 £1.27

$0.66 IQD 858

157.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 £1.20

$0.65 IQD 853

147.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 £0.84

$0.62 IQD 810

80.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 £1.14

$0.55 IQD 721

176.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.60 £15.41

$1.93 IQD 2,531

967.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.60 £7.93

$12.15 IQD 15.9K

-12.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 £2.15

$1.78 IQD 2,328

61.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 £2.45

$2.21 IQD 2,890

47.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.23 £2.42

$0.36 IQD 477

797.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.3 £69.8

$32.91 IQD 43.1K

183.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 £3.95

$2.23 IQD 2,923

136.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 £1.14

$1.71 IQD 2,244

-11.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.79 £20.04

$5.99 IQD 7,841

347.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 £1.48

$0.59 IQD 774

235.59%

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

$37.9K £28.3K

$18.2K IQD 23.8M

108.59%

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

$40.6K £30.3K

$20.1K IQD 26.4M

101.36%

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

$325 £243

$98.1 IQD 128.4K

231.79%

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

$17.63 £13.19

$19.26 IQD 25.2K

-8.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.17 £31.55

$31.85 IQD 41.7K

32.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.93 £34.36

$34.85 IQD 45.6K

31.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.86 £11.87

$14.57 IQD 19.1K

8.85%

Cinema Ticket

$13.36 £10.00

$7.75 IQD 10.2K

72.39%

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

$1,736 £1,299

$133 IQD 174.4K

1203.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K £16.0K

$2,672 IQD 3.5M

699.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.8 £67.9

$22.72 IQD 29.8K

299.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.24 £33.85

$25.90 IQD 33.9K

74.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 £76.6

$56.9 IQD 74.5K

79.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 £76.2

$39.49 IQD 51.7K

157.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,412 £1,057

$303 IQD 397.0K

365.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 £840

$198 IQD 259.8K

465.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,367 £1,770

$549 IQD 718.8K

331.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,827 £1,367

$378 IQD 494.8K

383.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,662 £4,235

$1,559 IQD 2.0M

263.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,424 £3,309

$789 IQD 1.0M

460.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,238 £2,422

$562 IQD 736.3K

475.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.75

8.23

-30.13%

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

Last update for United Kingdom: July 26, 2026

Last update for Iraq: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,266 in United Kingdom, $254 in Iraq. Capital cities: $3,021 in London vs $554 in Baghdad.

National salary averages: $3,174 in United Kingdom, $562 in Iraq. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 398% higher in United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 250% more in United Kingdom.

Public transport is 188% more expensive in United Kingdom.

Salaries are 465% higher in United Kingdom, and purchasing power comes out stronger in United Kingdom.

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

United Kingdom vs Iraq: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $788 per month in Iraq and $2,777 in United Kingdom, there's a 252% gap. 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 simply cheaper in Iraq: 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 United Kingdom is consistently higher than in 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 United Kingdom 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; United Kingdom may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.