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: $2,360 in United Kingdom versus $762 in Iraq.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,471 in United Kingdom versus $1,166 in Iraq.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,581 in United Kingdom versus $1,570 in Iraq.

Living in United Kingdom is roughly 210% more expensive than Iraq on average.

United Kingdom (76% above) and Iraq (43% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in United Kingdom: monthly costs span $1,688 to $4,005, compared to $535–$1,074 in Iraq. City choice carries more weight in United Kingdom.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.50 £15.17

$4.67 IQD 6,114

338.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.6 £66.3

$22.62 IQD 29.6K

295.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.05 £7.44

$6.22 IQD 8,146

61.58%

Cappuccino

$4.53 £3.35

$2.34 IQD 3,059

93.59%

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

$2.47 £1.83

$0.39 IQD 505

533.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 £1.25

$0.19 IQD 247

794.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.61 £4.89

$2.22 IQD 2,904

197.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.48 £4.80

$2.62 IQD 3,430

147.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 £1.21

$1.23 IQD 1,614

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 £1.26

$0.82 IQD 1,073

107.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 £1.63

$1.55 IQD 2,024

41.94%

Eggs

$3.98 £2.94

$1.80 IQD 2,360

121.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.62 £7.12

$5.15 IQD 6,741

86.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.02 £6.67

$4.13 IQD 5,415

118.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.00 £10.36

$12.18 IQD 16.0K

14.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 £2.27

$1.06 IQD 1,391

189.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 £1.19

$1.17 IQD 1,527

37.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.82 £2.09

$1.00 IQD 1,306

182.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.58 £2.65

$0.69 IQD 909

418.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 £1.19

$0.61 IQD 803

163.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 £1.13

$0.65 IQD 855

133.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 £0.86

$0.65 IQD 850

78.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 £1.11

$0.55 IQD 722

172.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.28 £15.01

$1.91 IQD 2,501

961.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.76 £7.96

$12.06 IQD 15.8K

-10.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 £2.14

$1.77 IQD 2,324

63.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 £2.42

$2.26 IQD 2,961

44.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.25 £2.40

$0.39 IQD 512

733.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.6 £71.5

$33.19 IQD 43.5K

190.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 £4.00

$2.31 IQD 3,026

134.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 £1.14

$1.75 IQD 2,292

-11.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.40 £20.28

$6.16 IQD 8,063

344.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 £1.48

$0.59 IQD 774

238.98%

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

$38.6K £28.6K

$18.3K IQD 24.0M

110.68%

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

$40.1K £29.7K

$20.1K IQD 26.4M

98.89%

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

$324 £239

$99.9 IQD 130.8K

224.01%

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

$17.16 £12.70

$19.71 IQD 25.8K

-12.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.46 £31.42

$32.89 IQD 43.1K

29.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.45 £34.38

$34.48 IQD 45.2K

34.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.23 £12.01

$14.75 IQD 19.3K

10.03%

Cinema Ticket

$13.44 £9.94

$7.48 IQD 9,802

79.68%

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

$1,720 £1,273

$134 IQD 175.3K

1185.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.1K £15.6K

$2,613 IQD 3.4M

708.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 £66.3

$22.02 IQD 28.8K

307.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.89 £32.48

$26.23 IQD 34.4K

67.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 £74.6

$57.6 IQD 75.4K

75.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 £78.1

$40.28 IQD 52.8K

161.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,396 £1,033

$300 IQD 392.5K

365.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 £833

$194 IQD 253.8K

480.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,346 £1,736

$557 IQD 729.3K

321.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,877 £1,389

$376 IQD 492.5K

399.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,923 £4,383

$1,528 IQD 2.0M

287.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,613 £3,413

$757 IQD 991.4K

509.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,374 £2,497

$563 IQD 737.2K

499.50%

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: April 28, 2026

Last update for Iraq: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,267 in United Kingdom, $254 in Iraq. Capital cities: $3,034 in London vs $557 in Baghdad.

National salary averages: $3,209 in United Kingdom, $557 in Iraq. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 399% higher in United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 250% more in United Kingdom.

Public transport is 182% more expensive in United Kingdom.

Salaries are 476% higher in United Kingdom, giving United Kingdom 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

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

At $805 per month in Iraq and $2,847 in United Kingdom, there's a 254% 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 United Kingdom 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 United Kingdom, 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; United Kingdom may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.