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: $2,363 in United Kingdom versus $761 in Iraq.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,474 in United Kingdom versus $1,168 in Iraq.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,584 in United Kingdom versus $1,575 in Iraq.

Living in United Kingdom is roughly 211% 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 $1,675 to $3,930, compared to $535–$1,074 in Iraq. City choice carries more weight in United Kingdom.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.18 £15.05

$4.62 IQD 6,049

336.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.9 £64.9

$23.22 IQD 30.4K

274.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.31 £7.69

$6.17 IQD 8,081

67.10%

Cappuccino

$4.67 £3.48

$2.24 IQD 2,936

108.48%

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

$2.45 £1.83

$0.42 IQD 549

483.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 £1.31

$0.17 IQD 227

929.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.61 £4.93

$2.25 IQD 2,951

193.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.31 £4.71

$2.73 IQD 3,574

131.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 £1.23

$1.23 IQD 1,611

34.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 £1.28

$0.82 IQD 1,073

109.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 £1.71

$1.58 IQD 2,065

44.94%

Eggs

$4.14 £3.09

$1.79 IQD 2,346

131.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.97 £7.44

$4.98 IQD 6,517

100.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.88 £6.62

$4.11 IQD 5,376

116.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.15 £10.56

$12.42 IQD 16.3K

13.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 £2.22

$1.04 IQD 1,356

185.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 £1.25

$1.13 IQD 1,475

48.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.85 £2.13

$1.05 IQD 1,373

171.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.41 £2.54

$0.68 IQD 895

401.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 £1.24

$0.62 IQD 807

167.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 £1.14

$0.65 IQD 852

135.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 £0.87

$0.66 IQD 865

75.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 £1.12

$0.51 IQD 672

196.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.73 £15.46

$2.00 IQD 2,624

936.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.85 £8.09

$11.92 IQD 15.6K

-8.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.83 £2.11

$1.86 IQD 2,435

52.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 £2.47

$2.16 IQD 2,834

53.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.19 £2.38

$0.40 IQD 521

697.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.8 £70.7

$32.71 IQD 42.8K

189.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.46 £4.08

$2.35 IQD 3,073

132.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 £1.14

$1.74 IQD 2,273

-12.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.66 £19.89

$6.10 IQD 7,990

337.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 £1.42

$0.60 IQD 781

218.33%

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

$38.2K £28.5K

$18.3K IQD 24.0M

108.20%

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

$41.1K £30.6K

$19.9K IQD 26.0M

106.77%

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

$327 £244

$98.4 IQD 128.9K

231.89%

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

$17.50 £13.05

$19.08 IQD 25.0K

-8.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.25 £31.51

$32.47 IQD 42.5K

30.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.93 £34.26

$34.81 IQD 45.6K

31.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.90 £11.86

$14.82 IQD 19.4K

7.29%

Cinema Ticket

$13.46 £10.04

$7.77 IQD 10.2K

73.23%

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

$1,735 £1,294

$134 IQD 174.8K

1199.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.7K £15.5K

$2,580 IQD 3.4M

703.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 £66.8

$22.33 IQD 29.2K

300.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.65 £33.30

$26.27 IQD 34.4K

69.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 £77.3

$57.6 IQD 75.4K

79.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 £75.9

$39.99 IQD 52.4K

154.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,418 £1,058

$300 IQD 392.7K

372.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,139 £849

$198 IQD 258.8K

476.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,313 £1,725

$547 IQD 716.9K

322.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,837 £1,370

$376 IQD 493.0K

387.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,858 £4,370

$1,635 IQD 2.1M

258.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,550 £3,394

$779 IQD 1.0M

484.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,230 £2,409

$576 IQD 754.6K

460.57%

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: June 6, 2026

Last update for Iraq: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,265 in United Kingdom, $255 in Iraq. Capital cities: $3,031 in London vs $553 in Baghdad.

National salary averages: $3,192 in United Kingdom, $557 in Iraq. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 396% higher in United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 250% more in United Kingdom.

Public transport is 182% more expensive in United Kingdom.

Salaries are 473% 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 $2,803 in United Kingdom, there's a 248% 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.