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

Name: Iraq
Address: IQ

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,626 in United States versus $561 in Iraq.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,830 in United States versus $864 in Iraq.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,033 in United States versus $1,166 in Iraq.

Living in United States is roughly 368% more expensive than in Iraq on average.

United States (90% above) and Iraq (59% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.83 $19.83

$4.51 IQD 5,902

339.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.8 $78.8

$22.77 IQD 29.8K

246.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.19 $12.19

$7.44 IQD 9,743

63.84%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$2.75 IQD 3,597

103.27%

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

$2.78 $2.78

$0.42 IQD 551

561.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$0.24 IQD 315

808.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 $5.86

$3.84 IQD 5,028

52.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.02 $8.02

$3.86 IQD 5,060

107.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.14 IQD 1,497

-6.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.68 $3.68

$0.85 IQD 1,112

332.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.66 $4.66

$1.52 IQD 1,987

206.58%

Eggs

$4.20 $4.20

$1.73 IQD 2,271

142.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.78 $12.78

$4.85 IQD 6,352

163.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.40 $12.40

$4.26 IQD 5,573

191.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.90 $16.90

$12.93 IQD 16.9K

30.70%

Apples (1kg)

$5.23 $5.23

$1.05 IQD 1,373

398.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.13 IQD 1,480

46.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$0.96 IQD 1,263

351.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$0.67 IQD 871

640.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$0.68 IQD 886

314.71%

Onion (1kg)

$3.11 $3.11

$0.61 IQD 792

409.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 $2.19

$0.67 IQD 880

226.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$0.51 IQD 666

343.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.35 $10.35

$1.87 IQD 2,450

453.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.81 $14.81

$11.95 IQD 15.7K

23.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.98 IQD 2,594

5.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 $3.65

$2.11 IQD 2,769

72.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 $2.38

$0.39 IQD 511

510.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.5 $64.5

$26.00 IQD 34.0K

148.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 $3.54

$2.26 IQD 2,955

56.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.66 IQD 2,175

12.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.34 $30.34

$5.97 IQD 7,817

408.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$0.66 IQD 860

51.52%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$16.9K IQD 22.2M

109.71%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$19.1K IQD 25.0M

35.35%

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

$222 $222

$113 IQD 148.2K

96.28%

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

$61.1 $61.1

$15.84 IQD 20.7K

285.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.7 $74.7

$33.79 IQD 44.2K

120.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.49 $44.49

$35.74 IQD 46.8K

24.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.35 $22.35

$18.36 IQD 24.0K

21.73%

Cinema Ticket

$15.03 $15.03

$7.78 IQD 10.2K

93.19%

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

$1,431 $1,431

$171 IQD 224.2K

735.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.9K $25.9K

$2,756 IQD 3.6M

838.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.6 $53.6

$21.41 IQD 28.0K

150.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.46 $43.46

$27.13 IQD 35.5K

60.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 $91.5

$59.7 IQD 78.1K

53.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$44.36 IQD 58.1K

156.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 $1,633

$308 IQD 403.0K

430.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,328 $1,328

$210 IQD 275.6K

531.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,606 $2,606

$551 IQD 722.0K

372.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,206 $2,206

$400 IQD 524.4K

451.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,323 $3,323

$1,557 IQD 2.0M

113.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,653 $2,653

$789 IQD 1.0M

236.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,306 $4,306

$582 IQD 762.0K

640.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.21

6.32

-1.74%

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

Last update for United States: September 7, 2026

Last update for Iraq: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,604 in United States, $133 in Iraq. Capital cities: $1,360 in Columbia, TN vs $566 in Baghdad.

National salary averages: $4,526 in United States, $551 in Iraq. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 1106% higher in United States.

Dining out costs 275% more in United States.

Public transport is 145% more expensive in United States.

Salaries are 721% higher in United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in United States.

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 States vs Iraq: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $562 per month in Iraq and $3,142 in United States, there's a 459% 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 States 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 States 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 States may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.