Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and Iraq

Name: Iraq
Address: IQ

For one person, living is cheaper in Iraq: $720 a month against $2,734 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $24,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Iraq
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Iraq Living Index

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🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$720

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United States 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 the United States and in Iraq actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,734 in the United States versus $720 in Iraq.

United States $2,734
Iraq $720

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,985 in the United States versus $1,090 in Iraq.

United States $3,985
Iraq $1,090

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,235 in the United States versus $1,460 in Iraq.

United States $5,235
Iraq $1,460

Internal cost variation is higher in the United States: monthly costs span $979 to $5,160, compared to $500–$1,048 in Iraq. City choice carries more weight in the United States.

Living in the United States is roughly 280% more expensive than in Iraq on average.

The United States (101% above) and Iraq (47% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.03 $20.03

$3.87 IQD 5,843

417.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 $80.0

$19.69 IQD 29.7K

306.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$6.54 IQD 9,879

80.43%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$2.43 IQD 3,673

128.40%

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

$2.66 $2.66

$0.41 IQD 614

548.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$0.17 IQD 262

1176.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 $6.12

$3.39 IQD 5,119

80.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 $7.94

$3.26 IQD 4,923

143.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.01 IQD 1,520

2.97%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 $3.59

$0.69 IQD 1,048

420.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$1.38 IQD 2,083

227.54%

Eggs

$4.28 $4.28

$1.56 IQD 2,357

174.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.22 $13.22

$4.06 IQD 6,133

225.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.60 $12.60

$3.70 IQD 5,593

240.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.60 $17.60

$11.26 IQD 17.0K

56.31%

Apples (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$0.92 IQD 1,396

476.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.00 IQD 1,507

69.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$0.89 IQD 1,343

398.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$0.60 IQD 913

695.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$0.58 IQD 879

412.07%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$0.57 IQD 862

452.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$0.53 IQD 801

315.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.44 IQD 670

434.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 $10.98

$1.69 IQD 2,555

549.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$10.22 IQD 15.4K

47.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.65 IQD 2,498

24.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 $3.79

$1.82 IQD 2,755

108.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.34 IQD 514

470.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.4 $59.4

$19.96 IQD 30.1K

197.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$2.03 IQD 3,067

76.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.47 IQD 2,219

27.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.84 $29.84

$5.20 IQD 7,858

473.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.56 IQD 852

82.14%

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

$28.8K $28.8K

$16.7K IQD 25.3M

71.81%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$16.6K IQD 25.1M

57.48%

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

$218 $218

$96.4 IQD 145.6K

126.08%

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

$62.5 $62.5

$13.50 IQD 20.4K

362.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.5 $74.5

$29.17 IQD 44.0K

155.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.86 $41.86

$30.82 IQD 46.5K

35.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.81 $22.81

$16.41 IQD 24.8K

39.00%

Cinema Ticket

$14.70 $14.70

$6.94 IQD 10.5K

111.82%

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

$1,489 $1,489

$158 IQD 238.0K

844.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K $25.3K

$2,605 IQD 3.9M

869.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 $54.3

$19.03 IQD 28.7K

185.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.71 $42.71

$23.52 IQD 35.5K

81.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 $94.1

$52.2 IQD 78.8K

80.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$38.65 IQD 58.4K

193.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,659 $1,659

$273 IQD 411.7K

508.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 $1,348

$187 IQD 282.3K

620.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 $2,682

$508 IQD 767.8K

427.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,169 $2,169

$358 IQD 540.2K

506.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,283 $3,283

$1,491 IQD 2.3M

120.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,482 $2,482

$685 IQD 1.0M

262.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,296 $4,296

$492 IQD 743.4K

772.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

6.32

3.64%

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

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Last update for Iraq: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 49.3%

Iraq

$187 26% 86.1% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

United States

$415 15.2%

Iraq

$153 21.3% 63.1% $262

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$355 13%

Iraq

$139 19.3% 60.8% $216

Eating Out

United States

$328 12%

Iraq

$106 14.7% 67.8% $222

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5%

Iraq

$60 8.3% 56.2% $77

Getting Around

United States

$80 2.9%

Iraq

$31 4.3% 61.7% $49

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$71 2.6%

Iraq

$45 6.2% 37.3% $27

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,620 in the United States, $225 in Iraq. Capital cities: $2,768 in Washington, DC vs $537 in Baghdad.

National salary averages: $4,549 in the United States, $491 in Iraq. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 620% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 241% more in the United States.

Public transport is 117% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are about 9.3 times higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇺🇸 United States

🇮🇶 Iraq

🕒 Local time

15:08 3:08 PM

22:08 10:08 PM

7 h ahead of the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

38,274,618

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇮🇶 Iraqi Dinar (ع.د)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1,510 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,685 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR).

IQD to USD in detail →

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United States
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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

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

At $720 per month in Iraq and $2,734 in the United States, Iraq comes out about 74% 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 $1,620 in the United States and $225 in Iraq. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

It depends on what you’re after: Iraq wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.