Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zakho and Baghdad

For one person, living is cheaper in Zakho: $725 a month against $1,048 in Baghdad, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Zakho
Learn more

Zakho Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Baghdad
Learn more

Baghdad Living Index

Jump to prices

Zakho

🇮🇶 Iraq

$725

/mo nomad

Baghdad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$1,048

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zakho and in Baghdad

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Zakho and in Baghdad actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $725 in Zakho versus $1,048 in Baghdad.

Zakho $725
Baghdad $1,048

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,158 in Zakho versus $1,508 in Baghdad.

Zakho $1,158
Baghdad $1,508

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,591 in Zakho versus $1,968 in Baghdad.

Zakho $1,591
Baghdad $1,968

Living in Zakho costs roughly 31% less than in Baghdad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Zakho 47% lower, Baghdad 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.18 IQD 6,310

$4.54 IQD 6,866

-7.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.97 IQD 55.9K

$26.64 IQD 40.3K

38.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.14 IQD 10.8K

$6.47 IQD 9,781

10.36%

Cappuccino

$3.21 IQD 4,856

$2.68 IQD 4,054

19.78%

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

$0.83 IQD 1,256

$0.39 IQD 584

112.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 IQD 506

$0.20 IQD 302

65.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.65 IQD 8,535

$3.31 IQD 5,009

70.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 IQD 5,960

$3.22 IQD 4,866

22.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 IQD 1,669

$0.92 IQD 1,390

19.57%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 IQD 1,023

$0.71 IQD 1,078

-4.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 IQD 2,271

$1.32 IQD 1,999

13.64%

Eggs

$1.58 IQD 2,382

$1.71 IQD 2,577

-7.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.88 IQD 10.4K

$3.30 IQD 4,989

108.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.26 IQD 6,440

$4.15 IQD 6,269

2.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 IQD 19.2K

$12.24 IQD 18.5K

3.68%

Apples (1kg)

$0.98 IQD 1,484

$1.00 IQD 1,513

-2.00%

Banana (1kg)

$0.94 IQD 1,414

$0.98 IQD 1,487

-4.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 IQD 1,536

$0.95 IQD 1,440

7.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.65 IQD 986

$0.68 IQD 1,021

-4.41%

Potato (1kg)

$0.61 IQD 920

$0.58 IQD 877

5.17%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 IQD 895

$0.57 IQD 854

3.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 IQD 926

$0.60 IQD 903

1.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 IQD 775

$0.61 IQD 927

-16.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.18 IQD 3,300

$1.67 IQD 2,531

30.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.80 IQD 16.3K

$11.64 IQD 17.6K

-7.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 IQD 2,213

$1.99 IQD 3,005

-26.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 IQD 2,737

$1.96 IQD 2,962

-7.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 IQD 439

$0.32 IQD 480

-9.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.04 IQD 30.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 IQD 2,546

$2.02 IQD 3,045

-16.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 IQD 2,440

$1.30 IQD 1,964

23.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.65 IQD 8,531

$6.67 IQD 10.1K

-15.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 IQD 886

$0.58 IQD 870

1.72%

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

$16.5K IQD 24.9M

$16.5K IQD 25.0M

-0.43%

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

$17.1K IQD 25.8M

$16.7K IQD 25.2M

2.28%

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

$115 IQD 173.5K

$188 IQD 284.5K

-39.03%

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

$12.27 IQD 18.5K

$19.25 IQD 29.1K

-36.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.28 IQD 36.7K

$37.51 IQD 56.7K

-35.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.56 IQD 59.8K

$39.97 IQD 60.4K

-1.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.38 IQD 27.8K

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 IQD 14.7K

$9.70 IQD 14.7K

0.52%

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

$298 IQD 450.7K

$145 IQD 219.6K

105.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,742 IQD 4.1M

$3,297 IQD 5.0M

-16.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.56 IQD 40.1K

$25.60 IQD 38.7K

3.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.78 IQD 29.9K

$33.32 IQD 50.3K

-40.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$49.59 IQD 74.9K

$60.2 IQD 90.9K

-17.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.81 IQD 60.1K

$41.85 IQD 63.2K

-4.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$207 IQD 313.3K

$537 IQD 811.6K

-61.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$136 IQD 205.0K

$364 IQD 550.5K

-62.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$370 IQD 558.5K

$963 IQD 1.5M

-61.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$319 IQD 482.7K

$624 IQD 943.1K

-48.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$888 IQD 1.3M

$4,276 IQD 6.5M

-79.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$551 IQD 833.0K

$1,379 IQD 2.1M

-60.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$660 IQD 997.8K

$518 IQD 782.8K

27.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.53

4.12

-38.59%

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

Last update for Zakho: October 25, 2026

Last update for Baghdad: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Zakho

$172 23.8%

Baghdad

$164 15.6% 4.9% $8.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zakho

$151 20.9%

Baghdad

$245 23.4% 61.9% $94

Accommodation & Living

Zakho

$136 18.7%

Baghdad

$364 34.8% 169% $229

Eating Out

Zakho

$134 18.5%

Baghdad

$113 10.8% 15.6% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Zakho

$61 8.4%

Baghdad

$72 6.9% 18.6% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Zakho

$59 8.2%

Baghdad

$59 5.7% 0.5% $0.3

Getting Around

Zakho

$11 * 1.5%

Baghdad

$30 2.9% 173% $19

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $207 in Zakho and $537 in Baghdad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zakho pays 27% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $37 in Zakho vs $27 in Baghdad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $172 vs $164 per month, with Baghdad cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Zakho

🇮🇶 Baghdad

🕒 Local time

17:55 5:55 PM

Same time as Zakho

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

197,163

7,216,040 Capital

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Zakho Baghdad 450 km

From you

Zakho
Baghdad

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

Zakho vs Baghdad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zakho wins on cost – living expenses run 31% lower than in Baghdad. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Zakho the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 27% higher in Zakho, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $207 in Zakho versus $537 in Baghdad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Baghdad pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $725 per month in Zakho versus $1,048 in Baghdad – Zakho is about 31% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $725 in Zakho versus $1,048 in Baghdad, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zakho but tight or insufficient in Baghdad. The gap between the two cities makes Zakho the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.