Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zakho and Sulaymaniyah

For one person, living is cheaper in Sulaymaniyah: $663 a month against $725 in Zakho, rent and utilities included – about $740 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Zakho
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Zakho Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Sulaymaniyah
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Sulaymaniyah Living Index

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Zakho

🇮🇶 Iraq

$725

/mo nomad

Sulaymaniyah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zakho and in Sulaymaniyah

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 Sulaymaniyah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $725 in Zakho versus $663 in Sulaymaniyah.

Zakho $725
Sulaymaniyah $663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,158 in Zakho versus $1,034 in Sulaymaniyah.

Zakho $1,158
Sulaymaniyah $1,034

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,591 in Zakho versus $1,406 in Sulaymaniyah.

Zakho $1,591
Sulaymaniyah $1,406

Living in Zakho is roughly 9% more expensive than in Sulaymaniyah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Zakho 47% lower, Sulaymaniyah 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.18 IQD 6,310

$4.21 IQD 6,363

-0.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.97 IQD 55.9K

$19.75 IQD 29.8K

87.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.14 IQD 10.8K

$5.90 IQD 8,916

21.02%

Cappuccino

$3.21 IQD 4,856

$2.45 IQD 3,702

31.02%

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

$0.83 IQD 1,256

$0.43 IQD 650

93.02%

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

$3.22 IQD 4,873

75.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 IQD 5,960

$2.04 IQD 3,080

93.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 IQD 1,669

$1.11 IQD 1,677

-0.90%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 IQD 1,023

$0.89 IQD 1,339

-23.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 IQD 2,271

$1.66 IQD 2,516

-9.64%

Eggs

$1.58 IQD 2,382

$1.55 IQD 2,345

1.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.88 IQD 10.4K

$4.31 IQD 6,509

59.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.26 IQD 6,440

$3.66 IQD 5,536

16.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 IQD 19.2K

$13.27 IQD 20.1K

-4.37%

Apples (1kg)

$0.98 IQD 1,484

$1.11 IQD 1,680

-11.71%

Banana (1kg)

$0.94 IQD 1,414

$1.09 IQD 1,646

-13.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 IQD 1,536

$1.04 IQD 1,579

-1.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.65 IQD 986

$0.56 IQD 843

16.07%

Potato (1kg)

$0.61 IQD 920

$0.49 IQD 740

24.49%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 IQD 895

$0.63 IQD 957

-6.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 IQD 926

$0.58 IQD 883

5.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 IQD 775

$0.45 IQD 685

13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.18 IQD 3,300

$2.02 IQD 3,049

7.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.80 IQD 16.3K

$9.76 IQD 14.7K

10.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 IQD 2,213

$1.66 IQD 2,509

-12.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 IQD 2,737

$1.25 IQD 1,896

44.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 IQD 439

$0.52 IQD 786

-44.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.74 IQD 29.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 IQD 2,546

$1.92 IQD 2,904

-12.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 IQD 2,440

$1.96 IQD 2,961

-17.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.65 IQD 8,531

$4.48 IQD 6,774

26.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 IQD 886

$0.57 IQD 865

3.51%

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

$16.5K IQD 24.9M

$17.6K IQD 26.6M

-6.33%

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

$17.1K IQD 25.8M

$17.0K IQD 25.6M

0.74%

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

$115 IQD 173.5K

$85.2 IQD 128.7K

34.81%

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

$12.27 IQD 18.5K

$10.12 IQD 15.3K

21.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.28 IQD 36.7K

$24.03 IQD 36.3K

1.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.56 IQD 59.8K

$33.78 IQD 51.0K

17.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.92 IQD 27.1K

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 IQD 14.7K

$6.56 IQD 9,916

48.63%

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

$298 IQD 450.7K

$153 IQD 231.1K

95.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,742 IQD 4.1M

$2,546 IQD 3.8M

7.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.56 IQD 40.1K

$16.75 IQD 25.3K

58.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.78 IQD 29.9K

$22.28 IQD 33.7K

-11.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$49.59 IQD 74.9K

$36.83 IQD 55.7K

34.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.81 IQD 60.1K

$33.01 IQD 49.9K

20.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$207 IQD 313.3K

$187 IQD 282.6K

10.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$136 IQD 205.0K

$147 IQD 221.9K

-7.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$370 IQD 558.5K

$419 IQD 632.8K

-11.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$319 IQD 482.7K

$314 IQD 474.4K

1.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$888 IQD 1.3M

$695 IQD 1.1M

27.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$551 IQD 833.0K

$548 IQD 828.2K

0.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$660 IQD 997.8K

$501 IQD 757.3K

31.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.53

5.77

-56.15%

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

Last update for Zakho: October 25, 2026

Last update for Sulaymaniyah: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Zakho

$172 23.8%

Sulaymaniyah

$164 24.7% 4.9% $8.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zakho

$151 20.9%

Sulaymaniyah

$119 18% 21.2% $32

Accommodation & Living

Zakho

$136 18.7%

Sulaymaniyah

$147 22.2% 8.2% $11

Eating Out

Zakho

$134 18.5%

Sulaymaniyah

$104 15.6% 22.9% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Zakho

$61 8.4%

Sulaymaniyah

$49 7.4% 19.8% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Zakho

$59 8.2%

Sulaymaniyah

$47 7.1% 20.6% $12

Getting Around

Zakho

$11 * 1.5%

Sulaymaniyah

$34 5.1% 207% $23

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 $187 in Sulaymaniyah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zakho pays 32% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $37 in Zakho vs $20 in Sulaymaniyah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $172 vs $164 per month, with Sulaymaniyah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Zakho

🇮🇶 Sulaymaniyah

🕒 Local time

22:20 10:20 PM

Same time as Zakho

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

197,163

823,199

💱 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

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Zakho Sulaymaniyah 300 km

From you

Zakho
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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

Zakho vs Sulaymaniyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sulaymaniyah is about 8% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, leisure, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 32% 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 $187 in Sulaymaniyah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $298 in Zakho versus $153 in Sulaymaniyah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sulaymaniyah – a meal for two runs $20 versus $37 in Zakho. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Sulaymaniyah gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

Safety-wise, Zakho and Sulaymaniyah are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Sulaymaniyah wins on affordability, Zakho on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.