Karbala at a glance
- Karbala is the cheapest of Iraq's 6 priced cities: $371 a month in essentials, 56% below Baghdad at $835.
- The average net salary of $395 covers that 1.1×.
- 101.3 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at governorate level.
- PM2.5 averages 23 µg/m³ a year, 5× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 6 Iraq cities we track, so every row says whether Karbala is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $371 | $579 | 1.56ร as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $76 | $234 | 3.08ร as much |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $153 | $348 | 2.27ร as much |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $72 | $79 | $7 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $103 | $109 | $6 |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $109 | $125 | $16 |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $11 | $23 | 2.09ร as much |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $395 | $588 | 1.49ร as much |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $305 | $619 | 2.03ร as much |
Single person, USD. Data updated September 8, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Karbala, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $4.96 | $4.69 | $0.27 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $19.09 | $26.73 | 1.40ร as much |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $5.35 | $7.25 | 1.36ร as much |
| Cappuccino, regular | $1.78 | $2.51 | 1.41ร as much |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $1.53 | $3.82 | 2.50ร as much |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $2.10 | $3.05 | 1.45ร as much |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $0.38 | $0.42 | $0.04 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.29 | $0.27 | $0.02 |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.19 | $1.15 | $0.04 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $0.91 | $0.81 | $0.10 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $1.35 | $1.49 | $0.14 |
| Eggs, 12 | $1.60 | $1.77 | $0.17 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $6.49 | $5.72 | $0.77 |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $4.07 | $4.50 | $0.43 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $0.92 | $1.06 | $0.14 |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $1.11 | $1.12 | $0.01 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $0.52 | $0.67 | 1.29ร as much |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $0.67 | $0.68 | $0.01 |
| Onions, 1 kg | $0.51 | $0.66 | 1.28ร as much |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.48 | $0.54 | $0.06 |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $0.38 | $0.57 | 1.50ร as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $11.45 | $22.91 | 2.00ร as much |
| Taxi start | $1.53 | $2.10 | 1.37ร as much |
| Taxi, 1 km | $1.53 | $1.66 | $0.12 |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $0.50 | $0.60 | $0.10 |
| Basic utilities, 85 mยฒ flat | $69.06 | $94.03 | 1.36ร as much |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $39.98 | $36.27 | $3.71 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $24.82 | $18.32 | 1.35ร as much |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $22.91 | $36.27 | 1.58ร as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $7.64 | $8.60 | $0.96 |
Dating-age sex ratio
Karbala has 101.3 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (governorate level). That is the 3rd-highest of 8 Iraq cities we track. Iraq's national figure is 103, so Karbala runs 2 below the country as a whole.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Karbala ranks against every city we track
Karbala sits ahead of 95% of the 1009 cities we track on city-centre rent. On cost of living it is ahead of 91% of 981. Its weakest measure is clean air, ahead of only 15% of 1069.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Karbala sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
Put Karbala on the board
Ratio, cost and visa for Karbala beside every other city we measure. Free, no sign-in.
Open Karbala in the research deskOr unlock the Iraq deep-dive: visa, tax, scams, and the sub-national map.
Photo: ุฐููู ุนูู ุงูุจุงุฌูุงูู, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Data updated