Mosul at a glance
- Mosul ranks 2nd of 6 priced cities in Iraq on cost: $461 a month in essentials, 24% above Karbala, the cheapest.
- The average net salary of $481 covers that 1.0×.
- 103 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at governorate level.
- PM2.5 averages 15.2 µg/m³ a year, 3× 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 Mosul 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 | $461 | $579 | 1.26ร as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $115 | $234 | 2.03ร as much |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $160 | $348 | 2.17ร as much |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $69 | $79 | $10 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $80 | $109 | 1.36ร as much |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $121 | $125 | $4 |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $76 | $23 | 3.30ร as much |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $481 | $588 | $107 |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $283 | $433 | 1.53ร as much |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $279 | $619 | 2.22ร as much |
Single person, USD. Data updated September 8, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Mosul, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $3.41 | $4.69 | 1.37ร as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $19.09 | $26.73 | 1.40ร as much |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $6.11 | $7.25 | $1.14 |
| Cappuccino, regular | $1.59 | $2.51 | 1.58ร as much |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $1.53 | $3.82 | 2.50ร as much |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $1.53 | $3.05 | 2.00ร as much |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $0.39 | $0.42 | $0.03 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.19 | $0.27 | 1.42ร as much |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $0.81 | $1.15 | 1.41ร as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $0.76 | $0.81 | $0.05 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $1.29 | $1.49 | $0.20 |
| Eggs, 12 | $1.53 | $1.77 | $0.24 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $3.63 | $5.72 | 1.58ร as much |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $4.30 | $4.50 | $0.21 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $0.67 | $1.06 | 1.58ร as much |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $1.05 | $1.12 | $0.07 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $0.51 | $0.67 | 1.31ร as much |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $0.48 | $0.68 | 1.41ร as much |
| Onions, 1 kg | $0.46 | $0.66 | 1.42ร as much |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.67 | $0.54 | $0.13 |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $0.38 | $0.57 | 1.50ร as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $76.36 | $22.91 | 3.33ร as much |
| Taxi start | $1.53 | $2.10 | 1.37ร as much |
| Taxi, 1 km | $1.53 | $1.66 | $0.12 |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $0.52 | $0.60 | $0.08 |
| Basic utilities, 85 mยฒ flat | $87.82 | $94.03 | $6.21 |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $33.39 | $36.27 | $2.88 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $15.27 | $18.32 | $3.05 |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $23.86 | $36.27 | 1.52ร as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $9.55 | $8.60 | $0.96 |
Dating-age sex ratio
Mosul has 103 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (governorate level). That is the highest of the 8 Iraq cities we track. Iraq's national figure is 103 โ about even.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Mosul ranks against every city we track
Mosul sits ahead of 95% of the 1009 cities we track on city-centre rent. On cost of living it is ahead of 85% of 981. Its weakest measure is safety, ahead of only 7% of 1022.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Mosul sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
Put Mosul on the board
Ratio, cost and visa for Mosul beside every other city we measure. Free, no sign-in.
Open Mosul in the research deskOr unlock the Iraq deep-dive: visa, tax, scams, and the sub-national map.
Photo: ุงูุฏุจููู, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Data updated