Sulaymaniyah at a glance
- Sulaymaniyah ranks 3rd of 6 priced cities in Iraq on cost: $509 a month in essentials, 37% above Karbala, the cheapest.
- The average net salary of $573 covers that 1.1×.
- 99.5 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at governorate level.
- PM2.5 averages 15.8 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 Sulaymaniyah 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 | $509 | $579 | $70 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $176 | $234 | 1.33× as much |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $229 | $348 | 1.52× as much |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $78 | $79 | $1 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $103 | $109 | $6 |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $129 | $125 | $4 |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $23 | $23 | same |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $573 | $588 | $15 |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $359 | $433 | $74 |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $504 | $619 | $115 |
Single person, USD. Data updated September 8, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Sulaymaniyah, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $4.58 | $4.69 | $0.11 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $22.91 | $26.73 | $3.82 |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $6.87 | $7.25 | $0.38 |
| Cappuccino, regular | $2.42 | $2.51 | $0.09 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $4.58 | $3.82 | $0.76 |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $2.29 | $3.05 | 1.33× as much |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $0.44 | $0.42 | $0.02 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.22 | $0.27 | $0.05 |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.34 | $1.15 | $0.20 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $0.95 | $0.81 | $0.14 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $1.97 | $1.49 | 1.32× as much |
| Eggs, 12 | $1.72 | $1.77 | $0.05 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $4.96 | $5.72 | $0.76 |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $3.50 | $4.50 | 1.29× as much |
| Apples, 1 kg | $1.34 | $1.06 | 1.26× as much |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $1.27 | $1.12 | $0.15 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $0.67 | $0.67 | same |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $0.57 | $0.68 | $0.11 |
| Onions, 1 kg | $0.71 | $0.66 | $0.05 |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.51 | $0.54 | $0.03 |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $0.57 | $0.57 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $22.91 | $22.91 | same |
| Taxi start | $2.29 | $2.10 | $0.19 |
| Taxi, 1 km | $2.29 | $1.66 | 1.38× as much |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $0.69 | $0.60 | $0.08 |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $100.23 | $94.03 | $6.20 |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $28.76 | $36.27 | 1.26× as much |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $10.82 | $18.32 | 1.69× as much |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $36.27 | $36.27 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $7.64 | $8.60 | $0.96 |
Dating-age sex ratio
Sulaymaniyah has 99.5 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (governorate level). That is the 6th-highest of 8 Iraq cities we track. Iraq's national figure is 103, so Sulaymaniyah runs 4 below the country as a whole.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Sulaymaniyah ranks against every city we track
Sulaymaniyah sits ahead of 88% of the 1009 cities we track on city-centre rent. On safety it is ahead of 85% of 1022. Its weakest measure is clean air, ahead of only 29% of 1069.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Sulaymaniyah sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
Put Sulaymaniyah on the board
Ratio, cost and visa for Sulaymaniyah beside every other city we measure. Free, no sign-in.
Open Sulaymaniyah in the research deskOr unlock the Iraq deep-dive: visa, tax, scams, and the sub-national map.
Photo: Diyar Muhammed, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Data updated