Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Erbil vs Mosul

Erbil vs Mosul

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Mosul 43% cheaper Mosul +12 Mbps N/A / N/A

Erbil

Saad Salim/Unsplash

Mosul

Levi Meir Clancy/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$3,240

Erbil

$1,860

Mosul

Internet

Mbps

Safety

N/A

Erbil

N/A

Mosul

Air Quality

5/5

Erbil

5/5

Mosul

Healthcare

N/A

Erbil

N/A

Mosul

Population

485.0k

Erbil

664.2k

Mosul

Erbil (Kurdistan) and Mosul (Iraq) are both in Middle East, offering different takes on the nomad lifestyle. Here is how they compare across the metrics that matter most.

Cost of Living

Mosul is the clear budget winner at $1860/mo — 43% cheaper than Erbil's $3240/mo, a saving of $16560 per year.

For families, Erbil costs $4041.59375/mo compared to Mosul's $1762.140088746978/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

Mosul leads on internet connectivity at 15 Mbps (ranked #179 globally) versus Erbil's 3 Mbps (#0). The speed gap is notable for video-heavy remote work.

Quality of Life

Both Erbil and Mosul share the same safety rating — travelers can feel equally comfortable in either city.

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Erbil and Mosul.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Erbil is April (around 27 degrees, 0mm rain, score 354), while Mosul peaks in April (28 degrees, 0mm rain, score 330). Timing your stay around these months can make a big difference in your experience.

Cost of Living

ErbilMosul

Nomad$3,240/mo$1,860/mo

Expat$1,878/mo$809/mo

Local$1,155/mo$503/mo

Family$4,042/mo$1,762/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

ErbilMosul

City Speed

3 Mbps

15 Mbps#179

Country Speed0 Mbps33 Mbps

Environment & Health

ErbilMosul

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionN/AN/A

ClimateN/AN/A

Humidity3028

Quality of Life

ErbilMosul

SafetyN/AN/A

HealthcareN/AN/A

Monthly Weather Comparison

Erbil

Mosul

Jan

11°

0mm299

12°

0mm275

Feb

12°

0mm304

14°

0mm290

Mar

15°

0mm301

16°

0mm287

Apr

27°

0mm354

28°

0mm330

May

28°

0mm354

29°

0mm330

Jun

40°

0mm294

42°

0mm270

Jul

42°

0mm294

43°

0mm270

Aug

42°

0mm294

43°

0mm270

Sep

36°

0mm304

37°

0mm280

Oct

28°

0mm354

28°

0mm330

Nov

18°

0mm334

19°

0mm310

Dec

12°

0mm304

12°

0mm280

Who Should Choose Erbil?

Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Smaller city feel with 485.0k residents
Peak season in April — 27 degrees, score 354

Who Should Choose Mosul?

Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $1762.140088746978/mo for families
Peak season in April — 28 degrees, score 330

Overall Verdict

Overall, Mosul edges ahead for most digital nomads — at $1860/mo it runs 43% cheaper than Erbil's $3240/mo, with 15 Mbps internet for reliable remote work.

Granular Price Comparison

Erbil Mosul

ItemErbilMosulDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant$5.49$5.49

Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$24.5$16.41

33%

McMeal or equivalent combo$10$4.22

58%

Cappuccino (regular)$3.5$1.69

52%

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$2$2

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$1.71$1.71

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$0.5$0.4

20%

Water (0.33L)$0.29$0.19

34%

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)$1.13$1.07

White bread (500g)$0.78$0.78

White rice (1kg)$1.4$1.05

25%

Eggs (12)$1.62$1.62

Chicken fillets (1kg)$3.65$3.38

Beef round (1kg)$10.1$8.85

12%

Local cheese (1kg)$6.8$4.6

32%

Apples (1kg)$1.01$0.84

17%

Bananas (1kg)$1.01$1.01

Oranges (1kg)$0.97$0.76

22%

Tomatoes (1kg)$0.74$0.49

34%

Potatoes (1kg)$0.57$0.46

19%

Onions (1kg)$0.6$0.58

Lettuce (1 head)$0.71$0.38

46%

Water (1.5L bottle)$0.46$0.46

Wine, mid-range bottle$10.28$3.36

67%

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$1.39$1.39

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$1.49$1.49

Cigarettes (pack of 20)$2.02$1.04

49%

🚌Transport8 items

One-way local transport ticket$0.34$0.42

19%

Monthly transport pass$25.35$30.67

17%

Taxi start (normal tariff)$2.05$1.93

Taxi per 1km$2.03$1.86

Taxi 1hr waiting$4.23$4.2

Gasoline (1L)$0.73$0.46

37%

Volkswagen Golf (new)$19,945.78$19,945.78

Toyota Corolla (new)$20,956.21$20,956.21

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$98.88$72.98

26%

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$30.31$30.31

Mobile prepaid per minute$0.07$0.06

14%

🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items

Fitness club, monthly$49.53$16.06

68%

Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$11.37$12.61

10%

Cinema, 1 ticket$10$8.41

16%

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo$232.48$34.65

85%

International primary school/yr$3,210.98$1,000

69%

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$37.07$25.19

32%

Summer dress (chain store)$26.81$12.59

53%

Nike running shoes (mid-range)$67.15$67.15

Men's leather business shoes$66.04$66.04

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre$492.96$112.96

77%

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre$295.11$60.42

80%

3-bedroom apartment, city centre$765.75$281.01

63%

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre$517.82$119.63

77%

🏗️Buy2 items

Price per m², city centre$945.35$509.85

46%

Price per m², outside centre$659.96$178.94

73%

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary$641.26$838.28

24%

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$17$17

Lower is better for all cost items.

Data from Open-Meteo (weather) and global internet speed rankings. Updated monthly.

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