Havana vs Baghdad Cost of Living Comparison
Takeaway for Havana vs Baghdad: everyday costs favor Havana (~15% CPI gap), housing index favors Havana, wage stretch favors Baghdad. Use category winners, not a single headline, when the binding constraint is rent or income.
Overall Cost Winner
Havana
Lower overall CPI; largest measurable gaps: Salary (8997% gap, Baghdad ahead); Internet (6723% gap, Havana ahead).
Monthly Cost Difference
Estimated monthly housing+utilities+internet basket is about $89 lower in Havana than in Baghdad (~16% gap; converted via exchange rates).
Estimated monthly difference: $89 (favoring Havana).
Category Winners
| Category | Winner | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Overall CPI | Havana | CPI 23.1 vs 26.5 (lower is better) |
| Housing | Havana | Rent index 14.2 vs 16.5 (lower is better) |
| Food | Havana | Groceries index 34.6 vs 36.7 (lower is better) |
| Transport | Havana | One-way ticket 10.51 vs 657.23 (lower is better) |
| Utilities | Havana | Utilities (85m²) 681.6 vs 43230 (lower is better) |
| Internet | Havana | Internet 362.88 vs 24759 (lower is better) |
| Restaurants | Havana | Restaurant index 25 vs 26 (lower is better) |
| Salary | Baghdad | Avg net salary 2274160 vs 24998.4 (higher is better) |
| Purchasing Power | Baghdad | PP index 28 vs 16.8 (higher is better) |
Biggest Difference
Salary: Baghdad leads with a 8997% gap.
Avg net salary 2274160 vs 24998.4 (higher is better)
Quick Decision
- Students: Havana — Lower housing / rent index (16% gap).
- Families: Havana — Housing is typically the largest household line; rent index favors Havana; purchasing power favors Baghdad.
- Remote Workers: Havana — Everyday cost index (CPI) favors Havana (~15% gap).
- Budget Living: Havana — Lowest overall consumer-price index in this pair.
Key Takeaways
- Havana is the overall cost winner on CPI (~15% lower everyday-cost index than Baghdad).
- Housing: Havana leads on rent index (16% gap).
- Food / groceries: Havana is lower (6% gap).
- Purchasing power: Baghdad scores higher (67% gap).
- Largest category gap: Salary (8997%), favoring Baghdad.
- Sample monthly basket (1BR + utilities + internet) is ~$89 cheaper in Havana.
Analysis
Havana versus Baghdad is not a single number. With a 15% CPI spread, groceries and services tend to move with Havana, while housing follows Havana's rent index. Purchasing power (16.8 vs 28) decides whether local wages offset local prices.
Trust & data transparency
Last updated: 2026-08-21
Data Sources
This page uses CityCost index inputs. Platform sources (see also Data sources):
- Regional
- Regional
On-page labels for this view: Regional · Regional.
Methodology
Each indexed city is associated with a reference basket of common living costs (for example rent, groceries samples, transport tickets, utilities, restaurant meals, and net salary where available). From those items, the platform derives relative indices such as CPI, rent, groceries, restaurants, and local purchasing power, using New York City = 100 as the familiar baseline convention for relative comparison.