Hello,
I am also a single teacher.
Every month I spend $500 on food and things necessary for the house like tissue paper, cleaning supplies, laundry detergent, shampoo, and soap. I try to avoid buying things I can make from scratch. I do buy chicken breasts, yogurt, bread, rice, fruits and veg, cooking oil, drinking water, diet pepsi, spices, eggs, etc. I could spend less buy buying less fruit and avoiding junk food treats, bare bones would be $350 per month just for food.
You could spend even less by knowing prices of fruit and veg and buying them along the road restricting purchase to only seasonal and cheap ones, eating Iraqi bread (samoon) which sells 12 big pieces for $1, restricting eating out to the occasional food cart falafel sandwich .75 or schwarma $1.50, using powdered milk, and eating more beans and rice. I don't like to suffer hence the bigger amount spent at the grocers.
In the 4 years I have been here prices on food have increased about 40% on most items.
This is not a cheap place.
I do not know the cost of electricity, TV, internet as my employer provides those.
The taxi will cost between $4 and $7 depending upon where you go.
You can buy many clothes and household items at the new/used bazaar called Langa.
Anyhow good luck and welcome to Erbil.
