Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-mawsil and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-mawsil and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $720 in Al-mawsil versus $2,359 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,071 in Al-mawsil versus $3,498 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,422 in Al-mawsil versus $4,638 in Barcelona.

Living in Al-mawsil costs roughly 69% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Al-mawsil is 46% below, Barcelona is 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.88 IQD 10.3K

$17.15 €14.86

-54.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.14 IQD 15.9K

$68.1 €58.9

-82.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.57 IQD 7,296

$13.64 €11.82

-59.16%

Cappuccino

$0.80 IQD 1,051

$2.78 €2.41

-71.22%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 IQD 513

$2.82 €2.44

-86.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 IQD 214

$1.96 €1.70

-91.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.99 IQD 1,301

$4.43 €3.84

-77.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 IQD 2,030

$4.61 €3.99

-66.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 IQD 1,172

$1.27 €1.10

-29.13%

White Bread (500g)

$0.76 IQD 994

$2.13 €1.85

-64.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 IQD 1,383

$1.99 €1.72

-46.73%

Eggs

$1.95 IQD 2,559

$3.37 €2.92

-42.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.48 IQD 9,791

$18.96 €16.42

-60.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.23 IQD 4,232

$9.53 €8.26

-66.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.93 IQD 9,070

$18.73 €16.22

-63.00%

Apples (1kg)

$0.84 IQD 1,096

$2.65 €2.29

-68.30%

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 IQD 1,139

$2.35 €2.04

-62.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.77 IQD 1,015

$2.09 €1.81

-63.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.39 IQD 511

$2.73 €2.37

-85.71%

Potato (1kg)

$0.39 IQD 505

$1.96 €1.70

-80.10%

Onion (1kg)

$0.42 IQD 548

$1.81 €1.56

-76.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 IQD 677

$1.51 €1.31

-65.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 IQD 650

$0.89 €0.77

-43.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.00 IQD 2,622

$6.78 €5.87

-70.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.48 IQD 16.3K

$7.92 €6.86

57.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 IQD 1,867

$1.37 €1.19

4.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 IQD 2,578

$2.40 €2.08

-17.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 IQD 474

$2.91 €2.52

-87.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.06 IQD 40.7K

$28.66 €24.82

8.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.19 IQD 2,866

$4.58 €3.96

-52.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 IQD 2,604

$2.04 €1.77

-2.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.29 IQD 4,303

$28.72 €24.87

-88.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.32 IQD 425

$1.82 €1.58

-82.42%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$15.5K IQD 20.2M

$39.3K €34.0K

-60.68%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$17.8K IQD 23.3M

$32.5K €28.1K

-45.12%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$102 IQD 134.0K

$187 €162

-45.17%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$17.93 IQD 23.5K

$22.29 €19.30

-19.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.91 IQD 35.2K

$36.37 €31.50

-26.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.79 IQD 31.2K

$57.5 €49.82

-58.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 IQD 24.5K

$20.74 €17.96

-9.93%

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 IQD 14.6K

$10.77 €9.33

3.53%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$196 IQD 257.2K

$725 €628

-72.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$696 IQD 911.7K

$15.2K €13.1K

-95.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.02 IQD 18.4K

$87.9 €76.1

-84.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.43 IQD 22.8K

$36.81 €31.88

-52.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.1 IQD 108.8K

$103 €89.6

-19.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$19.33 IQD 25.3K

$119 €103

-83.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$243 IQD 318.5K

$1,524 €1,319

-84.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$180 IQD 236.1K

$1,227 €1,062

-85.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$588 IQD 769.6K

$2,727 €2,362

-78.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$339 IQD 444.1K

$1,984 €1,718

-82.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$601 IQD 786.5K

$2,393 €2,072

-74.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.67

3.39

67.26%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Al-mawsil: July 25, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $243 in Al-mawsil and $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 298% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $12.00 in Al-mawsil vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $148 vs $319 per month, with Al-mawsil cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Al-mawsil vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al-mawsil is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 228% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 298% lower in Barcelona. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $243 in Al-mawsil versus $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $196 in Al-mawsil versus $725 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 115% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $720 in Al-mawsil versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Al-mawsil but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Al-mawsil the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Al-mawsil is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Barcelona, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Al-mawsil and Barcelona are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Al-mawsil gentler on the wallet – expenses run 228% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.