Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-mawsil and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-mawsil: $597 a month against $2,206 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $19,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Al-mawsil, Iraq
Lisbon, Portugal
Al-mawsil
🇮🇶 Iraq
$597
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,206
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Al-mawsil and in Lisbon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Al-mawsil and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $597 in Al-mawsil versus $2,206 in Lisbon.

  • Al-mawsil $597
  • Lisbon $2,206

Estimated couple costs with rent: $906 in Al-mawsil versus $3,276 in Lisbon.

  • Al-mawsil $906
  • Lisbon $3,276

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,214 in Al-mawsil versus $4,346 in Lisbon.

  • Al-mawsil $1,214
  • Lisbon $4,346

Living in Al-mawsil costs roughly 73% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Al-mawsil is 56% below, Lisbon is 63% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Al-mawsil
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.17 IQD 6,296
$16.86 €15.08
-75.27%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$10.66 IQD 16.1K
$61.0 €54.6
-82.54%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.81 IQD 7,265
$10.98 €9.82
-56.19%
Cappuccino
$0.68 IQD 1,029
$3.05 €2.73
-77.70%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.32 IQD 482
$2.28 €2.04
-85.96%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.18 IQD 265
$1.68 €1.50
-89.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.81 IQD 1,224
$3.44 €3.07
-76.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.34 IQD 2,029
$3.91 €3.49
-65.73%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Al-mawsil
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.69 IQD 1,037
$1.15 €1.03
-40.00%
White Bread (500g)
$0.65 IQD 976
$1.89 €1.69
-65.61%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.58 IQD 872
$1.50 €1.34
-61.33%
Eggs
$0.95 IQD 1,435
$4.12 €3.68
-76.94%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.22 IQD 10.9K
$13.01 €11.63
-44.50%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.99 IQD 4,522
$8.04 €7.19
-62.81%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.89 IQD 11.9K
$17.89 €16.00
-55.90%
Apples (1kg)
$0.68 IQD 1,031
$2.27 €2.03
-70.04%
Banana (1kg)
$0.68 IQD 1,033
$1.74 €1.56
-60.92%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.49 IQD 738
$1.82 €1.63
-73.08%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.24 IQD 364
$2.69 €2.40
-91.08%
Potato (1kg)
$0.27 IQD 410
$1.77 €1.58
-84.75%
Onion (1kg)
$0.32 IQD 482
$1.94 €1.73
-83.51%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.60 IQD 911
$1.46 €1.31
-58.90%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 IQD 779
$0.76 €0.68
-31.58%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.61 IQD 2,425
$6.66 €5.95
-75.83%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.80 IQD 16.3K
$5.64 €5.04
91.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.48 IQD 2,237
$1.29 €1.15
14.73%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.86 IQD 2,810
$2.14 €1.91
-13.08%
🚌 Getting Around
Al-mawsil
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.35 IQD 523
$2.30 €2.06
-84.78%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.92 IQD 39.2K
$44.02 €39.36
-41.12%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.67 IQD 2,521
$3.98 €3.56
-58.04%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.55 IQD 2,349
$0.64 €0.57
142.19%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.98 IQD 6,008
$18.93 €16.92
-78.98%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.29 IQD 432
$2.28 €2.03
-87.28%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$13.4K IQD 20.2M
$33.4K €29.8K
-60.00%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$15.4K IQD 23.3M
$38.5K €34.4K
-59.90%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Al-mawsil
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$90.9 IQD 137.3K
$158 €141
-42.56%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.11 IQD 18.3K
$17.54 €15.68
-30.96%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.19 IQD 35.0K
$31.18 €27.89
-25.63%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Al-mawsil
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.94 IQD 55.8K
$44.64 €39.92
-17.25%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.70 IQD 10.1K
$18.98 €16.97
-64.70%
Cinema Ticket
$6.54 IQD 9,880
$9.58 €8.56
-31.73%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Al-mawsil
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$295 IQD 445.5K
$674 €602
-56.23%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$589 IQD 889.3K
$18.7K €16.7K
-96.86%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Al-mawsil
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$16.58 IQD 25.1K
$102 €91.4
-83.78%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$13.00 IQD 19.6K
$45.90 €41.04
-71.68%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$59.4 IQD 89.7K
$102 €91.4
-41.91%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$16.06 IQD 24.3K
$122 €109
-86.83%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Al-mawsil
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$212 IQD 319.8K
$1,641 €1,467
-87.10%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$139 IQD 210.0K
$1,187 €1,062
-88.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$374 IQD 564.8K
$2,825 €2,526
-86.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$314 IQD 475.0K
$2,018 €1,805
-84.42%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$868 IQD 1.3M
$7,836 €7,007
-88.93%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$491 IQD 741.2K
$4,701 €4,204
-89.57%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Al-mawsil
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$522 IQD 788.5K
$1,687 €1,508
-69.07%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.53
3.82
-33.77%

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

Last update for Al-mawsil: October 31, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Al-mawsil
$139
Lisbon
$1.2K 754% $1K
Groceries & Markets
Al-mawsil
$133
Lisbon
$275 106% $141
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Al-mawsil
$126
Lisbon
$207 64% $81
Eating Out
Al-mawsil
$65
Lisbon
$245 279% $181
Sport & Entertainment
Al-mawsil
$50
Lisbon
$64 27.5% $14
Clothing & Footwear
Al-mawsil
$47
Lisbon
$168 255% $120
Getting Around
Al-mawsil
$37
Lisbon
$60 64.4% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $212 in Al-mawsil and $1,641 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays about 3.2 times 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: $11 in Al-mawsil vs $61 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $133 vs $275 per month, with Al-mawsil cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇶 Al-mawsil
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
04:51 4:51 AM
01:51 1:51 AM
3 h behind Al-mawsil
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,683,000
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to IQD – Iraqi Dinar Converter

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,690 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.92 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 0.894 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Al-mawsil Lisbon 4,550 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Al-mawsil
  • Lisbon

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Al-mawsil cheaper than Lisbon?
Al-mawsil is about 73% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Al-mawsil or Lisbon?
On paper, salaries run 69% lower in Al-mawsil. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Al-mawsil and Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $212 in Al-mawsil versus $1,641 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $295 in Al-mawsil versus $674 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Al-mawsil and in Lisbon?
Supermarket bills run roughly 106% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Al-mawsil or in Lisbon?
At $597 in Al-mawsil versus $2,206 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Al-mawsil but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Al-mawsil the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Al-mawsil or in Lisbon?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Al-mawsil gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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