Cost of Living Comparison Between Ba'qubah and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Ba'qubah and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $662 in Ba'qubah versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $993 in Ba'qubah versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,324 in Ba'qubah versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Ba'qubah costs roughly 70% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ba'qubah is 51% below, Lisbon is 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.03 IQD 6,585

$15.91 €13.69

-68.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.28 IQD 20.0K

$64.8 €55.7

-76.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.47 IQD 8,468

$10.51 €9.04

-38.44%

Cappuccino

$1.14 IQD 1,491

$2.87 €2.47

-60.28%

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

$0.48 IQD 631

$2.24 €1.93

-78.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 IQD 258

$1.50 €1.29

-86.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.97 IQD 2,575

$3.49 €3.00

-43.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 IQD 2,824

$3.88 €3.34

-44.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 IQD 1,529

$1.14 €0.98

2.63%

White Bread (500g)

$0.55 IQD 720

$1.75 €1.51

-68.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 IQD 1,492

$1.76 €1.51

-35.23%

Eggs

$1.48 IQD 1,939

$3.22 €2.77

-54.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.37 IQD 3,102

$13.49 €11.61

-82.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.52 IQD 3,294

$7.91 €6.81

-68.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 IQD 14.3K

$15.87 €13.65

-31.25%

Apples (1kg)

$0.94 IQD 1,230

$2.31 €1.99

-59.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 IQD 1,548

$1.70 €1.46

-30.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.00 IQD 1,309

$2.01 €1.73

-50.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.59 IQD 775

$2.46 €2.12

-76.02%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 IQD 765

$1.84 €1.59

-68.48%

Onion (1kg)

$0.65 IQD 856

$2.00 €1.72

-67.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 IQD 602

$1.93 €1.66

-76.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.19 IQD 253

$0.79 €0.68

-75.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.62 IQD 3,433

$6.61 €5.68

-60.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.52 IQD 16.4K

$5.72 €4.92

118.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 IQD 1,886

$1.37 €1.17

5.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 IQD 2,575

$2.97 €2.56

-33.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 IQD 481

$2.37 €2.04

-84.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.35 IQD 41.1K

$45.56 €39.19

-31.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 IQD 2,957

$4.29 €3.69

-47.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.03 IQD 2,660

$0.82 €0.70

147.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.26 IQD 6,890

$18.30 €15.74

-71.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.33 IQD 427

$2.06 €1.78

-83.98%

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

$19.1K IQD 25.0M

$34.3K €29.5K

-44.27%

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

$20.9K IQD 27.4M

$39.3K €33.8K

-46.83%

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

$58.6 IQD 76.7K

$148 €127

-60.38%

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

$17.68 IQD 23.2K

$20.52 €17.65

-13.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.17 IQD 35.6K

$39.61 €34.08

-31.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.46 IQD 25.5K

$47.85 €41.16

-59.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.72 IQD 21.9K

$18.92 €16.28

-11.63%

Cinema Ticket

$3.89 IQD 5,092

$9.18 €7.90

-57.63%

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

$27.20 IQD 35.6K

$614 €528

-95.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$650 IQD 851.7K

$16.0K €13.8K

-95.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.27 IQD 25.2K

$105 €90.0

-81.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.91 IQD 24.8K

$42.06 €36.18

-55.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.1 IQD 107.5K

$94.0 €80.8

-12.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$27.01 IQD 35.4K

$120 €103

-77.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$241 IQD 315.5K

$1,628 €1,400

-85.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$179 IQD 234.5K

$1,255 €1,080

-85.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$579 IQD 757.6K

$3,030 €2,607

-80.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$341 IQD 446.8K

$2,020 €1,738

-83.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$766 IQD 1.0M

$7,800 €6,709

-90.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$192 IQD 251.2K

$4,273 €3,675

-95.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$711 IQD 930.6K

$1,603 €1,379

-55.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.67

3.81

48.82%

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

Last update for Ba'qubah: May 31, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $241 in Ba'qubah and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 126% 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: $15.00 in Ba'qubah vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $142 vs $269 per month, with Ba'qubah 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

Ba'qubah vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ba'qubah is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 234% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Lisbon earns 126% less. 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: $241 in Ba'qubah versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 89% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Ba'qubah – a meal for two runs $15.00 versus $65.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $662 in Ba'qubah versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ba'qubah but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Ba'qubah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ba'qubah is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lisbon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ba'qubah and Lisbon 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 Ba'qubah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 234% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.