Cost of Living Comparison Between Baghdad and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Baghdad and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,148 in Baghdad versus $2,495 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,708 in Baghdad versus $3,550 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,269 in Baghdad versus $4,605 in Barcelona.

Living in Baghdad costs roughly 54% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Baghdad is 16% below, Barcelona is 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.81 IQD 6,302

$18.39 €15.86

-73.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.76 IQD 44.2K

$69.2 €59.7

-51.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.68 IQD 10.1K

$14.13 €12.19

-45.65%

Cappuccino

$3.07 IQD 4,018

$3.13 €2.70

-1.92%

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

$0.40 IQD 520

$3.02 €2.60

-86.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 IQD 342

$1.96 €1.69

-86.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.89 IQD 5,091

$4.00 €3.45

-2.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 IQD 4,906

$4.76 €4.11

-21.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 IQD 1,424

$1.25 €1.08

-12.80%

White Bread (500g)

$0.83 IQD 1,091

$2.16 €1.87

-61.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 IQD 2,005

$1.69 €1.45

-9.47%

Eggs

$1.89 IQD 2,473

$4.93 €4.25

-61.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.80 IQD 4,971

$17.88 €15.42

-78.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.58 IQD 5,992

$9.61 €8.29

-52.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.59 IQD 19.1K

$19.34 €16.68

-24.56%

Apples (1kg)

$1.14 IQD 1,492

$3.24 €2.79

-64.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 IQD 1,399

$2.18 €1.88

-50.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.06 IQD 1,391

$2.67 €2.30

-60.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.74 IQD 971

$2.77 €2.39

-73.29%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 IQD 860

$2.21 €1.91

-70.14%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 IQD 843

$2.19 €1.89

-70.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 IQD 827

$1.52 €1.31

-58.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 IQD 920

$0.92 €0.79

-23.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.83 IQD 2,400

$7.12 €6.14

-74.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.65 IQD 17.9K

$8.14 €7.02

67.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 IQD 2,890

$1.50 €1.29

47.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 IQD 2,861

$2.78 €2.40

-21.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 IQD 854

$3.15 €2.72

-79.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.62 IQD 29.6K

$26.99 €23.28

-16.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.32 IQD 3,037

$3.25 €2.80

-28.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 IQD 2,025

$1.50 €1.29

3.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.79 IQD 10.2K

$34.89 €30.10

-77.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.61 IQD 801

$1.75 €1.51

-65.14%

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

$19.0K IQD 24.9M

$36.7K €31.6K

-48.05%

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

$19.2K IQD 25.1M

$30.9K €26.7K

-38.09%

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

$213 IQD 278.8K

$188 €162

13.49%

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

$20.99 IQD 27.5K

$15.44 €13.32

35.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.26 IQD 55.3K

$37.80 €32.60

11.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.87 IQD 61.4K

$57.2 €49.32

-18.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.00 IQD 28.8K

$16.80 €14.49

30.95%

Cinema Ticket

$10.57 IQD 13.8K

$11.58 €9.99

-8.72%

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

$165 IQD 216.6K

$1,003 €865

-83.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,462 IQD 4.5M

$17.0K €14.7K

-79.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.18 IQD 39.5K

$89.2 €77.0

-66.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.06 IQD 49.8K

$40.87 €35.25

-6.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.9 IQD 95.5K

$110 €94.9

-33.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.63 IQD 62.4K

$123 €106

-61.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$575 IQD 753.1K

$1,673 €1,443

-65.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$350 IQD 457.9K

$1,331 €1,148

-73.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$959 IQD 1.3M

$2,596 €2,239

-63.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$687 IQD 899.8K

$1,950 €1,682

-64.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,743 IQD 6.2M

$7,573 €6,532

-37.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,576 IQD 2.1M

$5,370 €4,632

-70.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$604 IQD 791.2K

$2,402 €2,072

-74.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.12

3.16

30.38%

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

Last update for Baghdad: August 30, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $575 in Baghdad and $1,673 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: $34.00 in Baghdad vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $332 per month, with Baghdad 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

Baghdad vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baghdad wins on cost – living expenses run 117% lower than in Barcelona. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Baghdad the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

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: $575 in Baghdad versus $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Baghdad runs roughly 19% less than in Barcelona. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $165 in Baghdad versus $1,003 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,148 in Baghdad versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Baghdad but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Baghdad the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Baghdad delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,148 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Baghdad hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Baghdad 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 Baghdad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 117% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.