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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $617 in Al-mawsil.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $827 in Al-mawsil.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,038 in Al-mawsil.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 302% more expensive than in Al-mawsil, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Al-mawsil is 55% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.32

$7.55 IQD 9,891

148.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.5

$12.36 IQD 16.2K

462.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.99

$5.61 IQD 7,344

145.45%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$0.75 IQD 981

313.33%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.37 IQD 484

664.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.19 IQD 252

889.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$0.97 IQD 1,265

310.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$1.51 IQD 1,982

200.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$0.78 IQD 1,015

62.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$0.73 IQD 959

195.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.62 IQD 815

183.87%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$1.13 IQD 1,482

353.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.58

$7.97 IQD 10.4K

124.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$3.48 IQD 4,551

177.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.55

$9.22 IQD 12.1K

118.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.83

$0.73 IQD 956

345.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$0.74 IQD 965

201.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$0.60 IQD 781

333.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$0.28 IQD 368

885.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$0.32 IQD 425

590.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$0.37 IQD 482

472.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.78 IQD 1,028

98.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.59 IQD 772

61.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$1.87 IQD 2,444

292.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$12.38 IQD 16.2K

-34.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.69 IQD 2,210

-8.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.08 IQD 2,720

34.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.39 IQD 514

697.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.53

$30.48 IQD 39.9K

-15.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$1.85 IQD 2,426

76.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.82 IQD 2,382

-18.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.86

$4.54 IQD 5,945

654.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$0.33 IQD 430

424.24%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$15.3K IQD 20.0M

138.44%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$17.8K IQD 23.3M

71.88%

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

$187 €163

$109 IQD 142.3K

72.14%

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

$15.14 €13.19

$13.97 IQD 18.3K

8.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.83

$26.34 IQD 34.5K

43.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.73

$23.02 IQD 30.1K

143.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.88

$7.44 IQD 9,736

129.57%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.94

$7.81 IQD 10.2K

46.09%

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

$997 €868

$306 IQD 401.0K

225.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$688 IQD 900.4K

2304.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.7

$19.01 IQD 24.9K

387.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.91

$15.44 IQD 20.2K

166.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$70.5 IQD 92.3K

57.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$18.06 IQD 23.6K

592.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,487

$113 IQD 148.3K

1407.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,120

$76.3 IQD 100.0K

1584.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,235

$301 IQD 393.7K

753.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,692

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,662

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,501

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,046

$608 IQD 795.7K

286.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

2.53

24.90%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Al-mawsil: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $113 in Al-mawsil. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 287% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $12.00 in Al-mawsil for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $152 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

Barcelona vs Al-mawsil: 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 302% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 287% higher in Barcelona, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $113 in Al-mawsil. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $306 in Al-mawsil. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 121% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $617 in Al-mawsil versus $2,476 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, Barcelona and Al-mawsil 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 302% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.