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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $720 in Al-mawsil.

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

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

Living in Barcelona is roughly 228% more expensive than in Al-mawsil, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$7.88 IQD 10.3K

117.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$12.14 IQD 15.9K

460.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$5.57 IQD 7,296

144.88%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$0.80 IQD 1,051

247.50%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$0.39 IQD 513

623.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.16 IQD 214

1125.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$0.99 IQD 1,301

347.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$1.55 IQD 2,030

197.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$0.90 IQD 1,172

41.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$0.76 IQD 994

180.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.06 IQD 1,383

87.74%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$1.95 IQD 2,559

72.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$7.48 IQD 9,791

153.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$3.23 IQD 4,232

195.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$6.93 IQD 9,070

170.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$0.84 IQD 1,096

215.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$0.87 IQD 1,139

170.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$0.77 IQD 1,015

171.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$0.39 IQD 511

600.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.39 IQD 505

402.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$0.42 IQD 548

330.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$0.52 IQD 677

190.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.50 IQD 650

78.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$2.00 IQD 2,622

239.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$12.48 IQD 16.3K

-36.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.43 IQD 1,867

-4.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$1.97 IQD 2,578

21.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.36 IQD 474

708.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$31.06 IQD 40.7K

-7.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$2.19 IQD 2,866

109.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$1.99 IQD 2,604

2.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$3.29 IQD 4,303

772.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$0.32 IQD 425

468.75%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$15.5K IQD 20.2M

154.31%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$17.8K IQD 23.3M

82.21%

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

$187 €162

$102 IQD 134.0K

82.38%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$17.93 IQD 23.5K

24.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$26.91 IQD 35.2K

35.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$23.79 IQD 31.2K

141.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$18.68 IQD 24.5K

11.03%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$11.15 IQD 14.6K

-3.41%

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

$725 €628

$196 IQD 257.2K

269.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$696 IQD 911.7K

2075.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$14.02 IQD 18.4K

526.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$17.43 IQD 22.8K

111.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$83.1 IQD 108.8K

24.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$19.33 IQD 25.3K

513.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$243 IQD 318.5K

526.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$180 IQD 236.1K

580.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$588 IQD 769.6K

364.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$339 IQD 444.1K

485.02%

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)

$2,393 €2,072

$601 IQD 786.5K

298.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

5.67

-40.21%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Al-mawsil: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $243 in Al-mawsil. 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $12.00 in Al-mawsil for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $148 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 228% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 298% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $243 in Al-mawsil. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $196 in Al-mawsil. 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, 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 228% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.