Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Az Zubayr

For one person, living is cheaper in Az Zubayr: $656 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $21,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Barcelona, Spain
Az Zubayr, Iraq
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,453
/mo nomad
Az Zubayr
🇮🇶 Iraq
$656
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Az Zubayr

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in Barcelona versus $656 in Az Zubayr.

  • Barcelona $2,453
  • Az Zubayr $656

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,509 in Barcelona versus $1,021 in Az Zubayr.

  • Barcelona $3,509
  • Az Zubayr $1,021

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,564 in Barcelona versus $1,387 in Az Zubayr.

  • Barcelona $4,564
  • Az Zubayr $1,387

Living in Barcelona is roughly 274% more expensive than in Az Zubayr, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Az Zubayr is 52% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Az Zubayr
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.59 €15.75
$4.37 IQD 6,602
302.52%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €60.5
$19.52 IQD 29.5K
245.75%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.53 €12.12
$5.58 IQD 8,436
142.47%
Cappuccino
$3.19 €2.86
$2.65 IQD 4,001
20.38%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 €2.61
$0.33 IQD 497
781.82%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 €1.70
$0.20 IQD 297
845.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.01 €3.59
$3.38 IQD 5,107
18.64%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.53 €4.06
$2.28 IQD 3,447
98.68%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Az Zubayr
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.31 €1.17
$1.00 IQD 1,513
31.00%
White Bread (500g)
$2.02 €1.81
$0.76 IQD 1,152
165.79%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.85 €1.66
$1.59 IQD 2,399
16.35%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.33
$1.46 IQD 2,203
230.82%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.74 €14.99
$4.38 IQD 6,621
282.19%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.12 €8.17
$3.43 IQD 5,189
165.89%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.64 €17.59
$12.09 IQD 18.3K
62.45%
Apples (1kg)
$2.98 €2.67
$1.07 IQD 1,623
178.50%
Banana (1kg)
$2.02 €1.81
$0.99 IQD 1,502
104.04%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.70 €2.42
$1.03 IQD 1,561
162.14%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.80 €2.51
$0.66 IQD 994
324.24%
Potato (1kg)
$2.09 €1.87
$0.57 IQD 855
266.67%
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 €1.85
$0.67 IQD 1,012
208.96%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 €1.31
$0.56 IQD 852
160.71%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 €0.84
$0.44 IQD 671
113.64%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.87 €6.15
$1.47 IQD 2,225
367.35%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 €7.06
$11.27 IQD 17.0K
-29.99%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.41 €1.26
$1.42 IQD 2,149
-0.70%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54 €2.27
$1.62 IQD 2,450
56.79%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Az Zubayr
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.14 €2.82
$0.32 IQD 479
881.25%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.45 €22.79
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.99 €2.68
$1.68 IQD 2,543
77.98%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 €1.34
$1.12 IQD 1,698
33.04%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.37 €29.89
$5.39 IQD 8,146
519.11%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.80 €1.61
$0.53 IQD 803
239.62%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.2K €29.7K
$15.9K IQD 24.0M
109.17%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K €28.4K
$16.5K IQD 24.9M
92.47%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Az Zubayr
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$180 €162
$94.9 IQD 143.4K
90.15%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.84 €12.39
$11.70 IQD 17.7K
18.29%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.70 €30.18
$27.28 IQD 41.2K
23.53%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Az Zubayr
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.5 €46.13
$39.31 IQD 59.4K
31.04%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.96 €14.29
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.99 €9.85
$7.83 IQD 11.8K
40.36%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Az Zubayr
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$917 €821
$137 IQD 206.7K
569.95%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.5K €14.8K
$2,772 IQD 4.2M
494.58%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Az Zubayr
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.0 €77.9
$18.27 IQD 27.6K
376.35%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.51 €34.49
$21.75 IQD 32.9K
77.06%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 €94.8
$53.7 IQD 81.2K
97.00%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 €107
$39.29 IQD 59.4K
204.66%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Az Zubayr
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,699 €1,522
$200 IQD 302.7K
748.29%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,355 €1,214
$133 IQD 200.3K
922.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,603 €2,331
$418 IQD 631.5K
522.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,062 €1,847
$315 IQD 476.0K
554.60%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,915 €6,193
$833 IQD 1.3M
730.33%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,128 €4,592
$479 IQD 723.6K
970.68%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Az Zubayr
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,211 €1,980
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.28
4.12
-20.39%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for Az Zubayr: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.4K
Az Zubayr
$133 90.2% $1.2K
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$322
Az Zubayr
$159 50.7% $163
Eating Out
Barcelona
$268
Az Zubayr
$107 60% $161
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$228
Az Zubayr
$134 41.3% $94
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$158
Az Zubayr
$60 62.1% $98
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$74
Az Zubayr
$55 25.2% $19
Getting Around
Barcelona
$48
Az Zubayr
$8.6 * 82.3% $40

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,699 in Barcelona and $200 in Az Zubayr. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $20 in Az Zubayr for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $159 per month, with Az Zubayr cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇮🇶 Az Zubayr
🕒 Local time
20:24 8:24 PM
22:24 10:24 PM
2 h ahead of Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
370,000
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د
Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,687 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Az Zubayr 4,230 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Az Zubayr

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
Barcelona vs Az Zubayr: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in Az Zubayr?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,453 in Barcelona and $656 in Az Zubayr, so Az Zubayr is about 73% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Barcelona compared to Az Zubayr?
You’d need roughly $3,679 in Barcelona and $983 in Az Zubayr to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Barcelona and in Az Zubayr?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,699 in Barcelona versus $200 in Az Zubayr. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 103% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Barcelona or Az Zubayr?
All in, you’ll spend $2,453 per month in Barcelona versus $656 in Az Zubayr – Az Zubayr is about 73% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $656 in Az Zubayr versus $2,453 in Barcelona, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Az Zubayr but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Az Zubayr the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and Az Zubayr?
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.

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