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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,143 in Baghdad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,702 in Baghdad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,262 in Baghdad.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 117% more expensive than in Baghdad, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Baghdad is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$4.91 IQD 6,430

281.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$34.26 IQD 44.9K

102.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$7.84 IQD 10.3K

75.64%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.08 IQD 4,033

0.65%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.39 IQD 514

625.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.26 IQD 342

623.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$3.78 IQD 4,956

5.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$3.75 IQD 4,907

20.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.04 IQD 1,364

22.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$0.83 IQD 1,090

160.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.54 IQD 2,015

14.29%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$1.89 IQD 2,479

171.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$3.77 IQD 4,937

374.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$4.59 IQD 6,004

110.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$14.44 IQD 18.9K

39.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$1.13 IQD 1,480

187.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.06 IQD 1,390

110.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$1.03 IQD 1,345

152.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$0.74 IQD 968

272.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$0.69 IQD 906

220.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$0.70 IQD 912

202.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.64 IQD 838

142.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.69 IQD 907

37.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$1.78 IQD 2,336

312.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$13.81 IQD 18.1K

-41.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$2.14 IQD 2,806

-28.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.27 IQD 2,977

22.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.69 IQD 905

350.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$23.15 IQD 30.3K

11.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$2.23 IQD 2,918

46.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.54 IQD 2,021

-3.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$7.65 IQD 10.0K

347.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$0.62 IQD 806

179.03%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$19.4K IQD 25.4M

87.83%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$19.3K IQD 25.3M

58.10%

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

$187 €163

$213 IQD 279.2K

-12.26%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$21.75 IQD 28.5K

-30.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$41.04 IQD 53.7K

-8.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$47.75 IQD 62.5K

17.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$21.22 IQD 27.8K

-19.51%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$10.68 IQD 14.0K

6.84%

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

$997 €869

$169 IQD 221.7K

488.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$3,468 IQD 4.5M

376.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$30.14 IQD 39.5K

207.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$38.41 IQD 50.3K

7.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$73.0 IQD 95.6K

52.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$47.87 IQD 62.7K

161.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$568 IQD 743.5K

200.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$351 IQD 459.9K

266.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$935 IQD 1.2M

174.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$692 IQD 905.7K

180.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$4,625 IQD 6.1M

65.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$1,587 IQD 2.1M

225.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$615 IQD 805.3K

281.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

4.12

-23.30%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Baghdad: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $568 in Baghdad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 282% 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 $34.00 in Baghdad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $187 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

Barcelona vs Baghdad: 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.

Average pay runs 282% 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 $568 in Baghdad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Baghdad runs roughly 12% less than in Barcelona. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $169 in Baghdad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,143 in Baghdad versus $2,476 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 $1,143 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Baghdad hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Baghdad 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.