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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,066 in Baghdad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,598 in Baghdad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,130 in Baghdad.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 118% more expensive than in Baghdad, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Baghdad is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.43

$5.30 IQD 6,947

233.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €60.9

$36.81 IQD 48.2K

89.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.37

$7.78 IQD 10.2K

82.01%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$3.11 IQD 4,074

-9.97%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.40 IQD 522

602.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.80

$0.18 IQD 233

1044.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.02

$3.49 IQD 4,576

31.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.10

$2.82 IQD 3,686

66.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.07

$1.31 IQD 1,722

-6.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.84 IQD 1,100

141.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.64 IQD 2,152

20.73%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$1.81 IQD 2,364

92.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.01

$4.52 IQD 5,923

305.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.59

$4.86 IQD 6,364

102.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.71

$14.16 IQD 18.5K

35.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$1.23 IQD 1,615

121.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.08

$1.16 IQD 1,519

105.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.04 IQD 1,366

100.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$0.75 IQD 984

266.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.71

$0.64 IQD 843

206.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$0.67 IQD 873

167.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.63 IQD 828

134.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.66 IQD 858

37.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.23

$2.07 IQD 2,707

244.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.88

$13.33 IQD 17.5K

-40.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.20

$1.80 IQD 2,354

-23.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.11 IQD 2,762

13.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.63

$0.74 IQD 965

306.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.65

$27.86 IQD 36.5K

5.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.81

$3.72 IQD 4,870

17.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.55 IQD 2,026

37.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.86

$7.49 IQD 9,803

295.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$0.53 IQD 700

243.40%

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

$37.9K €33.1K

$20.0K IQD 26.2M

89.20%

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

$32.4K €28.3K

$20.3K IQD 26.6M

59.24%

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

$189 €165

$175 IQD 229.3K

7.97%

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

$22.29 €19.48

$26.17 IQD 34.3K

-14.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.47

$40.52 IQD 53.1K

-8.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.7

$42.04 IQD 55.1K

38.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.05

$18.31 IQD 24.0K

12.83%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.50

$7.49 IQD 9,813

45.13%

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

$706 €617

$166 IQD 217.8K

324.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$3,526 IQD 4.6M

321.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.2

$28.00 IQD 36.7K

219.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €31.98

$30.12 IQD 39.4K

21.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €90.9

$63.9 IQD 83.7K

62.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$43.06 IQD 56.4K

177.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,379

$548 IQD 717.9K

187.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,082

$323 IQD 422.7K

283.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,370

$834 IQD 1.1M

225.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,782

$597 IQD 781.1K

241.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,576

$4,734 IQD 6.2M

58.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,577

$1,570 IQD 2.1M

233.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,065

$629 IQD 823.2K

276.00%

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 13, 2026

Last update for Baghdad: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $548 in Baghdad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 276% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $37.00 in Baghdad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $190 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 118% 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 276% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $548 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 5% less than in Barcelona. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $166 in Baghdad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,066 in Baghdad versus $2,320 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 $1,066 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 118% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.