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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,054 in Baghdad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,592 in Baghdad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,130 in Baghdad.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 125% more expensive than Baghdad, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Baghdad is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$5.48 IQD 7,181

220.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$36.97 IQD 48.4K

85.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$7.57 IQD 9,909

85.73%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.06 IQD 4,003

-9.15%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.40 IQD 518

600.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.18 IQD 242

1044.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$3.42 IQD 4,485

30.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$2.94 IQD 3,853

56.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.32 IQD 1,726

-6.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$0.78 IQD 1,017

160.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.65 IQD 2,166

16.36%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$1.79 IQD 2,350

84.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$4.40 IQD 5,763

318.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$5.07 IQD 6,636

87.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$14.34 IQD 18.8K

33.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.23 IQD 1,612

114.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.17 IQD 1,530

109.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.01 IQD 1,329

109.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$0.70 IQD 922

307.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.70 IQD 911

191.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.64 IQD 835

189.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$0.63 IQD 822

133.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.66 IQD 871

27.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$2.11 IQD 2,765

238.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$13.35 IQD 17.5K

-40.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.76 IQD 2,301

-21.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.15 IQD 2,815

7.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$0.78 IQD 1,027

282.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$28.60 IQD 37.4K

2.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$3.88 IQD 5,087

18.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.47 IQD 1,923

40.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$7.85 IQD 10.3K

271.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$0.56 IQD 737

228.57%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$20.3K IQD 26.6M

92.06%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$19.9K IQD 26.1M

64.30%

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

$188 €162

$181 IQD 237.4K

3.61%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$25.40 IQD 33.3K

-9.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$40.16 IQD 52.6K

-8.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$41.29 IQD 54.1K

38.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$18.43 IQD 24.1K

12.32%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$7.82 IQD 10.2K

43.09%

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

$721 €620

$163 IQD 213.2K

342.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$3,573 IQD 4.7M

321.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$28.57 IQD 37.4K

201.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$30.72 IQD 40.2K

20.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$63.4 IQD 83.0K

60.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$43.53 IQD 57.0K

166.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$540 IQD 707.6K

183.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$321 IQD 420.5K

280.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$818 IQD 1.1M

229.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$580 IQD 759.9K

246.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$4,034 IQD 5.3M

79.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$1,617 IQD 2.1M

220.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$642 IQD 841.2K

267.27%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Baghdad: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $540 in Baghdad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 267% 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 $37.00 in Baghdad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $191 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 125% 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.

Barcelona pays 267% more on average, 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $540 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 2% less than in Barcelona. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $163 in Baghdad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,054 in Baghdad versus $2,367 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 $1,054 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 125% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.