Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Basra Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Basra

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,434 in Barcelona versus $943 in Basra.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,473 in Barcelona versus $1,478 in Basra.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,512 in Barcelona versus $2,013 in Basra.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 158% more expensive than in Basra, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 78% above, Basra is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.80 €16.09

$4.62 IQD 6,048

306.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €59.4

$30.44 IQD 39.9K

128.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.08 €12.05

$7.55 IQD 9,888

86.49%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.66

$2.53 IQD 3,313

23.32%

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

$2.91 €2.49

$0.43 IQD 562

576.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 €1.60

$0.32 IQD 416

484.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.42

$3.72 IQD 4,872

7.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.64 €3.97

$4.30 IQD 5,631

7.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.02

$1.07 IQD 1,404

11.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.82

$0.66 IQD 863

222.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 €1.57

$1.40 IQD 1,830

31.43%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.39

$1.87 IQD 2,455

174.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.39 €14.02

$7.55 IQD 9,889

117.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.71 €8.31

$6.41 IQD 8,388

51.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.65 €16.81

$13.95 IQD 18.3K

40.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 €2.68

$0.98 IQD 1,288

219.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.31 IQD 1,711

66.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.11

$0.97 IQD 1,275

153.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.37

$0.65 IQD 854

326.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$0.78 IQD 1,025

171.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 €1.90

$0.66 IQD 865

237.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.27

$0.87 IQD 1,143

71.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.78

$0.38 IQD 502

139.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.26 €6.21

$2.12 IQD 2,772

242.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.29 €7.09

$6.90 IQD 9,040

20.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.32

$3.09 IQD 4,042

-50.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.30

$3.90 IQD 5,108

-31.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.07 €2.63

$0.56 IQD 731

448.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.93 €22.18

$18.91 IQD 24.8K

37.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 €2.86

$2.23 IQD 2,921

49.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 €1.61

$2.32 IQD 3,039

-18.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.98 €29.92

$7.09 IQD 9,281

393.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 €1.49

$0.59 IQD 767

194.92%

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

$36.5K €31.2K

$13.4K IQD 17.6M

172.32%

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

$31.5K €27.0K

$22.4K IQD 29.4M

40.41%

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

$183 €156

$51.1 IQD 66.8K

258.18%

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

$15.70 €13.43

$25.65 IQD 33.6K

-38.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.73 €31.42

$39.48 IQD 51.7K

-6.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 €45.76

$36.35 IQD 47.6K

47.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.13 €14.65

$13.91 IQD 18.2K

23.15%

Cinema Ticket

$11.51 €9.85

$7.52 IQD 9,846

53.06%

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

$952 €815

$126 IQD 164.6K

657.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K €13.8K

$3,854 IQD 5.0M

319.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.5 €70.5

$49.36 IQD 64.6K

67.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.47 €34.62

$20.44 IQD 26.8K

97.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €92.2

$77.2 IQD 101.1K

39.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €107

$42.68 IQD 55.9K

193.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,668 €1,426

$465 IQD 608.7K

258.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 €1,101

$337 IQD 441.8K

281.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,663 €2,278

$837 IQD 1.1M

217.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,904 €1,628

$623 IQD 815.7K

205.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,513 €6,427

$1,610 IQD 2.1M

366.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,178 €4,429

$800 IQD 1.0M

546.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,451 €2,096

$753 IQD 985.7K

225.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

5.67

-44.97%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 17, 2026

Last update for Basra: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,668 in Barcelona and $465 in Basra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 226% 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 $30.00 in Basra for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $196 per month, with Basra 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 Basra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Basra differ by about 158% in total monthly costs ($2,434 vs $943 including rent). Basra is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 226% 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: $1,668 in Barcelona versus $465 in Basra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $952 in Barcelona versus $126 in Basra. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 67% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $943 in Basra versus $2,434 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Basra but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Basra the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Basra 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 Basra gentler on the wallet – expenses run 158% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.