Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Duhok Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Duhok

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Barcelona versus $646 in Duhok.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,458 in Barcelona versus $1,042 in Duhok.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,601 in Barcelona versus $1,437 in Duhok.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 258% more expensive than in Duhok, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 73% above, Duhok is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 €15.11

$3.82 IQD 4,994

350.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 €62.2

$18.86 IQD 24.7K

275.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.02 €12.33

$7.18 IQD 9,392

95.26%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.45

$2.64 IQD 3,452

5.30%

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

$2.78 €2.44

$0.40 IQD 522

595.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.80

$0.18 IQD 233

1038.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.52 €3.97

$1.13 IQD 1,482

300.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.11

$1.87 IQD 2,449

149.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.14

$1.37 IQD 1,786

-5.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.88

$0.82 IQD 1,067

160.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 €1.70

$1.57 IQD 2,050

22.93%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.07

$1.88 IQD 2,462

85.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.52 €16.28

$5.22 IQD 6,825

254.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.38

$2.94 IQD 3,840

224.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.62

$12.62 IQD 16.5K

49.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 €2.31

$1.12 IQD 1,460

133.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.06

$1.14 IQD 1,494

105.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.83

$0.82 IQD 1,071

153.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.50

$0.75 IQD 977

280.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.72 IQD 939

172.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.63

$0.71 IQD 924

160.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.35

$0.77 IQD 1,011

98.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.79

$0.56 IQD 726

60.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.77 €5.95

$1.87 IQD 2,450

262.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.79 €6.85

$12.22 IQD 16.0K

-36.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.38 IQD 1,802

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €2.04

$2.00 IQD 2,610

16.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.00 €2.63

$0.35 IQD 460

757.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.62 €25.16

$15.87 IQD 20.8K

80.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €4.02

$2.35 IQD 3,079

94.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.87

$1.51 IQD 1,979

41.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.98

$6.04 IQD 7,901

389.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.58

$0.64 IQD 835

181.25%

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

$38.5K €33.8K

$18.9K IQD 24.7M

103.93%

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

$33.3K €29.2K

$19.7K IQD 25.7M

68.98%

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

$185 €163

$93.3 IQD 122.0K

98.25%

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

$22.68 €19.94

$9.99 IQD 13.1K

127.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.78 €32.33

$30.31 IQD 39.6K

21.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 €50.8

$52.1 IQD 68.1K

10.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.19 €18.63

$16.82 IQD 22.0K

25.98%

Cinema Ticket

$10.83 €9.52

$7.68 IQD 10.0K

41.02%

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

$727 €639

$112 IQD 146.9K

547.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K €13.0K

$3,223 IQD 4.2M

357.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 €77.0

$9.90 IQD 12.9K

784.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.37 €32.85

$19.68 IQD 25.7K

89.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.8

$29.75 IQD 38.9K

247.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$20.14 IQD 26.3K

488.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 €1,372

$181 IQD 236.5K

762.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 €1,073

$123 IQD 160.4K

896.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,742 €2,411

$374 IQD 489.8K

632.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,751

$345 IQD 450.6K

478.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,489 €6,584

$460 IQD 601.6K

1528.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,207 €4,578

$385 IQD 503.8K

1251.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,355 €2,070

$431 IQD 564.3K

445.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

14.33

-76.34%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 21, 2026

Last update for Duhok: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,560 in Barcelona and $181 in Duhok. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 446% 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: $71.0 in Barcelona vs $19.00 in Duhok for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $172 per month, with Duhok 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 Duhok: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Duhok differ by about 258% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $646 including rent). Duhok is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 446% 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: $1,560 in Barcelona versus $181 in Duhok. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $727 in Barcelona versus $112 in Duhok. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 86% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $646 in Duhok versus $2,316 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Duhok but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Duhok 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 Duhok 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 Duhok gentler on the wallet – expenses run 258% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.