Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Erbil Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Erbil

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,034 in Erbil.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,522 in Erbil.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,010 in Erbil.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 124% more expensive than in Erbil, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Erbil is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.43

$7.71 IQD 10.1K

129.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €60.9

$22.64 IQD 29.6K

207.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.37

$8.88 IQD 11.6K

59.46%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$3.20 IQD 4,189

-12.50%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.48 IQD 630

485.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.80

$0.20 IQD 262

930.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.02

$1.93 IQD 2,523

138.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.10

$2.14 IQD 2,803

119.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.07

$1.31 IQD 1,719

-6.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.85 IQD 1,108

138.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.86 IQD 2,439

6.45%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$1.98 IQD 2,590

76.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.01

$7.23 IQD 9,474

153.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.59

$4.72 IQD 6,184

108.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.71

$14.24 IQD 18.7K

34.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$1.19 IQD 1,563

129.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.08

$1.15 IQD 1,505

106.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.15 IQD 1,502

80.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$0.81 IQD 1,057

239.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.71

$0.68 IQD 888

188.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$0.75 IQD 980

138.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.73 IQD 952

102.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.57 IQD 742

59.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.23

$2.62 IQD 3,428

172.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.88

$12.19 IQD 16.0K

-35.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.20

$1.39 IQD 1,824

-0.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.97 IQD 2,579

21.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.63

$0.59 IQD 776

410.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.65

$35.14 IQD 46.0K

-16.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.81

$2.25 IQD 2,942

93.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.33 IQD 3,052

-8.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.86

$6.75 IQD 8,845

338.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$0.65 IQD 849

180.00%

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

$37.9K €33.1K

$19.4K IQD 25.4M

95.29%

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

$32.4K €28.3K

$20.8K IQD 27.3M

55.39%

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

$189 €165

$102 IQD 133.2K

85.89%

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

$22.29 €19.48

$17.42 IQD 22.8K

27.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.47

$29.58 IQD 38.7K

25.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.7

$73.8 IQD 96.6K

-21.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.05

$11.55 IQD 15.1K

78.87%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.50

$11.41 IQD 14.9K

-4.73%

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

$706 €617

$263 IQD 343.7K

168.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$3,250 IQD 4.3M

357.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.2

$33.46 IQD 43.8K

167.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €31.98

$49.61 IQD 65.0K

-26.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €90.9

$81.1 IQD 106.2K

28.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$76.5 IQD 100.2K

56.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,379

$429 IQD 562.2K

267.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,082

$275 IQD 360.3K

349.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,370

$732 IQD 958.5K

270.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,782

$495 IQD 647.8K

312.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,576

$1,130 IQD 1.5M

566.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,577

$660 IQD 864.4K

693.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,065

$581 IQD 760.9K

306.83%

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 13, 2026

Last update for Erbil: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $429 in Erbil. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 307% 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 $23.00 in Erbil for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $195 per month, with Erbil 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 Erbil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Erbil differ by about 124% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,034 including rent). Erbil is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 307% 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 $429 in Erbil. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $263 in Erbil. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 64% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,034 in Erbil versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Erbil but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Erbil 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 Erbil 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 Erbil gentler on the wallet – expenses run 124% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.