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: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $1,074 in Erbil.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $1,624 in Erbil.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,173 in Erbil.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 131% more expensive than in Erbil, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Erbil is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$7.80 IQD 10.2K

136.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$43.48 IQD 56.9K

59.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$8.20 IQD 10.7K

71.34%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$3.65 IQD 4,784

-14.79%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$1.04 IQD 1,362

184.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$0.45 IQD 585

333.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$5.96 IQD 7,810

-33.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.99

$4.46 IQD 5,839

3.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.27 IQD 1,665

3.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$0.82 IQD 1,073

157.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.67 IQD 2,187

9.58%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$1.85 IQD 2,418

178.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.15

$8.38 IQD 11.0K

109.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.20

$5.72 IQD 7,485

66.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.19

$14.89 IQD 19.5K

33.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$1.15 IQD 1,502

175.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$1.16 IQD 1,521

90.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$1.18 IQD 1,544

121.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$0.75 IQD 979

280.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$0.76 IQD 997

185.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$0.68 IQD 892

210.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$0.73 IQD 961

121.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.58 IQD 764

51.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$2.52 IQD 3,305

184.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$12.27 IQD 16.1K

-32.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.65 IQD 2,160

-9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$2.13 IQD 2,783

29.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.71

$0.55 IQD 719

470.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.64

$44.38 IQD 58.1K

-40.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$1.96 IQD 2,561

64.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.82 IQD 2,379

-17.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.40

$6.52 IQD 8,533

440.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.66 IQD 866

165.15%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$17.8K IQD 23.3M

105.61%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$19.9K IQD 26.0M

59.43%

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

$187 €161

$128 IQD 167.5K

46.29%

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

$15.10 €13.02

$13.86 IQD 18.1K

8.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.42

$27.91 IQD 36.6K

34.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.85

$64.8 IQD 84.8K

-14.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$14.65 IQD 19.2K

14.27%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.10

$11.58 IQD 15.2K

1.12%

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

$1,011 €872

$314 IQD 411.2K

221.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$3,082 IQD 4.0M

453.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$30.66 IQD 40.2K

198.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.35

$45.68 IQD 59.8K

-10.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.4

$67.9 IQD 89.0K

62.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$68.8 IQD 90.1K

83.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$470 IQD 616.0K

262.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,121

$294 IQD 385.1K

341.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,232

$728 IQD 953.1K

255.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$434 IQD 568.3K

344.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,667

$1,096 IQD 1.4M

605.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,643

$646 IQD 846.5K

732.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,047

$608 IQD 796.3K

290.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

2.53

24.90%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Erbil: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $470 in Erbil. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 290% 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 $43.00 in Erbil for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $205 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 131% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $1,074 including rent). Erbil is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 290% 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $470 in Erbil. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $314 in Erbil. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 63% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,074 in Erbil versus $2,482 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 131% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.