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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,034 in Erbil.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,548 in Erbil.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,061 in Erbil.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 129% more expensive than Erbil, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Erbil is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$7.72 IQD 10.1K

127.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$22.83 IQD 29.9K

199.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$8.98 IQD 11.8K

56.57%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.13 IQD 4,096

-11.18%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.49 IQD 640

471.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.20 IQD 261

930.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.00 IQD 2,624

123.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$2.14 IQD 2,797

115.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.32 IQD 1,730

-6.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$0.84 IQD 1,103

141.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.80 IQD 2,355

6.67%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$1.98 IQD 2,599

67.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$7.54 IQD 9,879

144.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$4.80 IQD 6,282

97.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$14.29 IQD 18.7K

34.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.14 IQD 1,491

131.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.20 IQD 1,567

104.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.19 IQD 1,561

78.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$0.76 IQD 994

275.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.70 IQD 918

191.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.72 IQD 938

156.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$0.78 IQD 1,018

88.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.53 IQD 688

58.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$2.63 IQD 3,449

171.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$12.55 IQD 16.4K

-37.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.45 IQD 1,899

-4.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.01 IQD 2,633

14.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$0.54 IQD 709

451.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$34.09 IQD 44.6K

-14.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$2.35 IQD 3,084

95.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$2.20 IQD 2,885

-5.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$6.87 IQD 8,999

324.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$0.70 IQD 911

162.86%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$19.1K IQD 25.0M

104.25%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$20.7K IQD 27.1M

58.03%

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

$188 €162

$102 IQD 134.1K

83.35%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$17.93 IQD 23.5K

27.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$29.33 IQD 38.4K

25.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$72.7 IQD 95.2K

-21.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$11.77 IQD 15.4K

75.87%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$11.62 IQD 15.2K

-3.70%

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

$721 €620

$269 IQD 352.1K

168.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$3,278 IQD 4.3M

358.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$32.74 IQD 42.9K

163.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$48.36 IQD 63.3K

-23.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$81.0 IQD 106.0K

26.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$76.8 IQD 100.5K

51.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$426 IQD 557.6K

260.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$278 IQD 364.4K

338.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$726 IQD 951.1K

271.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$485 IQD 635.3K

314.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$1,123 IQD 1.5M

542.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$658 IQD 862.2K

688.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$584 IQD 765.0K

303.88%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Erbil: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $426 in Erbil. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 304% 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 $23.00 in Erbil for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $197 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 129% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,034 including rent). Erbil is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 304% 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 $426 in Erbil. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $269 in Erbil. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 61% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,034 in Erbil versus $2,367 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 129% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.