Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sulaymaniyah Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sulaymaniyah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,434 in Barcelona versus $759 in Sulaymaniyah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,473 in Barcelona versus $1,194 in Sulaymaniyah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,512 in Barcelona versus $1,629 in Sulaymaniyah.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 221% more expensive than in Sulaymaniyah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 78% above, Sulaymaniyah is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.80 €16.09

$4.61 IQD 6,031

307.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €59.4

$22.56 IQD 29.5K

207.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.08 €12.05

$6.95 IQD 9,096

102.59%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.66

$2.36 IQD 3,091

32.20%

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

$2.91 €2.49

$0.46 IQD 603

532.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 €1.60

$0.23 IQD 302

713.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.42

$4.55 IQD 5,952

-12.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.64 €3.97

$2.32 IQD 3,044

100.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.02

$1.36 IQD 1,780

-12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.82

$0.97 IQD 1,265

119.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 €1.57

$1.91 IQD 2,507

-3.66%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.39

$1.74 IQD 2,276

194.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.39 €14.02

$5.04 IQD 6,595

225.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.71 €8.31

$3.44 IQD 4,504

182.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.65 €16.81

$15.51 IQD 20.3K

26.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 €2.68

$1.33 IQD 1,741

135.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.25 IQD 1,642

74.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.11

$1.15 IQD 1,512

113.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.37

$0.70 IQD 920

295.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$0.58 IQD 763

265.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 €1.90

$0.74 IQD 966

201.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.27

$0.71 IQD 933

109.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.78

$0.53 IQD 697

71.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.26 €6.21

$2.37 IQD 3,100

206.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.29 €7.09

$11.61 IQD 15.2K

-28.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.32

$1.92 IQD 2,519

-19.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.30

$1.74 IQD 2,284

54.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.07 €2.63

$0.56 IQD 728

448.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.93 €22.18

$22.76 IQD 29.8K

13.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 €2.86

$2.26 IQD 2,953

47.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 €1.61

$2.24 IQD 2,932

-16.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.98 €29.92

$5.20 IQD 6,808

572.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 €1.49

$0.65 IQD 856

167.69%

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

$36.5K €31.2K

$20.8K IQD 27.2M

75.56%

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

$31.5K €27.0K

$19.2K IQD 25.1M

64.33%

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

$183 €156

$102 IQD 133.2K

79.72%

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

$15.70 €13.43

$10.63 IQD 13.9K

47.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.73 €31.42

$28.41 IQD 37.2K

29.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 €45.76

$35.69 IQD 46.7K

49.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.13 €14.65

$19.99 IQD 26.2K

-14.31%

Cinema Ticket

$11.51 €9.85

$7.48 IQD 9,793

53.88%

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

$952 €815

$176 IQD 230.6K

440.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K €13.8K

$2,882 IQD 3.8M

461.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.5 €70.5

$18.84 IQD 24.7K

337.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.47 €34.62

$25.87 IQD 33.9K

56.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €92.2

$43.64 IQD 57.1K

147.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €107

$38.78 IQD 50.8K

223.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,668 €1,426

$228 IQD 298.0K

632.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 €1,101

$176 IQD 230.2K

632.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,663 €2,278

$514 IQD 672.5K

418.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,904 €1,628

$361 IQD 472.4K

427.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,513 €6,427

$827 IQD 1.1M

808.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,178 €4,429

$565 IQD 740.2K

816.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,451 €2,096

$571 IQD 747.4K

329.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

5.77

-45.93%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 17, 2026

Last update for Sulaymaniyah: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,668 in Barcelona and $228 in Sulaymaniyah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 329% 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 $23.00 in Sulaymaniyah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $188 per month, with Sulaymaniyah 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 Sulaymaniyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Sulaymaniyah differ by about 221% in total monthly costs ($2,434 vs $759 including rent). Sulaymaniyah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 329% 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 $228 in Sulaymaniyah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $952 in Barcelona versus $176 in Sulaymaniyah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 74% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $759 in Sulaymaniyah versus $2,434 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sulaymaniyah but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Sulaymaniyah 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 Sulaymaniyah 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 Sulaymaniyah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 221% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.