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: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $749 in Sulaymaniyah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,496 in Barcelona versus $1,184 in Sulaymaniyah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,592 in Barcelona versus $1,619 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 80% above, Sulaymaniyah is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 €15.42

$5.41 IQD 7,088

226.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €61.1

$26.49 IQD 34.7K

164.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €11.91

$7.04 IQD 9,215

94.03%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.39

$2.58 IQD 3,381

6.20%

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

$2.79 €2.43

$0.37 IQD 483

654.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.71

$0.18 IQD 231

988.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.81

$2.07 IQD 2,715

110.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.99

$2.68 IQD 3,506

70.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.13

$1.48 IQD 1,939

-12.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.79

$1.01 IQD 1,329

102.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.61 IQD 2,108

22.98%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.96

$1.71 IQD 2,243

98.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.64 €16.26

$6.09 IQD 7,980

206.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 €8.34

$3.42 IQD 4,483

179.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.83 €16.43

$13.95 IQD 18.3K

34.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.40

$1.23 IQD 1,605

123.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.15

$1.29 IQD 1,685

91.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.32 IQD 1,734

59.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 €2.46

$0.70 IQD 913

302.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.76

$0.63 IQD 824

220.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$0.64 IQD 835

189.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.32

$0.56 IQD 728

169.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.78

$0.48 IQD 629

87.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 €6.16

$1.87 IQD 2,443

277.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 €6.96

$11.28 IQD 14.8K

-29.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.25

$1.56 IQD 2,049

-8.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €2.00

$1.83 IQD 2,400

25.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.51

$0.55 IQD 721

423.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.77

$22.58 IQD 29.6K

25.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 €3.82

$2.33 IQD 3,052

87.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.87

$2.24 IQD 2,934

-4.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.15 €25.44

$5.43 IQD 7,109

436.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.63

$0.73 IQD 955

154.79%

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

$39.0K €34.0K

$20.4K IQD 26.7M

91.40%

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

$32.7K €28.5K

$21.2K IQD 27.7M

54.36%

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

$189 €165

$76.1 IQD 99.7K

148.36%

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

$22.71 €19.82

$16.53 IQD 21.7K

37.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.51 €31.85

$26.77 IQD 35.0K

36.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €50.3

$39.77 IQD 52.1K

44.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.37 €18.64

$17.13 IQD 22.4K

24.75%

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 €9.43

$7.84 IQD 10.3K

37.88%

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

$726 €634

$149 IQD 195.7K

385.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K €13.2K

$3,533 IQD 4.6M

327.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €76.5

$23.67 IQD 31.0K

270.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.89 €32.19

$25.30 IQD 33.1K

45.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €90.3

$43.64 IQD 57.1K

137.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €102

$35.54 IQD 46.5K

227.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,373

$239 IQD 313.4K

557.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,064

$176 IQD 230.4K

593.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 €2,366

$574 IQD 751.0K

372.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,716

$350 IQD 458.1K

462.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,811 €6,815

$816 IQD 1.1M

857.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,267 €4,595

$588 IQD 769.5K

796.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,375 €2,072

$574 IQD 752.3K

313.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

-62.33%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 14, 2026

Last update for Sulaymaniyah: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Barcelona and $239 in Sulaymaniyah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 313% 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 $26.00 in Sulaymaniyah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $321 vs $183 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 ($2,399 vs $749 including rent). Sulaymaniyah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 313% 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: $1,573 in Barcelona versus $239 in Sulaymaniyah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $149 in Sulaymaniyah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 75% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $749 in Sulaymaniyah versus $2,399 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.