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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $750 in Sulaymaniyah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,166 in Sulaymaniyah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $1,581 in Sulaymaniyah.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 212% more expensive than Sulaymaniyah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Sulaymaniyah is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$5.26 IQD 6,895

234.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$26.81 IQD 35.1K

156.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$7.01 IQD 9,182

96.15%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$2.64 IQD 3,461

4.55%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.39 IQD 514

612.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.21 IQD 269

876.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$2.07 IQD 2,714

122.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$2.71 IQD 3,550

69.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.41 IQD 1,851

-9.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.02 IQD 1,332

106.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.61 IQD 2,109

22.36%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$1.78 IQD 2,329

93.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$6.10 IQD 7,998

208.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$3.56 IQD 4,667

165.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$14.01 IQD 18.4K

35.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$1.17 IQD 1,532

132.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.29 IQD 1,694

83.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.27 IQD 1,662

63.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$0.73 IQD 957

278.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.61 IQD 798

222.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$0.67 IQD 879

167.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.59 IQD 777

155.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.45 IQD 590

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$1.94 IQD 2,536

248.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$11.61 IQD 15.2K

-34.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$1.51 IQD 1,975

-4.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$1.81 IQD 2,367

33.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.55 IQD 715

450.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$23.16 IQD 30.3K

22.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$2.36 IQD 3,096

87.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$2.33 IQD 3,053

-12.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$5.46 IQD 7,150

437.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$0.77 IQD 1,006

145.45%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$20.3K IQD 26.6M

90.73%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$20.6K IQD 26.9M

57.37%

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

$189 €161

$76.6 IQD 100.4K

146.20%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$16.90 IQD 22.1K

31.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$26.27 IQD 34.4K

40.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$39.65 IQD 51.9K

46.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$16.92 IQD 22.2K

24.05%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$7.47 IQD 9,788

47.93%

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

$726 €622

$151 IQD 198.4K

379.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$3,491 IQD 4.6M

336.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$23.36 IQD 30.6K

278.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$24.92 IQD 32.6K

48.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$43.74 IQD 57.3K

134.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$36.40 IQD 47.7K

227.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$240 IQD 315.0K

534.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$175 IQD 229.4K

595.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$572 IQD 749.7K

388.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$341 IQD 446.4K

495.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$810 IQD 1.1M

776.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$579 IQD 758.5K

737.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$580 IQD 759.7K

314.60%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Sulaymaniyah: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $240 in Sulaymaniyah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 315% 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 $27.00 in Sulaymaniyah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $184 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 212% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $750 including rent). Sulaymaniyah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 315% 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $240 in Sulaymaniyah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $151 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 $750 in Sulaymaniyah versus $2,341 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 212% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.