Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Zakho Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Zakho

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $890 in Zakho.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,364 in Zakho.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,839 in Zakho.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 165% more expensive than in Zakho, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Zakho is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$7.77 IQD 10.2K

120.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$23.31 IQD 30.5K

191.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$8.61 IQD 11.3K

58.42%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$3.09 IQD 4,043

-10.03%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$0.52 IQD 677

442.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.20 IQD 262

880.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$2.01 IQD 2,636

120.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$2.16 IQD 2,825

113.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.34 IQD 1,750

-5.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$0.79 IQD 1,040

169.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.86 IQD 2,432

6.99%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$1.90 IQD 2,491

77.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$7.42 IQD 9,721

155.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$4.73 IQD 6,199

101.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$13.98 IQD 18.3K

33.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$1.14 IQD 1,487

132.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.18 IQD 1,551

99.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.13 IQD 1,479

84.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$0.82 IQD 1,068

232.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.66 IQD 860

196.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$0.71 IQD 933

154.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$0.74 IQD 967

104.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.53 IQD 692

67.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$2.73 IQD 3,569

148.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$12.23 IQD 16.0K

-35.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.38 IQD 1,807

-0.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$2.03 IQD 2,661

18.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.36 IQD 473

708.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$30.67 IQD 40.2K

-6.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$2.27 IQD 2,976

101.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$2.22 IQD 2,912

-8.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$6.98 IQD 9,142

311.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$0.70 IQD 919

160.00%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$19.0K IQD 24.9M

107.14%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$20.9K IQD 27.3M

55.55%

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

$187 €162

$101 IQD 131.6K

85.68%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$17.58 IQD 23.0K

26.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$30.20 IQD 39.5K

20.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$36.33 IQD 47.6K

58.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$17.06 IQD 22.3K

21.57%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$11.42 IQD 15.0K

-5.69%

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

$725 €628

$267 IQD 349.6K

171.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$3,247 IQD 4.3M

366.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$32.29 IQD 42.3K

172.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$48.66 IQD 63.7K

-24.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$83.9 IQD 109.9K

23.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$78.6 IQD 102.9K

50.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$238 IQD 311.3K

541.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$181 IQD 236.8K

578.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$576 IQD 753.6K

373.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$342 IQD 447.6K

480.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$663 IQD 867.7K

261.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

5.67

-40.21%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Zakho: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $238 in Zakho. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 261% 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 Zakho for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $194 per month, with Zakho 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 Zakho: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Zakho differ by about 165% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $890 including rent). Zakho is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 261% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $238 in Zakho. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $267 in Zakho. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 65% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $890 in Zakho versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Zakho but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Zakho 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 Zakho 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 Zakho gentler on the wallet – expenses run 165% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.