Cost of Living Comparison Between Basra and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Basra and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $739 in Basra versus $2,320 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,368 in Basra versus $3,426 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,996 in Basra versus $4,532 in Barcelona.

Living in Basra costs roughly 68% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Basra is 45% below, Barcelona is 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.79 IQD 4,959

$17.66 €15.45

-78.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.30 IQD 33.1K

$69.7 €61.0

-63.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.74 IQD 8,831

$14.16 €12.39

-52.40%

Cappuccino

$2.03 IQD 2,656

$2.80 €2.45

-27.50%

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

$0.47 IQD 612

$2.81 €2.46

-83.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 IQD 452

$2.06 €1.81

-83.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.72 IQD 4,866

$4.60 €4.02

-19.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 IQD 3,391

$4.69 €4.10

-44.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 IQD 1,608

$1.23 €1.08

White Bread (500g)

$0.70 IQD 922

$2.03 €1.78

-65.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 IQD 1,906

$1.98 €1.73

-26.26%

Eggs

$1.88 IQD 2,467

$3.49 €3.05

-46.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 IQD 10.8K

$18.33 €16.04

-54.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.93 IQD 9,071

$9.83 €8.60

-29.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.13 IQD 17.2K

$19.13 €16.73

-31.36%

Apples (1kg)

$1.05 IQD 1,370

$2.73 €2.38

-61.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 IQD 1,756

$2.38 €2.09

-43.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.00 IQD 1,316

$2.08 €1.82

-51.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.59 IQD 774

$2.75 €2.41

-78.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 IQD 894

$1.96 €1.72

-65.31%

Onion (1kg)

$0.60 IQD 789

$1.79 €1.57

-66.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.78 IQD 1,022

$1.48 €1.29

-47.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 IQD 542

$0.91 €0.80

-54.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.95 IQD 2,559

$7.13 €6.24

-72.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.18 IQD 17.3K

$7.88 €6.89

67.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 IQD 3,957

$1.38 €1.21

118.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 IQD 5,139

$2.39 €2.09

64.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 IQD 479

$3.01 €2.63

-87.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.11 IQD 30.3K

$29.35 €25.68

-21.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.28 IQD 2,992

$4.36 €3.82

-47.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 IQD 2,957

$2.13 €1.86

6.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.93 IQD 9,071

$29.60 €25.90

-76.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.56 IQD 732

$1.82 €1.59

-69.23%

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

$13.1K IQD 17.2M

$37.9K €33.1K

-65.33%

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

$22.6K IQD 29.6M

$32.4K €28.3K

-30.15%

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

$56.7 IQD 74.2K

$189 €165

-70.02%

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

$25.66 IQD 33.6K

$22.29 €19.50

15.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.60 IQD 50.5K

$37.16 €32.51

3.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.33 IQD 47.6K

$58.0 €50.8

-37.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.54 IQD 20.4K

$20.66 €18.08

-24.78%

Cinema Ticket

$7.82 IQD 10.2K

$10.87 €9.51

-28.06%

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

$98.0 IQD 128.3K

$706 €618

-86.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,807 IQD 5.0M

$14.9K €13.0K

-74.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.66 IQD 55.9K

$89.4 €78.3

-52.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.58 IQD 27.0K

$36.60 €32.02

-43.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 IQD 91.9K

$104 €91.0

-32.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.08 IQD 53.8K

$119 €104

-65.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$445 IQD 582.7K

$1,579 €1,381

-71.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$136 IQD 178.0K

$1,238 €1,083

-89.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 IQD 1.2M

$2,712 €2,373

-66.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 IQD 851.8K

$2,039 €1,784

-68.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,605 IQD 2.1M

$7,527 €6,585

-78.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$783 IQD 1.0M

$5,239 €4,584

-85.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$752 IQD 985.3K

$2,364 €2,068

-68.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.67

3.39

67.26%

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

Last update for Basra: July 12, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $445 in Basra and $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 214% 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: $25.00 in Basra vs $70.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $212 vs $320 per month, with Basra 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

Basra vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Basra and Barcelona differ by about 214% in total monthly costs ($739 vs $2,320 including rent). Basra is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 214% lower in Barcelona. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $445 in Basra versus $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $98.0 in Basra versus $706 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $739 in Basra versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Basra but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Basra 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, Basra and Barcelona 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 Basra gentler on the wallet – expenses run 214% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.