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: $742 in Basra versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,351 in Basra versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,960 in Basra versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Basra costs roughly 69% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Basra is 45% below, Barcelona is 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.81 IQD 4,990

$17.58 €15.12

-78.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.77 IQD 32.4K

$68.4 €58.9

-63.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.02 IQD 9,193

$14.06 €12.09

-50.07%

Cappuccino

$2.06 IQD 2,695

$2.78 €2.39

-25.90%

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

$0.44 IQD 572

$2.80 €2.41

-84.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 IQD 452

$2.06 €1.78

-83.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.86 IQD 5,061

$4.46 €3.84

-13.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 IQD 3,532

$4.61 €3.96

-41.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 IQD 1,607

$1.24 €1.07

-0.81%

White Bread (500g)

$0.70 IQD 919

$2.03 €1.74

-65.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 IQD 1,850

$1.92 €1.65

-26.56%

Eggs

$1.92 IQD 2,512

$3.31 €2.85

-41.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.05 IQD 10.5K

$18.43 €15.85

-56.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.22 IQD 9,457

$9.49 €8.16

-23.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.20 IQD 17.3K

$19.16 €16.48

-31.11%

Apples (1kg)

$1.01 IQD 1,321

$2.64 €2.27

-61.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 IQD 1,858

$2.45 €2.11

-42.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 IQD 1,331

$2.12 €1.82

-51.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 IQD 820

$2.85 €2.45

-77.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 IQD 932

$2.04 €1.75

-65.20%

Onion (1kg)

$0.57 IQD 744

$1.85 €1.59

-69.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 IQD 1,085

$1.47 €1.26

-43.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 IQD 541

$0.84 €0.73

-51.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.88 IQD 2,458

$7.14 €6.14

-73.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.76 IQD 16.7K

$7.88 €6.78

61.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.97 IQD 3,892

$1.38 €1.19

115.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 IQD 4,947

$2.31 €1.99

63.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 IQD 516

$2.98 €2.56

-86.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.21 IQD 30.4K

$29.26 €25.17

-20.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.31 IQD 3,028

$4.60 €3.95

-49.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.21 IQD 2,891

$2.07 €1.78

6.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.76 IQD 8,847

$29.18 €25.10

-76.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.58 IQD 762

$1.84 €1.58

-68.48%

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

$13.3K IQD 17.4M

$39.0K €33.6K

-66.00%

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

$23.2K IQD 30.4M

$32.7K €28.1K

-29.00%

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

$56.6 IQD 74.1K

$188 €162

-69.88%

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

$25.19 IQD 33.0K

$22.93 €19.73

9.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.41 IQD 50.3K

$36.71 €31.58

4.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 IQD 48.5K

$57.4 €49.35

-35.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.48 IQD 20.3K

$20.70 €17.80

-25.22%

Cinema Ticket

$7.75 IQD 10.2K

$11.19 €9.63

-30.74%

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

$97.0 IQD 127.0K

$721 €620

-86.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,772 IQD 4.9M

$15.0K €12.9K

-74.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.85 IQD 54.8K

$86.2 €74.2

-51.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.30 IQD 26.6K

$37.07 €31.89

-45.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.9 IQD 95.4K

$102 €87.8

-28.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.68 IQD 53.3K

$116 €99.7

-64.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 IQD 595.7K

$1,534 €1,319

-70.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$133 IQD 174.1K

$1,220 €1,050

-89.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$918 IQD 1.2M

$2,696 €2,319

-65.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 IQD 878.0K

$2,013 €1,732

-66.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,581 IQD 2.1M

$7,220 €6,211

-78.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$800 IQD 1.0M

$5,189 €4,463

-84.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$763 IQD 998.7K

$2,359 €2,029

-67.67%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $455 in Basra and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 209% 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 $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $213 vs $318 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 219% in total monthly costs ($742 vs $2,367 including rent). Basra is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 209% less. 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: $455 in Basra versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $97.0 in Basra versus $721 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $742 in Basra versus $2,367 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 219% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.