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: $962 in Basra versus $2,495 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,458 in Basra versus $3,550 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,955 in Basra versus $4,605 in Barcelona.

Living in Basra costs roughly 61% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Basra is 30% below, Barcelona is 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.60 IQD 6,028

$18.39 €15.87

-74.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.03 IQD 39.3K

$69.2 €59.7

-56.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 IQD 9,827

$14.13 €12.19

-46.92%

Cappuccino

$2.56 IQD 3,351

$3.13 €2.70

-18.21%

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

$0.46 IQD 604

$3.02 €2.60

-84.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 IQD 454

$1.96 €1.69

-82.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.85 IQD 5,048

$4.00 €3.45

-3.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 IQD 5,640

$4.76 €4.11

-9.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 IQD 1,460

$1.25 €1.08

-11.20%

White Bread (500g)

$0.64 IQD 844

$2.16 €1.87

-70.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 IQD 1,836

$1.69 €1.45

-17.16%

Eggs

$1.87 IQD 2,452

$4.93 €4.26

-62.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.57 IQD 9,914

$17.88 €15.43

-57.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.38 IQD 8,353

$9.61 €8.29

-33.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.01 IQD 18.3K

$19.34 €16.69

-27.56%

Apples (1kg)

$1.03 IQD 1,343

$3.24 €2.79

-68.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 IQD 1,802

$2.18 €1.88

-36.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 IQD 1,292

$2.67 €2.30

-62.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.69 IQD 904

$2.77 €2.39

-75.09%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 IQD 1,033

$2.21 €1.91

-64.25%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 IQD 824

$2.19 €1.89

-71.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 IQD 1,146

$1.52 €1.31

-42.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 IQD 539

$0.92 €0.80

-55.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.12 IQD 2,779

$7.12 €6.14

-70.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.75 IQD 8,839

$8.14 €7.02

-17.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.10 IQD 4,058

$1.50 €1.29

106.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 IQD 5,020

$2.78 €2.40

37.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 IQD 716

$3.15 €2.72

-82.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.45 IQD 25.5K

$26.99 €23.29

-27.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 IQD 2,910

$3.25 €2.80

-31.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.34 IQD 3,059

$1.50 €1.30

56.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.44 IQD 9,746

$34.89 €30.11

-78.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.55 IQD 722

$1.75 €1.51

-68.57%

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

$13.2K IQD 17.3M

$36.7K €31.6K

-64.03%

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

$23.0K IQD 30.2M

$30.9K €26.7K

-25.52%

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

$49.68 IQD 65.1K

$188 €162

-73.52%

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

$25.37 IQD 33.2K

$15.44 €13.32

64.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.02 IQD 51.1K

$37.80 €32.61

3.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.29 IQD 47.5K

$57.2 €49.34

-36.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.74 IQD 18.0K

$16.80 €14.49

-18.21%

Cinema Ticket

$7.70 IQD 10.1K

$11.58 €9.99

-33.51%

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

$127 IQD 165.9K

$1,003 €865

-87.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,845 IQD 5.0M

$17.0K €14.7K

-77.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.73 IQD 65.1K

$89.2 €77.0

-44.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.19 IQD 26.4K

$40.87 €35.27

-50.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.4 IQD 104.0K

$110 €94.9

-27.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.95 IQD 54.9K

$123 €106

-65.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$469 IQD 614.4K

$1,673 €1,444

-71.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$339 IQD 443.5K

$1,331 €1,149

-74.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$860 IQD 1.1M

$2,596 €2,240

-66.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 IQD 822.0K

$1,950 €1,683

-67.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,564 IQD 2.0M

$7,573 €6,535

-79.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$800 IQD 1.0M

$5,370 €4,634

-85.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$769 IQD 1.0M

$2,402 €2,073

-67.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.67

3.16

79.43%

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

Last update for Basra: August 29, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $469 in Basra and $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 212% 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: $30.00 in Basra vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $197 vs $332 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 159% in total monthly costs ($962 vs $2,495 including rent). Basra is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 212% 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: $469 in Basra versus $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $127 in Basra versus $1,003 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 68% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $962 in Basra versus $2,495 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 159% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.