Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cartagena, Spain and Erbil

For one person, living is cheaper in Erbil: $958 a month against $1,425 in Cartagena, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Cartagena
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Cartagena Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Erbil
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Erbil Living Index

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Cartagena

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,425

/mo nomad

Erbil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$958

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cartagena and in Erbil

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cartagena and in Erbil actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,425 in Cartagena versus $958 in Erbil.

Cartagena $1,425
Erbil $958

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,101 in Cartagena versus $1,427 in Erbil.

Cartagena $2,101
Erbil $1,427

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,778 in Cartagena versus $1,896 in Erbil.

Cartagena $2,778
Erbil $1,896

Living in Cartagena is roughly 49% more expensive than in Erbil, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cartagena is 5% above, Erbil is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.84 €12.40

$6.42 IQD 9,704

115.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.2 €50.3

$36.55 IQD 55.2K

53.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.95 €7.12

$7.41 IQD 11.2K

7.29%

Cappuccino

$2.47 €2.21

$3.24 IQD 4,889

-23.77%

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

$2.56 €2.30

$0.89 IQD 1,341

187.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 €1.63

$0.33 IQD 505

451.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €3.06

$5.75 IQD 8,681

-40.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 €3.46

$3.92 IQD 5,921

-1.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 €1.09

$1.07 IQD 1,611

14.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 €1.06

$0.67 IQD 1,019

77.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.63 €2.35

$1.52 IQD 2,303

73.03%

Eggs

$3.96 €3.54

$1.60 IQD 2,413

147.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.82 €11.48

$7.00 IQD 10.6K

83.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 €6.01

$4.38 IQD 6,614

53.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.75 €16.79

$12.67 IQD 19.1K

47.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.12

$0.94 IQD 1,415

152.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.19

$1.01 IQD 1,528

142.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 €1.42

$1.02 IQD 1,544

54.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.20 €2.87

$0.70 IQD 1,064

357.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 €1.14

$0.65 IQD 982

96.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 €1.13

$0.63 IQD 952

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.37

$0.64 IQD 968

139.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 €0.62

$0.52 IQD 781

32.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.71 €5.11

$2.19 IQD 3,303

160.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.30 €5.64

$10.83 IQD 16.4K

-41.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.08

$1.45 IQD 2,191

-16.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.05

$1.79 IQD 2,712

-34.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 €1.32

$0.49 IQD 736

202.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.08 €9.93

$39.29 IQD 59.4K

-71.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.65 €5.06

$1.67 IQD 2,519

238.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 €2.00

$1.60 IQD 2,418

39.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.72 €24.83

$5.78 IQD 8,728

379.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 €1.59

$0.57 IQD 867

210.53%

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

$34.6K €30.9K

$16.8K IQD 25.4M

105.74%

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

$29.9K €26.7K

$17.1K IQD 25.9M

74.28%

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

$211 €189

$111 IQD 168.1K

89.75%

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

$19.43 €17.40

$12.24 IQD 18.5K

58.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.27 €26.21

$24.61 IQD 37.2K

18.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.23 €36.92

$57.0 IQD 86.1K

-27.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.81 €11.47

$13.48 IQD 20.4K

-4.97%

Cinema Ticket

$7.72 €6.91

$9.63 IQD 14.6K

-19.83%

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

$406 €364

$294 IQD 443.8K

38.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,651 €2,374

$2,726 IQD 4.1M

-2.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.46 €41.61

$26.71 IQD 40.4K

73.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.88 €31.24

$38.49 IQD 58.2K

-9.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.6 €54.2

$61.1 IQD 92.3K

-0.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 €90.5

$59.9 IQD 90.5K

68.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$596 €534

$426 IQD 643.6K

39.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$490 €439

$271 IQD 410.0K

80.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$872 €781

$699 IQD 1.1M

24.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$720 €644

$404 IQD 610.4K

78.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,737 €1,556

$1,017 IQD 1.5M

70.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,427 €1,278

$615 IQD 929.8K

131.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,704 €1,526

$519 IQD 783.7K

228.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

2.53

60.47%

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

Last update for Cartagena: October 25, 2026

Last update for Erbil: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Cartagena

$490 34.4%

Erbil

$271 28.3% 44.6% $218

Groceries & Markets

Cartagena

$269 18.9%

Erbil

$174 18.1% 35.5% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cartagena

$260 18.2%

Erbil

$148 15.5% 43% $112

Eating Out

Cartagena

$207 14.5%

Erbil

$154 16.1% 25.5% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Cartagena

$109 7.7%

Erbil

$84 8.8% 23.4% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Cartagena

$57 4%

Erbil

$76 8% 34.5% $20

Getting Around

Cartagena

$34 2.4%

Erbil

$51 5.3% 50.7% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $596 in Cartagena and $426 in Erbil. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cartagena pays about 3.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $56 in Cartagena vs $37 in Erbil for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $174 per month, with Erbil cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Cartagena

🇮🇶 Erbil

🕒 Local time

02:07 2:07 AM

04:07 4:07 AM

2 h ahead of Cartagena

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

218,050

1,713,461

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,687 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Cartagena Erbil 3,970 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Cartagena
Erbil

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Cartagena vs Erbil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Erbil wins on cost – living expenses run 33% lower than in Cartagena. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Erbil the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Cartagena is about 3.3 times higher, 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: $596 in Cartagena versus $426 in Erbil. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Erbil – a meal for two runs $37 versus $56 in Cartagena. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,425 per month in Cartagena versus $958 in Erbil – Erbil is about 33% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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, Cartagena and Erbil are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Erbil wins on affordability, Cartagena on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.