Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Castelo Branco and Erbil

For one person, living is cheaper in Erbil: $956 a month against $1,100 in Castelo Branco, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Castelo Branco
Learn more

Castelo Branco Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Erbil
Learn more

Erbil Living Index

Jump to prices

Castelo Branco

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,100

/mo nomad

Erbil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$956

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Castelo Branco 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 Castelo Branco and in Erbil actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,100 in Castelo Branco versus $956 in Erbil.

Castelo Branco $1,100
Erbil $956

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,666 in Castelo Branco versus $1,421 in Erbil.

Castelo Branco $1,666
Erbil $1,421

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,233 in Castelo Branco versus $1,887 in Erbil.

Castelo Branco $2,233
Erbil $1,887

Living in Castelo Branco is roughly 15% more expensive than in Erbil, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Castelo Branco 19% lower, Erbil 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.29 €10.05

$6.45 IQD 9,753

75.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.12 €34.80

$36.44 IQD 55.1K

7.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.62 €8.56

$7.09 IQD 10.7K

35.68%

Cappuccino

$1.25 €1.11

$3.23 IQD 4,873

-61.30%

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

$1.41 €1.25

$0.89 IQD 1,338

58.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 €1.12

$0.33 IQD 503

281.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.09 €0.97

$5.17 IQD 7,819

-78.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 €1.96

$3.85 IQD 5,825

-42.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.06 IQD 1,600

10.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 €1.16

$0.73 IQD 1,101

78.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 €1.29

$1.52 IQD 2,300

-4.61%

Eggs

$3.87 €3.44

$1.57 IQD 2,373

146.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.76 €7.79

$6.90 IQD 10.4K

26.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 €5.16

$4.27 IQD 6,458

35.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.58 €7.63

$12.51 IQD 18.9K

-31.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.11 €1.88

$0.99 IQD 1,501

113.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 €1.17

$0.99 IQD 1,495

32.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 €1.56

$1.03 IQD 1,555

69.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 €2.05

$0.65 IQD 988

253.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.65 €1.47

$0.64 IQD 964

157.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 €1.29

$0.61 IQD 925

137.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 €1.02

$0.60 IQD 909

90.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.72

$0.47 IQD 709

72.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.97 €5.31

$2.15 IQD 3,250

177.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.39 €3.01

$10.81 IQD 16.3K

-68.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.47 IQD 2,222

-20.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.73

$1.87 IQD 2,825

4.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 €1.11

$0.48 IQD 718

160.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.20 €19.75

$38.85 IQD 58.7K

-42.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.25 €2.00

$1.68 IQD 2,531

33.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 €0.66

$1.60 IQD 2,421

-53.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.67 €14.83

$5.67 IQD 8,566

194.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 €1.82

$0.55 IQD 825

270.91%

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

$33.5K €29.8K

$16.3K IQD 24.7M

105.06%

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

$40.5K €36.0K

$17.0K IQD 25.6M

138.56%

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

$120 €106

$113 IQD 170.3K

6.16%

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

$19.03 €16.92

$12.21 IQD 18.4K

55.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.99 €28.45

$24.30 IQD 36.7K

31.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.32 €34.97

$56.6 IQD 85.5K

-30.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.33 IQD 20.1K

Cinema Ticket

$6.70 €5.96

$10.00 IQD 15.1K

-33.00%

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

$678 €603

$315 IQD 476.0K

115.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K €15.1K

$2,809 IQD 4.2M

502.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.7 €70.0

$26.70 IQD 40.3K

194.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.71 €39.77

$39.59 IQD 59.8K

12.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.1 €73.0

$59.4 IQD 89.7K

38.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.6 €60.2

$59.4 IQD 89.8K

13.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$458 €407

$423 IQD 639.7K

8.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$363 €323

$275 IQD 415.2K

32.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$796 €708

$700 IQD 1.1M

13.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$605 €538

$406 IQD 613.1K

49.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,574 €1,400

$1,047 IQD 1.6M

50.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,322 €1,176

$608 IQD 919.3K

117.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,617 €1,438

$525 IQD 793.9K

207.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

2.53

52.17%

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

Last update for Castelo Branco: October 13, 2026

Last update for Erbil: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Castelo Branco

$363 33%

Erbil

$275 28.7% 24.3% $88

Groceries & Markets

Castelo Branco

$203 18.4%

Erbil

$172 18% 15.1% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Castelo Branco

$171 15.5%

Erbil

$149 15.6% 12.6% $21

Eating Out

Castelo Branco

$155 14.1%

Erbil

$150 15.7% 3% $4.6

Clothing & Footwear

Castelo Branco

$123 11.2%

Erbil

$83 8.7% 32.2% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Castelo Branco

$53 4.8%

Erbil

$77 8% 45.3% $24

Getting Around

Castelo Branco

$33 3%

Erbil

$50 5.3% 51.9% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $458 in Castelo Branco and $423 in Erbil. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Castelo Branco pays 208% 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: $39.00 in Castelo Branco vs $36.00 in Erbil for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $203 vs $172 per month, with Erbil cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Castelo Branco

🇮🇶 Erbil

🕒 Local time

13:33 1:33 PM

15:33 3:33 PM

2 h ahead of Castelo Branco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

52,291

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 = 5.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Castelo Branco Erbil 4,470 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Castelo Branco
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

Castelo Branco vs Erbil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Erbil is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 208% higher in Castelo Branco, 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: $458 in Castelo Branco versus $423 in Erbil. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,100 per month in Castelo Branco versus $956 in Erbil – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Erbil runs roughly 75% less than in Castelo Branco. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $956 in Erbil versus $1,100 in Castelo Branco, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Erbil but tight or insufficient in Castelo Branco. The gap between the two cities makes Erbil 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, Castelo Branco and Erbil 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 Erbil gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Castelo Branco. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.