Cost of Living Comparison Between Erbil and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Erbil and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,034 in Erbil versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,548 in Erbil versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,061 in Erbil versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Erbil costs roughly 56% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Erbil is 23% below, Barcelona is 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.72 IQD 10.1K

$17.58 €15.12

-56.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.83 IQD 29.9K

$68.4 €58.9

-66.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.98 IQD 11.8K

$14.06 €12.09

-36.13%

Cappuccino

$3.13 IQD 4,096

$2.78 €2.39

12.59%

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

$0.49 IQD 640

$2.80 €2.41

-82.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 IQD 261

$2.06 €1.78

-90.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.00 IQD 2,624

$4.46 €3.84

-55.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 IQD 2,797

$4.61 €3.96

-53.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 IQD 1,730

$1.24 €1.07

6.45%

White Bread (500g)

$0.84 IQD 1,103

$2.03 €1.74

-58.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 IQD 2,355

$1.92 €1.65

-6.25%

Eggs

$1.98 IQD 2,599

$3.31 €2.85

-40.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.54 IQD 9,879

$18.43 €15.85

-59.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.80 IQD 6,282

$9.49 €8.16

-49.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.29 IQD 18.7K

$19.16 €16.48

-25.42%

Apples (1kg)

$1.14 IQD 1,491

$2.64 €2.27

-56.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 IQD 1,567

$2.45 €2.11

-51.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.19 IQD 1,561

$2.12 €1.82

-43.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.76 IQD 994

$2.85 €2.45

-73.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 IQD 918

$2.04 €1.75

-65.69%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 IQD 938

$1.85 €1.59

-61.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.78 IQD 1,018

$1.47 €1.26

-46.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 IQD 688

$0.84 €0.73

-36.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.63 IQD 3,449

$7.14 €6.14

-63.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.55 IQD 16.4K

$7.88 €6.78

59.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 IQD 1,899

$1.38 €1.19

5.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 IQD 2,633

$2.31 €1.99

-12.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 IQD 709

$2.98 €2.56

-81.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.09 IQD 44.6K

$29.26 €25.17

16.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 IQD 3,084

$4.60 €3.95

-48.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 IQD 2,885

$2.07 €1.78

6.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.87 IQD 8,999

$29.18 €25.10

-76.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.70 IQD 911

$1.84 €1.58

-61.96%

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

$19.1K IQD 25.0M

$39.0K €33.6K

-51.04%

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

$20.7K IQD 27.1M

$32.7K €28.1K

-36.72%

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

$102 IQD 134.1K

$188 €162

-45.46%

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

$17.93 IQD 23.5K

$22.93 €19.73

-21.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.33 IQD 38.4K

$36.71 €31.58

-20.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.7 IQD 95.2K

$57.4 €49.35

26.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.77 IQD 15.4K

$20.70 €17.80

-43.14%

Cinema Ticket

$11.62 IQD 15.2K

$11.19 €9.63

3.84%

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

$269 IQD 352.1K

$721 €620

-62.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,278 IQD 4.3M

$15.0K €12.9K

-78.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.74 IQD 42.9K

$86.2 €74.2

-62.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.36 IQD 63.3K

$37.07 €31.89

30.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 IQD 106.0K

$102 €87.8

-20.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.8 IQD 100.5K

$116 €99.7

-33.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$426 IQD 557.6K

$1,534 €1,319

-72.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$278 IQD 364.4K

$1,220 €1,050

-77.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$726 IQD 951.1K

$2,696 €2,319

-73.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$485 IQD 635.3K

$2,013 €1,732

-75.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,123 IQD 1.5M

$7,220 €6,211

-84.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$658 IQD 862.2K

$5,189 €4,463

-87.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$584 IQD 765.0K

$2,359 €2,029

-75.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.33

3.39

322.71%

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

Last update for Erbil: May 31, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $426 in Erbil and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 304% 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: $23.00 in Erbil vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $197 vs $318 per month, with Erbil 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

Erbil vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Erbil and Barcelona differ by about 129% in total monthly costs ($1,034 vs $2,367 including rent). Erbil is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 304% 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: $426 in Erbil versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $269 in Erbil 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 61% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,034 in Erbil versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Erbil but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. 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, Erbil 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 Erbil gentler on the wallet – expenses run 129% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.