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 $2,320 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,522 in Erbil versus $3,426 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,010 in Erbil versus $4,532 in Barcelona.

Living in Erbil costs roughly 55% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Erbil is 23% below, Barcelona is 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.71 IQD 10.1K

$17.66 €15.43

-56.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.64 IQD 29.6K

$69.7 €60.9

-67.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.88 IQD 11.6K

$14.16 €12.37

-37.29%

Cappuccino

$3.20 IQD 4,189

$2.80 €2.45

14.29%

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

$0.48 IQD 630

$2.81 €2.46

-82.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 IQD 262

$2.06 €1.80

-90.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 IQD 2,523

$4.60 €4.02

-58.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 IQD 2,803

$4.69 €4.10

-54.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 IQD 1,719

$1.23 €1.07

6.50%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 IQD 1,108

$2.03 €1.78

-58.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 IQD 2,439

$1.98 €1.73

-6.06%

Eggs

$1.98 IQD 2,590

$3.49 €3.05

-43.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.23 IQD 9,474

$18.33 €16.01

-60.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.72 IQD 6,184

$9.83 €8.59

-51.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.24 IQD 18.7K

$19.13 €16.71

-25.56%

Apples (1kg)

$1.19 IQD 1,563

$2.73 €2.38

-56.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 IQD 1,505

$2.38 €2.08

-51.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.15 IQD 1,502

$2.08 €1.82

-44.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.81 IQD 1,057

$2.75 €2.41

-70.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 IQD 888

$1.96 €1.71

-65.31%

Onion (1kg)

$0.75 IQD 980

$1.79 €1.57

-58.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 IQD 952

$1.48 €1.29

-50.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 IQD 742

$0.91 €0.80

-37.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.62 IQD 3,428

$7.13 €6.23

-63.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.19 IQD 16.0K

$7.88 €6.88

54.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 IQD 1,824

$1.38 €1.20

0.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 IQD 2,579

$2.39 €2.09

-17.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 IQD 776

$3.01 €2.63

-80.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.14 IQD 46.0K

$29.35 €25.65

19.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.25 IQD 2,942

$4.36 €3.81

-48.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.33 IQD 3,052

$2.13 €1.86

9.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.75 IQD 8,845

$29.60 €25.86

-77.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 IQD 849

$1.82 €1.59

-64.29%

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

$19.4K IQD 25.4M

$37.9K €33.1K

-48.79%

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

$20.8K IQD 27.3M

$32.4K €28.3K

-35.65%

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

$102 IQD 133.2K

$189 €165

-46.20%

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

$17.42 IQD 22.8K

$22.29 €19.48

-21.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.58 IQD 38.7K

$37.16 €32.47

-20.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 IQD 96.6K

$58.0 €50.7

27.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.55 IQD 15.1K

$20.66 €18.05

-44.09%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 IQD 14.9K

$10.87 €9.50

4.97%

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

$263 IQD 343.7K

$706 €617

-62.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,250 IQD 4.3M

$14.9K €13.0K

-78.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.46 IQD 43.8K

$89.4 €78.2

-62.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.61 IQD 65.0K

$36.60 €31.98

35.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.1 IQD 106.2K

$104 €90.9

-22.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.5 IQD 100.2K

$119 €104

-35.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$429 IQD 562.2K

$1,579 €1,379

-72.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$275 IQD 360.3K

$1,238 €1,082

-77.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$732 IQD 958.5K

$2,712 €2,370

-73.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 IQD 647.8K

$2,039 €1,782

-75.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,130 IQD 1.5M

$7,527 €6,576

-84.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$660 IQD 864.4K

$5,239 €4,577

-87.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$581 IQD 760.9K

$2,364 €2,065

-75.42%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $429 in Erbil and $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 307% 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 $70.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $195 vs $320 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 124% in total monthly costs ($1,034 vs $2,320 including rent). Erbil is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 307% 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: $429 in Erbil versus $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $263 in Erbil versus $706 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 64% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,034 in Erbil versus $2,320 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 124% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.