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: $1,095 in Erbil versus $2,495 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,654 in Erbil versus $3,550 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,213 in Erbil versus $4,605 in Barcelona.

Living in Erbil costs roughly 56% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Erbil is 20% below, Barcelona is 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.67 IQD 10.0K

$18.39 €15.86

-58.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.94 IQD 58.8K

$69.2 €59.7

-35.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.21 IQD 10.7K

$14.13 €12.19

-41.90%

Cappuccino

$3.78 IQD 4,955

$3.13 €2.70

20.77%

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

$1.02 IQD 1,338

$3.02 €2.60

-66.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 IQD 541

$1.96 €1.69

-79.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.97 IQD 7,823

$4.00 €3.45

49.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 IQD 5,829

$4.76 €4.11

-6.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 IQD 1,669

$1.25 €1.08

1.60%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 IQD 1,033

$2.16 €1.87

-63.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 IQD 2,227

$1.69 €1.45

0.59%

Eggs

$1.76 IQD 2,307

$4.93 €4.25

-64.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.29 IQD 10.9K

$17.88 €15.42

-53.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.54 IQD 7,252

$9.61 €8.29

-42.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.68 IQD 19.2K

$19.34 €16.68

-24.10%

Apples (1kg)

$1.10 IQD 1,446

$3.24 €2.79

-66.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 IQD 1,503

$2.18 €1.88

-47.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 IQD 1,599

$2.67 €2.30

-54.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.81 IQD 1,061

$2.77 €2.39

-70.76%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 IQD 974

$2.21 €1.91

-66.52%

Onion (1kg)

$0.69 IQD 901

$2.19 €1.89

-68.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 IQD 1,034

$1.52 €1.31

-48.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 IQD 761

$0.92 €0.79

-36.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.51 IQD 3,293

$7.12 €6.14

-64.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.64 IQD 16.5K

$8.14 €7.02

55.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 IQD 2,196

$1.50 €1.29

12.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 IQD 2,693

$2.78 €2.40

-25.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 IQD 781

$3.15 €2.72

-80.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.88 IQD 57.5K

$26.99 €23.28

62.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 IQD 2,533

$3.25 €2.80

-40.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 IQD 2,279

$1.50 €1.29

16.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.51 IQD 8,521

$34.89 €30.10

-81.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.67 IQD 876

$1.75 €1.51

-61.71%

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

$17.9K IQD 23.5M

$36.7K €31.6K

-51.06%

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

$19.7K IQD 25.8M

$30.9K €26.7K

-36.31%

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

$130 IQD 170.4K

$188 €162

-30.63%

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

$14.06 IQD 18.4K

$15.44 €13.32

-8.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.92 IQD 36.6K

$37.80 €32.60

-26.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.5 IQD 84.5K

$57.2 €49.32

12.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.50 IQD 19.0K

$16.80 €14.49

-13.69%

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 IQD 14.7K

$11.58 €9.99

-3.02%

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

$312 IQD 409.1K

$1,003 €865

-68.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,080 IQD 4.0M

$17.0K €14.7K

-81.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.09 IQD 40.7K

$89.2 €77.0

-65.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.06 IQD 59.0K

$40.87 €35.25

10.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.2 IQD 89.3K

$110 €94.9

-37.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.0 IQD 89.0K

$123 €106

-44.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$473 IQD 619.0K

$1,673 €1,443

-71.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 IQD 375.5K

$1,331 €1,148

-78.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$732 IQD 958.7K

$2,596 €2,239

-71.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$426 IQD 558.4K

$1,950 €1,682

-78.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,115 IQD 1.5M

$7,573 €6,532

-85.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$643 IQD 841.7K

$5,370 €4,632

-88.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$613 IQD 803.3K

$2,402 €2,072

-74.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.53

3.16

-19.94%

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

Last update for Erbil: September 1, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $473 in Erbil and $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 292% 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: $45.00 in Erbil vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $204 vs $332 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 128% in total monthly costs ($1,095 vs $2,495 including rent). Erbil is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 292% 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: $473 in Erbil versus $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $312 in Erbil 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 63% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,095 in Erbil versus $2,495 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 128% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.