Cost of Living Comparison Between Erbil and Cartagena Cost of Living Comparison Between Erbil and Cartagena

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,101 in Erbil versus $1,451 in Cartagena.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,630 in Erbil versus $2,148 in Cartagena.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,158 in Erbil versus $2,844 in Cartagena.

Living in Erbil costs roughly 24% less than in Cartagena, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Erbil is 19% below, Cartagena is 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.69 IQD 10.1K

$15.12 €13.18

-49.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.38 IQD 58.1K

$58.5 €51.0

-24.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 IQD 11.0K

$8.21 €7.16

2.56%

Cappuccino

$3.84 IQD 5,027

$2.67 €2.33

43.82%

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

$1.03 IQD 1,353

$2.64 €2.30

-60.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 IQD 580

$1.86 €1.62

-76.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.05 IQD 7,920

$3.44 €3.00

75.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.71 IQD 6,166

$4.00 €3.48

17.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 IQD 1,657

$1.24 €1.08

2.42%

White Bread (500g)

$0.83 IQD 1,083

$1.22 €1.06

-31.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 IQD 2,197

$2.63 €2.29

-36.12%

Eggs

$1.79 IQD 2,345

$4.02 €3.51

-55.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.06 IQD 10.6K

$13.36 €11.65

-39.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.78 IQD 7,574

$7.03 €6.13

-17.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.84 IQD 19.4K

$19.36 €16.88

-23.35%

Apples (1kg)

$1.13 IQD 1,483

$2.46 €2.14

-54.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 IQD 1,443

$2.06 €1.80

-46.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.23 IQD 1,612

$1.64 €1.43

-25.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.82 IQD 1,068

$3.18 €2.77

-74.21%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 IQD 911

$1.31 €1.14

-46.56%

Onion (1kg)

$0.69 IQD 905

$1.34 €1.17

-48.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 IQD 969

$1.66 €1.44

-55.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 IQD 723

$0.65 €0.57

-15.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.52 IQD 3,294

$5.70 €4.97

-55.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.54 IQD 16.4K

$6.16 €5.37

103.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 IQD 2,217

$1.30 €1.13

30.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 IQD 2,735

$1.17 €1.02

78.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 IQD 772

$1.51 €1.32

-60.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.81 IQD 57.4K

$11.68 €10.18

275.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 IQD 2,544

$5.85 €5.10

-66.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 IQD 2,381

$2.25 €1.96

-19.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.56 IQD 8,588

$29.21 €25.46

-77.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.67 IQD 882

$1.68 €1.47

-60.12%

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

$18.3K IQD 24.0M

$35.8K €31.2K

-48.88%

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

$20.1K IQD 26.3M

$30.6K €26.7K

-34.34%

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

$128 IQD 167.0K

$216 €188

-41.02%

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

$13.95 IQD 18.3K

$20.01 €17.44

-30.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.49 IQD 37.3K

$29.72 €25.90

-4.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.0 IQD 86.4K

$42.17 €36.76

56.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.62 IQD 19.1K

$12.88 €11.23

13.51%

Cinema Ticket

$11.67 IQD 15.3K

$8.27 €7.21

41.11%

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

$309 IQD 405.1K

$425 €371

-27.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,144 IQD 4.1M

$2,791 €2,433

12.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.32 IQD 41.0K

$47.37 €41.29

-33.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.84 IQD 58.7K

$36.32 €31.66

23.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.3 IQD 90.7K

$62.7 €54.7

10.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.4 IQD 88.3K

$108 €93.8

-37.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$460 IQD 602.5K

$614 €535

-25.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 IQD 389.4K

$510 €445

-41.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$740 IQD 969.5K

$891 €776

-16.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$432 IQD 566.1K

$746 €650

-42.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,092 IQD 1.4M

$1,792 €1,562

-39.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$665 IQD 870.8K

$1,463 €1,276

-54.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$614 IQD 803.9K

$1,741 €1,518

-64.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.53

4.06

-37.68%

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

Last update for Erbil: September 14, 2026

Last update for Cartagena: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $460 in Erbil and $614 in Cartagena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cartagena pays 184% 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: $44.00 in Erbil vs $59.0 in Cartagena for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $204 vs $274 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 Cartagena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Erbil wins on cost – living expenses run 32% 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.

On paper, salaries run 184% lower in Cartagena. 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: $460 in Erbil versus $614 in Cartagena. 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 $44.00 versus $59.0 in Cartagena. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,101 per month in Erbil versus $1,451 in Cartagena – a 32% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,101 in Erbil versus $1,451 in Cartagena, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Erbil but tight or insufficient in Cartagena. 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 Cartagena 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 32% less than in Cartagena. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.