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: $1,019 in Erbil versus $1,397 in Cartagena.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,524 in Erbil versus $1,993 in Cartagena.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,029 in Erbil versus $2,589 in Cartagena.

Living in Erbil costs roughly 27% less than in Cartagena, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Erbil is 24% below, Cartagena is 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.78 IQD 10.2K

$13.94 €11.94

-44.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.99 IQD 30.1K

$57.5 €49.20

-60.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.97 IQD 11.7K

$7.93 €6.79

13.11%

Cappuccino

$3.25 IQD 4,252

$2.57 €2.20

26.46%

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

$0.48 IQD 630

$2.39 €2.04

-79.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 IQD 289

$1.95 €1.67

-88.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 IQD 2,633

$3.44 €2.95

-41.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 IQD 2,671

$3.45 €2.95

-40.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 IQD 1,727

$1.14 €0.97

15.79%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 IQD 1,115

$1.01 €0.86

-15.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 IQD 2,368

$1.76 €1.51

2.84%

Eggs

$1.98 IQD 2,590

$2.94 €2.52

-32.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.44 IQD 9,745

$11.54 €9.88

-35.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.75 IQD 6,229

$8.43 €7.22

-43.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 IQD 18.3K

$14.18 €12.14

-1.34%

Apples (1kg)

$1.15 IQD 1,509

$2.27 €1.94

-49.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 IQD 1,514

$1.80 €1.54

-35.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.13 IQD 1,483

$1.39 €1.19

-18.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.81 IQD 1,061

$1.75 €1.50

-53.71%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 IQD 936

$1.29 €1.10

-44.96%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 IQD 997

$1.05 €0.90

-27.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 IQD 1,002

$1.10 €0.94

-30.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 IQD 690

$0.56 €0.48

-5.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.76 IQD 3,610

$5.65 €4.84

-51.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.29 IQD 16.1K

$6.19 €5.30

98.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 IQD 1,862

$1.15 €0.98

23.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 IQD 2,627

$1.29 €1.11

55.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 IQD 728

$1.41 €1.21

-60.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.51 IQD 45.2K

$11.64 €9.97

196.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.28 IQD 2,992

$3.48 €2.98

-34.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.29 IQD 2,997

$1.20 €1.02

90.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.92 IQD 9,060

$24.92 €21.33

-72.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.70 IQD 911

$1.76 €1.51

-60.23%

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

$19.0K IQD 24.9M

$30.9K €26.5K

-38.43%

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

$20.8K IQD 27.2M

$31.9K €27.3K

-34.88%

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

$100 IQD 131.3K

$143 €123

-30.13%

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

$17.57 IQD 23.0K

$13.23 €11.32

32.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.61 IQD 38.8K

$30.14 €25.80

-1.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.2 IQD 97.2K

$38.62 €33.06

92.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.82 IQD 15.5K

$15.09 €12.92

-21.67%

Cinema Ticket

$11.57 IQD 15.2K

$8.13 €6.96

42.31%

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

$264 IQD 345.7K

$433 €370

-39.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,284 IQD 4.3M

$2,792 €2,390

17.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.96 IQD 43.2K

$44.05 €37.71

-25.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.58 IQD 65.0K

$31.92 €27.32

55.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 IQD 109.7K

$44.25 €37.88

89.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 IQD 100.5K

$77.1 €66.0

-0.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 IQD 562.8K

$778 €666

-44.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$281 IQD 367.7K

$616 €527

-54.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 IQD 938.5K

$921 €789

-22.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$486 IQD 637.2K

$771 €660

-36.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,111 IQD 1.5M

$1,839 €1,574

-39.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$652 IQD 854.1K

$1,467 €1,256

-55.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$576 IQD 754.2K

$1,842 €1,576

-68.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.33

3.44

316.57%

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

Last update for Erbil: April 26, 2026

Last update for Cartagena: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $430 in Erbil and $778 in Cartagena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cartagena pays 220% 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 $57.0 in Cartagena for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $195 vs $234 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 37% 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, Cartagena earns 220% 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: $430 in Erbil versus $778 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 $23.00 versus $57.0 in Cartagena. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,019 per month in Erbil versus $1,397 in Cartagena – a 37% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,019 in Erbil versus $1,397 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 37% less than in Cartagena. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.