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: $1,017 in Erbil versus $1,413 in Cartagena.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,518 in Erbil versus $2,016 in Cartagena.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,019 in Erbil versus $2,619 in Cartagena.

Living in Erbil costs roughly 28% less than in Cartagena, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Erbil is 24% below, Cartagena is 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.59 IQD 9,938

$13.78 €11.87

-44.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.90 IQD 30.0K

$56.8 €48.93

-59.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.65 IQD 11.3K

$8.04 €6.93

7.59%

Cappuccino

$3.25 IQD 4,260

$2.65 €2.28

22.64%

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

$0.52 IQD 676

$2.43 €2.09

-78.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 IQD 261

$2.02 €1.74

-90.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.95 IQD 2,555

$3.49 €3.01

-44.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 IQD 2,675

$3.52 €3.03

-42.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 IQD 1,725

$1.14 €0.98

15.79%

White Bread (500g)

$0.81 IQD 1,062

$1.01 €0.87

-19.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 IQD 2,357

$1.74 €1.50

3.45%

Eggs

$1.91 IQD 2,505

$2.79 €2.41

-31.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.50 IQD 9,816

$11.11 €9.57

-32.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.82 IQD 6,315

$8.62 €7.43

-44.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 IQD 18.5K

$13.84 €11.92

1.88%

Apples (1kg)

$1.18 IQD 1,551

$2.36 €2.03

-50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 IQD 1,500

$1.87 €1.61

-38.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.14 IQD 1,494

$1.40 €1.20

-18.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.80 IQD 1,045

$1.76 €1.51

-54.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 IQD 863

$1.31 €1.13

-49.62%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 IQD 1,002

$1.09 €0.94

-29.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 IQD 1,008

$1.11 €0.96

-30.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 IQD 721

$0.51 €0.44

7.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.74 IQD 3,594

$5.75 €4.95

-52.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.38 IQD 16.2K

$6.18 €5.32

100.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 IQD 1,794

$1.11 €0.95

23.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 IQD 2,619

$1.29 €1.12

55.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 IQD 768

$1.35 €1.17

-56.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.99 IQD 45.8K

$11.62 €10.01

201.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.25 IQD 2,942

$3.54 €3.05

-36.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.29 IQD 2,993

$1.20 €1.03

90.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.85 IQD 8,966

$25.19 €21.70

-72.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 IQD 839

$1.81 €1.56

-64.64%

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

$19.3K IQD 25.3M

$30.1K €26.0K

-35.86%

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

$20.7K IQD 27.2M

$31.7K €27.3K

-34.58%

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

$101 IQD 132.2K

$145 €125

-30.43%

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

$17.35 IQD 22.7K

$13.32 €11.47

30.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.25 IQD 39.6K

$29.78 €25.66

1.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.1 IQD 94.4K

$39.58 €34.11

82.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.54 IQD 15.1K

$15.14 €13.04

-23.78%

Cinema Ticket

$11.28 IQD 14.8K

$7.98 €6.87

41.35%

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

$271 IQD 354.5K

$419 €361

-35.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,274 IQD 4.3M

$2,788 €2,402

17.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.30 IQD 42.3K

$44.51 €38.35

-27.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.61 IQD 65.0K

$31.32 €26.98

58.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.1 IQD 106.1K

$44.66 €38.48

81.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.2 IQD 101.0K

$78.2 €67.3

-1.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$425 IQD 556.0K

$763 €658

-44.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$279 IQD 365.3K

$620 €534

-55.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$740 IQD 969.0K

$916 €789

-19.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 IQD 643.3K

$764 €658

-35.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,098 IQD 1.4M

$1,787 €1,540

-38.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$646 IQD 845.4K

$1,465 €1,263

-55.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 IQD 773.3K

$1,996 €1,720

-70.42%

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: June 6, 2026

Last update for Cartagena: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $425 in Erbil and $763 in Cartagena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cartagena pays 238% 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 $232 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 39% 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 238% 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: $425 in Erbil versus $763 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 $1,017 per month in Erbil versus $1,413 in Cartagena – a 39% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,017 in Erbil versus $1,413 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 39% less than in Cartagena. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.