For one person, living is cheaper in Iraq: $720 a month against $1,775 in Spain, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Iraq and in Spain actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $720 in Iraq versus $1,775 in Spain.
Iraq $720
Spain $1,775
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,090 in Iraq versus $2,606 in Spain.
Iraq $1,090
Spain $2,606
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,460 in Iraq versus $3,438 in Spain.
Iraq $1,460
Spain $3,438
📏
Internal cost variation is higher in Spain: monthly costs span $931 to $2,610, compared to $500–$1,048 in Iraq. City choice carries more weight in Spain.
🌍
Living in Iraq costs about 59% less than in Spain on average.
📊
Iraq (47% below) and Spain (30% above) straddle the global median.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Iraq
Spain
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.87IQD 5,843
$16.69€14.98
-76.81%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.69IQD 29.7K
$55.7€49.98
-64.65%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$6.54IQD 9,879
$11.37€10.20
-42.48%
Cappuccino
$2.43IQD 3,673
$2.42€2.17
0.41%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.41IQD 614
$2.68€2.40
-84.70%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.17IQD 262
$1.79€1.61
-90.50%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$3.39IQD 5,119
$3.42€3.07
-0.88%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.26IQD 4,923
$3.88€3.48
-15.98%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Iraq
Spain
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.01IQD 1,520
$1.20€1.08
-15.83%
White Bread(500g)
$0.69IQD 1,048
$1.48€1.33
-53.38%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.38IQD 2,083
$1.67€1.50
-17.37%
Eggs
$1.56IQD 2,357
$3.42€3.07
-54.39%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$4.06IQD 6,133
$14.17€12.72
-71.35%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.70IQD 5,593
$8.33€7.47
-55.58%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$11.26IQD 17.0K
$16.20€14.54
-30.49%
Apples(1kg)
$0.92IQD 1,396
$2.45€2.20
-62.45%
Banana(1kg)
$1.00IQD 1,507
$2.03€1.82
-50.74%
Oranges(1kg)
$0.89IQD 1,343
$2.08€1.86
-57.21%
Tomato(1kg)
$0.60IQD 913
$2.58€2.32
-76.74%
Potato(1kg)
$0.58IQD 879
$1.83€1.64
-68.31%
Onion(1kg)
$0.57IQD 862
$2.00€1.80
-71.50%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.53IQD 801
$1.31€1.17
-59.54%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.44IQD 670
$0.77€0.69
-42.86%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$1.69IQD 2,555
$6.36€5.71
-73.43%
Wine(Bottle)
$10.22IQD 15.4K
$5.64€5.06
81.21%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.65IQD 2,498
$1.30€1.17
26.92%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.82IQD 2,755
$2.09€1.87
-12.92%
🚌 Getting Around
Iraq
Spain
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.34IQD 514
$1.64€1.47
-79.27%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$19.96IQD 30.1K
$32.91€29.53
-39.35%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$2.03IQD 3,067
$4.43€3.97
-54.18%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.47IQD 2,219
$1.47€1.32
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$5.20IQD 7,858
$24.98€22.42
-79.18%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$0.56IQD 852
$1.77€1.59
-68.36%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$16.7KIQD 25.3M
$35.5K€31.9K
-52.88%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$16.6KIQD 25.1M
$30.6K€27.5K
-45.64%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Iraq
Spain
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$96.4IQD 145.6K
$149€134
-35.42%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.50IQD 20.4K
$17.67€15.86
-23.60%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.17IQD 44.0K
$31.88€28.61
-8.50%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Iraq
Spain
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$30.82IQD 46.5K
$44.24€39.69
-30.33%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.41IQD 24.8K
$15.29€13.72
7.33%
Cinema Ticket
$6.94IQD 10.5K
$9.66€8.67
-28.16%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Iraq
Spain
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$158IQD 238.0K
$544€488
-71.04%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$2,605IQD 3.9M
$10.6K€9,517
-75.44%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Iraq
Spain
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$19.03IQD 28.7K
$84.9€76.2
-77.59%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$23.52IQD 35.5K
$37.11€33.30
-36.62%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$52.2IQD 78.8K
$89.2€80.0
-41.48%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$38.65IQD 58.4K
$106€94.9
-63.45%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Iraq
Spain
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$273IQD 411.7K
$1,056€948
-74.19%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$187IQD 282.3K
$808€725
-76.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$508IQD 767.8K
$1,621€1,454
-68.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$358IQD 540.2K
$1,246€1,118
-71.29%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$1,491IQD 2.3M
$4,135€3,711
-63.95%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$685IQD 1.0M
$2,633€2,362
-73.98%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Iraq
Spain
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$492IQD 743.4K
$1,999€1,794
-75.37%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
6.32
3.3
91.52%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Iraq: October 24, 2026
Last update for Spain: October 24, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Iraq
$187 26%
Spain
$808 45.5% ↑ 332%$621
🛒Groceries & Markets
Iraq
$153 21.3%
Spain
$272 15.3% ↑ 77.4%$119
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Iraq
$139 19.3%
Spain
$199 11.2% ↑ 43%$60
🍽Eating Out
Iraq
$106 14.7%
Spain
$239 13.5% ↑ 127%$134
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Iraq
$60 8.3%
Spain
$143 8% ↑ 138%$83
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Iraq
$45 6.2%
Spain
$64 3.6% ↑ 42.2%$19
🚌Getting Around
Iraq
$31 4.3%
Spain
$51 2.9% ↑ 66.9%$21
🏠Accommodation & Living
Iraq
$358 24.5%
Spain
$1.2K 36.3% ↑ 248%$888
🛒Groceries & Markets
Iraq
$345 23.7%
Spain
$646 18.8% ↑ 87.2%$301
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Iraq
$153 10.5%
Spain
$217 6.3% ↑ 41.9%$64
🍽Eating Out
Iraq
$303 20.8%
Spain
$763 22.2% ↑ 152%$461
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Iraq
$133 9.1%
Spain
$317 9.2% ↑ 138%$184
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Iraq
$106 7.3%
Spain
$142 4.1% ↑ 34.6%$37
🚌Getting Around
Iraq
$62 4.3%
Spain
$106 3.1% ↑ 70.3%$44
Cost Breakdown
🏠National rent averages: $225 in Iraq, $920 in Spain. Capital cities: $537 in Baghdad vs $1,508 in Madrid.
💰National salary averages: $491 in Iraq, $1,972 in Spain. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 309% higher in Spain.
⭐Dining out costs 159% more in Spain.
⭐Salaries are about 4 times higher in Spain, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Spain.
Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.
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
Iraq vs Spain: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How does the cost of living in Iraq compare to the cost in Spain?
At $720 per month in Iraq and $1,775 in Spain, Iraq comes out about 59% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
How do daily expenses compare in Iraq vs Spain?
Day-to-day life is cheaper in Iraq: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.
Is rent more expensive in Iraq or in Spain?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $920 in Spain and $225 in Iraq. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
Which country is better for expats: Iraq or Spain?
It depends on what you’re after: Iraq wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.