Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Al Kufah Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Al Kufah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $667 in Al Kufah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,063 in Al Kufah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $1,460 in Al Kufah.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 242% more expensive than in Al Kufah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Al Kufah is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.74

$5.30 IQD 6,938

197.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.3

$36.29 IQD 47.5K

74.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.11

$7.45 IQD 9,759

40.27%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.54

$2.96 IQD 3,871

-1.69%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$0.36 IQD 476

536.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.31

$0.19 IQD 244

689.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.11

$3.50 IQD 4,580

1.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.46

$2.88 IQD 3,773

37.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.12 IQD 1,470

-3.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.61 IQD 801

188.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.60 IQD 2,096

6.25%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.83

$1.75 IQD 2,290

85.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.55

$2.30 IQD 3,017

476.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.72

$2.96 IQD 3,882

160.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.75

$10.08 IQD 13.2K

56.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.48 IQD 632

375.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.44

$0.94 IQD 1,226

76.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.76

$0.68 IQD 885

197.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.16

$0.50 IQD 655

394.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.56

$0.37 IQD 488

383.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.80

$0.31 IQD 402

567.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.72

$0.63 IQD 829

212.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.73

$0.45 IQD 589

84.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.71

$1.98 IQD 2,588

230.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.85

$13.68 IQD 17.9K

-59.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$1.86 IQD 2,439

-28.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.62

$2.12 IQD 2,772

41.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.98

$0.38 IQD 495

497.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.41

$30.80 IQD 40.3K

50.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.69

$2.25 IQD 2,941

88.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.49 IQD 1,949

-42.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.41

$7.80 IQD 10.2K

141.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.76

$0.50 IQD 661

304.00%

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

$35.0K €30.5K

$20.2K IQD 26.5M

73.01%

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

$39.6K €34.6K

$19.7K IQD 25.8M

101.27%

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

$148 €129

$40.44 IQD 52.9K

265.80%

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

$20.52 €17.89

$26.03 IQD 34.1K

-21.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.46

$23.39 IQD 30.6K

68.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €42.00

$25.75 IQD 33.7K

87.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €16.03

$17.14 IQD 22.4K

7.29%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.93

$7.49 IQD 9,804

21.50%

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

$615 €536

$86.2 IQD 112.9K

613.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.2K

$2,396 IQD 3.1M

579.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.6

$21.08 IQD 27.6K

381.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.69

$29.78 IQD 39.0K

41.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €80.5

$19.61 IQD 25.7K

370.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$27.17 IQD 35.6K

349.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,405

$214 IQD 280.1K

653.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,093

$176 IQD 230.6K

611.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,676

$423 IQD 553.3K

626.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,776

$295 IQD 385.7K

591.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,757

$1,317 IQD 1.7M

488.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,737

$383 IQD 502.0K

1018.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,396

$1,031 IQD 1.3M

55.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.67

-32.80%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Al Kufah: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $214 in Al Kufah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 55% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $36.00 in Al Kufah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $147 per month, with Al Kufah 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

Lisbon vs Al Kufah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al Kufah is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 242% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 55% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $214 in Al Kufah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Al Kufah – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,280 per month in Lisbon versus $667 in Al Kufah – a 242% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $667 in Al Kufah versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Al Kufah but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Al Kufah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Al Kufah is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lisbon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Al Kufah 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 Al Kufah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 242% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.