Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Al-mawsil Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Al-mawsil

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $720 in Al-mawsil.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,071 in Al-mawsil.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $1,422 in Al-mawsil.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 217% more expensive than in Al-mawsil, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Al-mawsil is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$7.88 IQD 10.3K

99.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$12.14 IQD 15.9K

422.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$5.57 IQD 7,296

87.61%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$0.80 IQD 1,051

263.75%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$0.39 IQD 513

487.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.16 IQD 214

837.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$0.99 IQD 1,301

259.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$1.55 IQD 2,030

155.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$0.90 IQD 1,172

20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.76 IQD 994

131.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.06 IQD 1,383

60.38%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$1.95 IQD 2,559

66.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$7.48 IQD 9,791

77.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$3.23 IQD 4,232

138.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$6.93 IQD 9,070

127.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$0.84 IQD 1,096

171.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$0.87 IQD 1,139

90.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$0.77 IQD 1,015

162.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$0.39 IQD 511

533.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$0.39 IQD 505

358.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$0.42 IQD 548

392.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$0.52 IQD 677

278.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.50 IQD 650

66.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$2.00 IQD 2,622

227.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$12.48 IQD 16.3K

-55.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.43 IQD 1,867

-6.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$1.97 IQD 2,578

52.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$0.36 IQD 474

530.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

$31.06 IQD 40.7K

49.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$2.19 IQD 2,866

93.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.99 IQD 2,604

-57.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$3.29 IQD 4,303

472.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$0.32 IQD 425

531.25%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$15.5K IQD 20.2M

126.13%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$17.8K IQD 23.3M

122.42%

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

$148 €128

$102 IQD 134.0K

44.56%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$17.93 IQD 23.5K

14.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$26.91 IQD 35.2K

46.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$23.79 IQD 31.2K

102.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$18.68 IQD 24.5K

-1.55%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$11.15 IQD 14.6K

-18.39%

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

$615 €532

$196 IQD 257.2K

213.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$696 IQD 911.7K

2239.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$14.02 IQD 18.4K

624.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$17.43 IQD 22.8K

141.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$83.1 IQD 108.8K

11.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$19.33 IQD 25.3K

531.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$243 IQD 318.5K

562.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$180 IQD 236.1K

595.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$588 IQD 769.6K

422.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$339 IQD 444.1K

500.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

$601 IQD 786.5K

166.68%

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-mawsil: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $243 in Al-mawsil. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 167% 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 $12.00 in Al-mawsil for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $148 per month, with Al-mawsil 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-mawsil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al-mawsil is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 217% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 167% 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 $243 in Al-mawsil. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $196 in Al-mawsil. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 80% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $720 in Al-mawsil versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Al-mawsil but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Al-mawsil the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Al-mawsil 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-mawsil 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-mawsil gentler on the wallet – expenses run 217% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.