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: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $735 in Al-mawsil.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $1,098 in Al-mawsil.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $1,460 in Al-mawsil.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 203% more expensive than Al-mawsil, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Al-mawsil is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$7.50 IQD 9,825

115.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$12.23 IQD 16.0K

427.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$5.65 IQD 7,402

83.72%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$0.73 IQD 959

279.45%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$0.36 IQD 478

525.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.18 IQD 235

772.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$0.95 IQD 1,242

267.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$1.52 IQD 1,986

163.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$0.90 IQD 1,177

20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$0.75 IQD 989

132.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.06 IQD 1,391

64.15%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$1.92 IQD 2,521

65.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$7.31 IQD 9,583

83.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$3.30 IQD 4,327

142.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$6.96 IQD 9,122

131.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$0.90 IQD 1,185

153.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$0.90 IQD 1,173

91.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$0.80 IQD 1,055

142.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$0.39 IQD 516

551.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$0.38 IQD 501

381.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.46 IQD 596

343.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$0.48 IQD 625

312.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.49 IQD 640

73.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$1.97 IQD 2,583

247.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$12.39 IQD 16.2K

-53.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.43 IQD 1,874

-4.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$1.93 IQD 2,532

50.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$0.36 IQD 476

533.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

$31.31 IQD 41.0K

49.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$2.11 IQD 2,759

93.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$2.06 IQD 2,693

-60.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$3.26 IQD 4,265

460.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$0.33 IQD 429

509.09%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$15.0K IQD 19.7M

134.62%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$17.9K IQD 23.5M

114.43%

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

$145 €124

$100 IQD 131.3K

45.07%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$17.45 IQD 22.9K

20.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$26.64 IQD 34.9K

50.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$23.52 IQD 30.8K

107.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

$18.63 IQD 24.4K

0.32%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$11.17 IQD 14.6K

-18.89%

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

$607 €519

$200 IQD 261.6K

203.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$699 IQD 916.2K

2235.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$14.26 IQD 18.7K

633.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$17.36 IQD 22.7K

135.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$83.7 IQD 109.6K

11.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$19.20 IQD 25.2K

517.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$242 IQD 317.4K

562.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$176 IQD 230.0K

603.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$588 IQD 769.8K

418.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$348 IQD 455.7K

491.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$1,987 IQD 2.6M

288.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$1,490 IQD 2.0M

186.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$602 IQD 789.0K

163.05%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Al-mawsil: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $242 in Al-mawsil. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 163% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $12.00 in Al-mawsil for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $149 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 203% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Lisbon pays 163% more on average, 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $242 in Al-mawsil. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $200 in Al-mawsil. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 82% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $735 in Al-mawsil versus $2,227 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 203% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.