Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and 'aqrah

For one person, living is cheaper in 'aqrah: $661 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $18,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
Learn more

Lisbon Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in 'aqrah
Learn more

'aqrah Living Index

Jump to prices

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

'aqrah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$661

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in 'aqrah

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in 'aqrah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,223 in Lisbon versus $661 in 'aqrah.

Lisbon $2,223
'aqrah $661

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,271 in Lisbon versus $1,015 in 'aqrah.

Lisbon $3,271
'aqrah $1,015

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,319 in Lisbon versus $1,369 in 'aqrah.

Lisbon $4,319
'aqrah $1,369

Living in Lisbon is roughly 237% more expensive than in 'aqrah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, 'aqrah is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.50 €14.67

$3.62 IQD 5,467

355.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 €54.5

$21.82 IQD 33.0K

180.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.27 €10.02

$6.82 IQD 10.3K

65.25%

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.72

$2.38 IQD 3,602

28.57%

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

$2.26 €2.01

$0.32 IQD 485

606.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.54

$0.18 IQD 273

861.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €3.02

$3.11 IQD 4,706

9.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €3.02

$2.61 IQD 3,945

30.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €1.00

$0.94 IQD 1,416

19.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.65

$0.72 IQD 1,086

158.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 €1.36

$1.46 IQD 2,205

4.79%

Eggs

$3.96 €3.53

$1.70 IQD 2,573

132.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 €11.35

$3.48 IQD 5,252

266.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.02

$4.16 IQD 6,291

89.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 €15.09

$13.31 IQD 20.1K

27.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

$0.92 IQD 1,383

146.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$0.91 IQD 1,375

92.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$0.77 IQD 1,161

140.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 €2.28

$0.66 IQD 990

289.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.65

$0.54 IQD 809

244.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

$0.64 IQD 965

215.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.28

$0.51 IQD 776

182.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.73

$0.50 IQD 756

64.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.56 €5.83

$1.57 IQD 2,368

317.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.62 €5.00

$10.92 IQD 16.5K

-48.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 €1.14

$1.33 IQD 2,003

-3.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.84

$1.85 IQD 2,800

11.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 €2.09

$0.45 IQD 679

422.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.18 €39.29

$17.50 IQD 26.4K

152.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 €3.55

$1.89 IQD 2,859

111.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 €0.97

$1.39 IQD 2,099

-21.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.64 €14.80

$5.15 IQD 7,788

223.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$0.48 IQD 727

375.00%

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

$33.7K €30.0K

$16.9K IQD 25.5M

99.40%

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

$39.3K €34.9K

$19.4K IQD 29.3M

102.64%

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

$167 €149

$80.2 IQD 121.1K

108.97%

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

$18.80 €16.72

$13.58 IQD 20.5K

38.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.09 €29.43

$27.25 IQD 41.2K

21.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.01 €40.92

$37.01 IQD 55.9K

24.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.19 €17.07

Cinema Ticket

$9.84 €8.75

$8.39 IQD 12.7K

17.28%

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

$677 €602

$142 IQD 213.9K

378.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K €15.0K

$2,656 IQD 4.0M

537.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.0

$22.08 IQD 33.4K

358.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 €40.70

$23.85 IQD 36.0K

91.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100.0 €88.9

$47.26 IQD 71.4K

111.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €109

$31.06 IQD 46.9K

295.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 €1,435

$184 IQD 277.8K

777.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 €1,065

$141 IQD 213.2K

748.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,862 €2,545

$358 IQD 541.4K

698.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,990 €1,770

$278 IQD 419.4K

616.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,577 €6,739

$779 IQD 1.2M

873.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,307 €3,831

$642 IQD 970.8K

570.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,588 €1,412

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

3.33

15.62%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Last update for 'aqrah: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9%

'aqrah

$141 21.4% 88.2% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$269 12.1%

'aqrah

$160 24.2% 40.6% $109

Eating Out

Lisbon

$242 10.9%

'aqrah

$101 15.3% 58.4% $141

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$219 9.9%

'aqrah

$121 18.3% 44.9% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

'aqrah

$56 8.5% 66.4% $110

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$66 3%

'aqrah

$54 8.1% 18.1% $12

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.8%

'aqrah

$28 4.3% 55.3% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,614 in Lisbon and $184 in 'aqrah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Lisbon vs $22.00 in 'aqrah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $160 per month, with 'aqrah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇮🇶 'aqrah

🕒 Local time

03:37 3:37 AM

05:37 5:37 AM

2 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

68,100

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.88 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,701 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.88 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lisbon 'aqrah 4,600 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
'aqrah

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

Lisbon vs 'aqrah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

'aqrah wins on cost – living expenses run 237% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making 'aqrah the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,335 in Lisbon and $991 in 'aqrah to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,614 in Lisbon versus $184 in 'aqrah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,223 per month in Lisbon versus $661 in 'aqrah – a 237% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in 'aqrah runs roughly 152% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $661 in 'aqrah versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in 'aqrah but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes 'aqrah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but 'aqrah delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $661 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes 'aqrah hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and 'aqrah 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 'aqrah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 237% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.