Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and As Samawah Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and As Samawah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $892 in As Samawah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,353 in As Samawah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $1,814 in As Samawah.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 156% more expensive than in As Samawah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, As Samawah is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$5.24 IQD 6,866

200.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$36.43 IQD 47.7K

74.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$7.73 IQD 10.1K

35.19%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$3.04 IQD 3,987

-4.28%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$0.37 IQD 484

518.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.20 IQD 265

650.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$3.48 IQD 4,553

2.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$2.93 IQD 3,837

35.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.37 IQD 1,799

-21.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.82 IQD 1,074

114.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.60 IQD 2,089

6.25%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$1.64 IQD 2,146

98.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$4.60 IQD 6,022

188.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$4.83 IQD 6,329

59.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$14.18 IQD 18.6K

11.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$1.03 IQD 1,347

121.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.02 IQD 1,339

62.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$0.68 IQD 893

197.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$0.51 IQD 673

384.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$0.70 IQD 916

155.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$0.62 IQD 817

233.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$0.31 IQD 411

535.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.62 IQD 806

33.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$2.08 IQD 2,723

214.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$7.73 IQD 10.1K

-27.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.80 IQD 2,352

-26.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$2.07 IQD 2,716

45.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$0.39 IQD 516

482.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

$30.89 IQD 40.5K

50.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$3.91 IQD 5,117

8.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.54 IQD 2,021

-44.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$7.62 IQD 9,979

147.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$0.56 IQD 734

260.71%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$19.7K IQD 25.8M

77.21%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$19.8K IQD 26.0M

99.92%

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

$148 €128

$179 IQD 234.3K

-17.32%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$26.15 IQD 34.2K

-21.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$40.39 IQD 52.9K

-2.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$36.08 IQD 47.2K

33.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$16.91 IQD 22.1K

8.75%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$7.71 IQD 10.1K

18.03%

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

$615 €532

$169 IQD 220.9K

264.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$3,635 IQD 4.8M

348.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$28.02 IQD 36.7K

262.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$30.35 IQD 39.7K

38.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$63.5 IQD 83.1K

45.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$43.10 IQD 56.4K

183.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$239 IQD 312.9K

574.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$182 IQD 238.1K

589.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$579 IQD 758.4K

429.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$349 IQD 457.2K

483.27%

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

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 As Samawah: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $239 in As Samawah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $36.00 in As Samawah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $173 per month, with As Samawah 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 As Samawah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

As Samawah is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 156% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,420 in Lisbon and $1,338 in As Samawah 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $239 in As Samawah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in As Samawah runs roughly 50% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $169 in As Samawah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $892 in As Samawah versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in As Samawah but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes As Samawah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, As Samawah 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 As Samawah 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 As Samawah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 156% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.