Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ba'qubah Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ba'qubah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $579 in Ba'qubah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $745 in Ba'qubah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $910 in Ba'qubah.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 292% more expensive than in Ba'qubah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Ba'qubah is 58% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$4.86 IQD 6,358

261.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$15.24 IQD 20.0K

323.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$6.54 IQD 8,565

78.13%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$1.12 IQD 1,463

191.07%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$0.56 IQD 728

344.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.19 IQD 248

778.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$1.97 IQD 2,575

76.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$4.47 IQD 5,858

-19.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.14 IQD 1,486

3.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$0.55 IQD 718

254.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.12 IQD 1,471

39.29%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$1.49 IQD 1,955

169.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$2.26 IQD 2,956

487.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$2.54 IQD 3,327

231.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$10.56 IQD 13.8K

72.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$0.99 IQD 1,301

134.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.14 IQD 1,493

51.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$0.93 IQD 1,224

107.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$0.60 IQD 780

340.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$0.59 IQD 777

222.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$0.65 IQD 851

224.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.50 IQD 654

188.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.19 IQD 248

321.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$2.53 IQD 3,313

177.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$12.47 IQD 16.3K

-52.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.71 IQD 2,237

-20.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.14 IQD 2,800

0.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.78 IQD 1,021

205.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$1.94 IQD 2,543

115.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.73 IQD 2,270

-36.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$5.31 IQD 6,959

225.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$0.35 IQD 464

542.86%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$18.2K IQD 23.9M

89.19%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$20.3K IQD 26.6M

104.63%

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

$171 €147

$59.4 IQD 77.7K

187.87%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$13.91 IQD 18.2K

36.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$26.87 IQD 35.2K

27.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$19.12 IQD 25.0K

159.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$3.89 IQD 5,094

159.64%

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

$699 €603

$26.53 IQD 34.7K

2535.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$639 IQD 836.3K

2682.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$19.30 IQD 25.3K

441.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$19.21 IQD 25.2K

149.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$68.2 IQD 89.3K

49.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$27.02 IQD 35.4K

374.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$269 IQD 351.9K

518.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$135 IQD 176.4K

811.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$499 IQD 653.3K

484.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$768 IQD 1.0M

957.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$189 IQD 247.5K

2352.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$711 IQD 931.4K

127.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

2.53

49.41%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Ba'qubah: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $269 in Ba'qubah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 128% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $15.00 in Ba'qubah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $142 per month, with Ba'qubah 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 Ba'qubah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ba'qubah is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 292% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 128% 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $269 in Ba'qubah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $26.53 in Ba'qubah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ba'qubah – a meal for two runs $15.00 versus $64.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $579 in Ba'qubah versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ba'qubah but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Ba'qubah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ba'qubah 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 Ba'qubah 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 Ba'qubah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 292% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.