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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $662 in Ba'qubah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $993 in Ba'qubah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,324 in Ba'qubah.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 234% more expensive than Ba'qubah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$5.03 IQD 6,585

216.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$15.28 IQD 20.0K

323.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$6.47 IQD 8,468

62.44%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.14 IQD 1,491

151.75%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.48 IQD 631

366.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.20 IQD 258

650.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$1.97 IQD 2,575

77.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.16 IQD 2,824

79.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.17 IQD 1,529

-2.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.55 IQD 720

218.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.14 IQD 1,492

54.39%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.48 IQD 1,939

117.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$2.37 IQD 3,102

469.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$2.52 IQD 3,294

213.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$10.91 IQD 14.3K

45.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$0.94 IQD 1,230

145.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.18 IQD 1,548

44.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.00 IQD 1,309

101.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$0.59 IQD 775

316.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.58 IQD 765

217.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.65 IQD 856

207.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.46 IQD 602

319.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.19 IQD 253

315.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$2.62 IQD 3,433

152.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$12.52 IQD 16.4K

-54.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.44 IQD 1,886

-4.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.97 IQD 2,575

50.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.37 IQD 481

540.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$31.35 IQD 41.1K

45.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$2.26 IQD 2,957

89.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$2.03 IQD 2,660

-59.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$5.26 IQD 6,890

247.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.33 IQD 427

524.24%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$19.1K IQD 25.0M

79.43%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$20.9K IQD 27.4M

88.08%

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

$148 €127

$58.6 IQD 76.7K

152.38%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$17.68 IQD 23.2K

16.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$27.17 IQD 35.6K

45.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$19.46 IQD 25.5K

145.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$16.72 IQD 21.9K

13.16%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$3.89 IQD 5,092

135.99%

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

$614 €528

$27.20 IQD 35.6K

2157.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$650 IQD 851.7K

2367.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$19.27 IQD 25.2K

443.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$18.91 IQD 24.8K

122.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$82.1 IQD 107.5K

14.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$27.01 IQD 35.4K

343.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$241 IQD 315.5K

575.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$179 IQD 234.5K

600.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$579 IQD 757.6K

423.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$341 IQD 446.8K

492.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$766 IQD 1.0M

917.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$192 IQD 251.2K

2127.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$711 IQD 930.6K

125.63%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Ba'qubah: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $241 in Ba'qubah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 126% 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 $15.00 in Ba'qubah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 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 234% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Lisbon pays 126% 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $241 in Ba'qubah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 89% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Ba'qubah – a meal for two runs $15.00 versus $65.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $662 in Ba'qubah versus $2,210 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 234% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.