Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Baghdad Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Baghdad

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,054 in Baghdad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,592 in Baghdad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,130 in Baghdad.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 110% more expensive than Baghdad, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Baghdad is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$5.48 IQD 7,181

190.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$36.97 IQD 48.4K

75.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$7.57 IQD 9,909

38.84%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$3.06 IQD 4,003

-6.21%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.40 IQD 518

460.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.18 IQD 242

733.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$3.42 IQD 4,485

2.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.94 IQD 3,853

31.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.32 IQD 1,726

-13.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.78 IQD 1,017

124.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.65 IQD 2,166

6.67%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.79 IQD 2,350

79.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$4.40 IQD 5,763

206.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$5.07 IQD 6,636

56.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$14.34 IQD 18.8K

10.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.23 IQD 1,612

87.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.17 IQD 1,530

45.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.01 IQD 1,329

99.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$0.70 IQD 922

251.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.70 IQD 911

162.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.64 IQD 835

212.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.63 IQD 822

206.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.66 IQD 871

19.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$2.11 IQD 2,765

213.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$13.35 IQD 17.5K

-57.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.76 IQD 2,301

-22.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.15 IQD 2,815

38.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.78 IQD 1,027

203.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$28.60 IQD 37.4K

59.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$3.88 IQD 5,087

10.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.47 IQD 1,923

-44.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$7.85 IQD 10.3K

133.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.56 IQD 737

267.86%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$20.3K IQD 26.6M

68.75%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$19.9K IQD 26.1M

97.44%

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

$148 €127

$181 IQD 237.4K

-18.43%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$25.40 IQD 33.3K

-19.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$40.16 IQD 52.6K

-1.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$41.29 IQD 54.1K

15.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$18.43 IQD 24.1K

2.66%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$7.82 IQD 10.2K

17.39%

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

$614 €528

$163 IQD 213.2K

277.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$3,573 IQD 4.7M

349.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$28.57 IQD 37.4K

266.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$30.72 IQD 40.2K

36.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$63.4 IQD 83.0K

48.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$43.53 IQD 57.0K

174.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$540 IQD 707.6K

201.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$321 IQD 420.5K

290.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$818 IQD 1.1M

270.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$580 IQD 759.9K

248.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$4,034 IQD 5.3M

93.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$1,617 IQD 2.1M

164.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$642 IQD 841.2K

149.61%

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 Baghdad: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $540 in Baghdad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 150% 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 $37.00 in Baghdad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $191 per month, with Baghdad 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 Baghdad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baghdad wins on cost – living expenses run 110% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Baghdad the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Lisbon pays 150% 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 $540 in Baghdad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Baghdad runs roughly 59% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $163 in Baghdad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,054 in Baghdad versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Baghdad but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Baghdad the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Baghdad delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,054 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Baghdad hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Baghdad 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 Baghdad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 110% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.