Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Baghdad

For one person, living is cheaper in Baghdad: $1,001 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $14,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,223
/mo nomad
Baghdad
🇮🇶 Iraq
$1,001
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Baghdad

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 Baghdad actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,223 in Lisbon versus $1,001 in Baghdad.

  • Lisbon $2,223
  • Baghdad $1,001

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,271 in Lisbon versus $1,472 in Baghdad.

  • Lisbon $3,271
  • Baghdad $1,472

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,319 in Lisbon versus $1,943 in Baghdad.

  • Lisbon $4,319
  • Baghdad $1,943

Living in Lisbon is roughly 122% more expensive than in Baghdad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Baghdad is 26% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Baghdad
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.50 €14.67
$4.27 IQD 6,445
286.42%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.3 €54.5
$29.18 IQD 44.1K
109.90%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.27 €10.03
$6.77 IQD 10.2K
66.47%
Cappuccino
$3.06 €2.72
$2.65 IQD 4,003
15.47%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 €2.01
$0.35 IQD 530
545.71%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73 €1.54
$0.20 IQD 302
765.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.39 €3.02
$3.26 IQD 4,927
3.99%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.40 €3.02
$3.22 IQD 4,868
5.59%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Baghdad
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 €1.00
$0.97 IQD 1,466
15.46%
White Bread (500g)
$1.86 €1.65
$0.73 IQD 1,097
154.79%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.53 €1.36
$1.33 IQD 2,003
15.04%
Eggs
$3.96 €3.53
$1.68 IQD 2,534
135.71%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.76 €11.35
$3.25 IQD 4,912
292.62%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.90 €7.02
$4.10 IQD 6,192
92.68%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.97 €15.09
$12.41 IQD 18.8K
36.74%
Apples (1kg)
$2.27 €2.02
$1.01 IQD 1,523
124.75%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 €1.55
$0.98 IQD 1,487
78.57%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.85 €1.64
$0.96 IQD 1,444
92.71%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.57 €2.28
$0.69 IQD 1,045
272.46%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 €1.65
$0.56 IQD 842
232.14%
Onion (1kg)
$2.02 €1.80
$0.57 IQD 855
254.39%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.44 €1.28
$0.53 IQD 806
171.70%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.82 €0.73
$0.62 IQD 943
32.26%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.56 €5.83
$1.68 IQD 2,534
290.48%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.62 €5.00
$11.61 IQD 17.5K
-51.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 €1.14
$1.89 IQD 2,863
-32.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07 €1.84
$1.90 IQD 2,876
8.95%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Baghdad
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.35 €2.09
$0.57 IQD 858
312.28%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.18 €39.30
$20.12 IQD 30.4K
119.58%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.99 €3.55
$2.01 IQD 3,038
98.51%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.09 €0.97
$1.34 IQD 2,029
-18.66%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.64 €14.81
$6.54 IQD 9,887
154.43%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.28 €2.03
$0.54 IQD 810
322.22%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.7K €30.0K
$16.3K IQD 24.6M
106.51%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.3K €35.0K
$16.6K IQD 25.1M
136.94%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Baghdad
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$167 €149
$189 IQD 285.6K
-11.38%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.80 €16.72
$17.44 IQD 26.4K
7.80%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.09 €29.43
$36.40 IQD 55.0K
-9.09%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Baghdad
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.01 €40.93
$41.49 IQD 62.7K
10.89%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.19 €17.07
$18.51 IQD 28.0K
3.67%
Cinema Ticket
$9.84 €8.75
$9.64 IQD 14.6K
2.07%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Baghdad
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$677 €602
$145 IQD 218.9K
367.37%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.9K €15.1K
$3,046 IQD 4.6M
455.43%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Baghdad
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$101 €90.1
$24.78 IQD 37.4K
308.56%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.76 €40.70
$28.66 IQD 43.3K
59.67%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100.0 €88.9
$59.8 IQD 90.4K
67.15%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 €109
$41.64 IQD 62.9K
194.86%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Baghdad
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,614 €1,436
$513 IQD 774.7K
214.78%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,197 €1,065
$322 IQD 485.8K
272.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,862 €2,545
$881 IQD 1.3M
224.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,990 €1,770
$595 IQD 899.0K
234.50%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,577 €6,740
$4,336 IQD 6.6M
74.74%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,307 €3,831
$1,443 IQD 2.2M
198.45%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Baghdad
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,588 €1,412
$499 IQD 753.9K
218.23%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
4.12
-6.55%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Baghdad: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Baghdad
$322 73.1% $876
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$269
Baghdad
$164 39.3% $106
Eating Out
Lisbon
$242
Baghdad
$111 54.1% $131
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$219
Baghdad
$243 10.7% $23
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Baghdad
$70 58.1% $97
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$66
Baghdad
$61 7.5% $4.9
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Baghdad
$31 50.6% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,614 in Lisbon and $513 in Baghdad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 218% 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: $61.0 in Lisbon vs $29.00 in Baghdad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $164 per month, with Baghdad cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇮🇶 Baghdad
🕒 Local time
15:56 3:56 PM
17:56 5:56 PM
2 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
7,216,040 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د
Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

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 = 1,699 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Baghdad 4,780 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Baghdad

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 Baghdad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Lisbon or Baghdad?
Baghdad wins on cost – living expenses run 122% 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.
Are salaries higher in Lisbon or in Baghdad?
Average pay runs 218% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Lisbon compared to Baghdad?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,614 in Lisbon versus $513 in Baghdad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How expensive is transport in Lisbon compared to Baghdad?
A monthly transit pass in Baghdad runs roughly 120% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
How do childcare costs compare in Lisbon and in Baghdad?
Childcare runs $677 in Lisbon versus $145 in Baghdad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Lisbon or in Baghdad?
At $1,001 in Baghdad versus $2,223 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.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Lisbon or Baghdad?
Both work as nomad bases, but Baghdad delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,001 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Baghdad hard to pass up.
How safe is Lisbon compared to Baghdad?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Baghdad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 122% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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