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: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $1,148 in Baghdad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $1,708 in Baghdad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $2,269 in Baghdad.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 102% more expensive than in Baghdad, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Baghdad is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.92

$4.81 IQD 6,302

259.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.6

$33.76 IQD 44.2K

87.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.83

$7.68 IQD 10.1K

48.31%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$3.07 IQD 4,018

3.91%

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

$2.45 €2.11

$0.40 IQD 520

512.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.26 IQD 342

576.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.10

$3.89 IQD 5,091

-7.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.93

$3.75 IQD 4,906

-9.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.09 IQD 1,424

13.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$0.83 IQD 1,091

138.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.53 IQD 2,005

-0.65%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.49

$1.89 IQD 2,473

113.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.68

$3.80 IQD 4,971

256.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.23

$4.58 IQD 5,992

83.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.74

$14.59 IQD 19.1K

25.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.14 IQD 1,492

100.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.07 IQD 1,399

62.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.06 IQD 1,391

75.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.27

$0.74 IQD 971

255.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.66 IQD 860

190.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$0.64 IQD 843

226.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.63 IQD 827

128.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.70 IQD 920

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.85

$1.83 IQD 2,400

270.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.93

$13.65 IQD 17.9K

-58.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$2.21 IQD 2,890

-37.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.18 IQD 2,861

1.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.07

$0.65 IQD 854

269.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.35

$22.62 IQD 29.6K

106.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.60

$2.32 IQD 3,037

79.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.55 IQD 2,025

-26.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.25

$7.79 IQD 10.2K

126.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$0.61 IQD 801

280.33%

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

$35.3K €30.5K

$19.0K IQD 24.9M

85.55%

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

$41.4K €35.7K

$19.2K IQD 25.1M

116.36%

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

$170 €147

$213 IQD 278.8K

-20.01%

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

$19.34 €16.68

$20.99 IQD 27.5K

-7.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €29.01

$42.26 IQD 55.3K

-20.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.48

$46.87 IQD 61.4K

2.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.16

$22.00 IQD 28.8K

-9.55%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.56

$10.57 IQD 13.8K

-6.15%

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

$717 €619

$165 IQD 216.6K

333.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.1K

$3,462 IQD 4.5M

404.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.4

$30.18 IQD 39.5K

247.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.49

$38.06 IQD 49.8K

23.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.2

$72.9 IQD 95.5K

41.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$47.63 IQD 62.4K

160.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,446

$575 IQD 753.1K

191.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,096

$350 IQD 457.9K

263.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,574

$959 IQD 1.3M

211.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,718

$687 IQD 899.8K

189.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,750

$4,743 IQD 6.2M

64.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,017

$1,576 IQD 2.1M

195.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,365

$604 IQD 791.2K

161.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

4.12

-8.01%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Baghdad: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $575 in Baghdad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 162% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $34.00 in Baghdad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $188 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 102% 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.

Average pay runs 162% 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $575 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 107% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $165 in Baghdad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,148 in Baghdad versus $2,316 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 $1,148 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 102% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.