Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Basra Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Basra

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $962 in Basra.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $1,458 in Basra.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $1,955 in Basra.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 141% more expensive than in Basra, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Basra is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.93

$4.60 IQD 6,028

276.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.6

$30.03 IQD 39.3K

110.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.83

$7.50 IQD 9,827

51.87%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$2.56 IQD 3,351

24.61%

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

$2.45 €2.11

$0.46 IQD 604

432.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.35 IQD 454

402.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.10

$3.85 IQD 5,048

-6.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.93

$4.31 IQD 5,640

-21.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.11 IQD 1,460

11.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$0.64 IQD 844

209.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.40 IQD 1,836

8.57%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.49

$1.87 IQD 2,452

116.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.68

$7.57 IQD 9,914

78.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.24

$6.38 IQD 8,353

31.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.75

$14.01 IQD 18.3K

30.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$1.03 IQD 1,343

122.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.38 IQD 1,802

26.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$0.99 IQD 1,292

87.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.27

$0.69 IQD 904

281.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.79 IQD 1,033

143.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$0.63 IQD 824

231.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.87 IQD 1,146

65.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.41 IQD 539

104.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.85

$2.12 IQD 2,779

219.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.93

$6.75 IQD 8,839

-15.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$3.10 IQD 4,058

-55.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$3.83 IQD 5,020

-42.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.07

$0.55 IQD 716

336.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.37

$19.45 IQD 25.5K

140.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.60

$2.22 IQD 2,910

87.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$2.34 IQD 3,059

-51.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.26

$7.44 IQD 9,746

137.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.01

$0.55 IQD 722

321.82%

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

$35.3K €30.5K

$13.2K IQD 17.3M

168.01%

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

$41.4K €35.8K

$23.0K IQD 30.2M

79.85%

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

$170 €147

$49.68 IQD 65.1K

242.85%

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

$19.34 €16.69

$25.37 IQD 33.2K

-23.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €29.03

$39.02 IQD 51.1K

-13.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.50

$36.29 IQD 47.5K

32.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.17

$13.74 IQD 18.0K

44.83%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.56

$7.70 IQD 10.1K

28.83%

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

$717 €619

$127 IQD 165.9K

466.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.1K

$3,845 IQD 5.0M

354.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.4

$49.73 IQD 65.1K

110.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.51

$20.19 IQD 26.4K

132.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.2

$79.4 IQD 104.0K

30.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$41.95 IQD 54.9K

195.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,447

$469 IQD 614.4K

257.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,097

$339 IQD 443.5K

275.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,575

$860 IQD 1.1M

247.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,719

$628 IQD 822.0K

217.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,753

$1,564 IQD 2.0M

400.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,019

$800 IQD 1.0M

481.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,366

$769 IQD 1.0M

105.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

5.67

-33.16%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Basra: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $469 in Basra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 106% 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 $30.00 in Basra for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $197 per month, with Basra 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 Basra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Basra differ by about 141% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $962 including rent). Basra is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 106% 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 $469 in Basra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Basra – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $962 in Basra versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Basra but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Basra the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Basra 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 Basra gentler on the wallet – expenses run 141% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.