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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $739 in Basra.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,368 in Basra.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,996 in Basra.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 210% more expensive than in Basra, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Basra is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$3.79 IQD 4,959

327.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$25.30 IQD 33.1K

150.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$6.74 IQD 8,831

53.12%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.03 IQD 2,656

39.41%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$0.47 IQD 612

387.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.35 IQD 452

351.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$3.72 IQD 4,866

-8.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$2.59 IQD 3,391

55.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.23 IQD 1,608

-11.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.70 IQD 922

150.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.46 IQD 1,906

20.55%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.88 IQD 2,467

68.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$8.26 IQD 10.8K

59.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$6.93 IQD 9,071

15.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$13.13 IQD 17.2K

18.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.05 IQD 1,370

125.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.34 IQD 1,756

27.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.00 IQD 1,316

101.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$0.59 IQD 774

311.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.68 IQD 894

158.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.60 IQD 789

238.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.78 IQD 1,022

146.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.41 IQD 542

107.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$1.95 IQD 2,559

237.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$13.18 IQD 17.3K

-57.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$3.02 IQD 3,957

-55.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$3.92 IQD 5,139

-24.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.37 IQD 479

516.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$23.11 IQD 30.3K

98.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$2.28 IQD 2,992

85.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$2.26 IQD 2,957

-64.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$6.93 IQD 9,071

166.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$0.56 IQD 732

271.43%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$13.1K IQD 17.2M

163.91%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$22.6K IQD 29.6M

73.13%

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

$148 €130

$56.7 IQD 74.2K

161.20%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$25.66 IQD 33.6K

-20.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$38.60 IQD 50.5K

2.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$36.33 IQD 47.6K

32.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$15.54 IQD 20.4K

19.69%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$7.82 IQD 10.2K

17.90%

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

$616 €539

$98.0 IQD 128.3K

528.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$3,807 IQD 5.0M

331.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$42.66 IQD 55.9K

140.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$20.58 IQD 27.0K

102.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$70.1 IQD 91.9K

35.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$41.08 IQD 53.8K

197.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$445 IQD 582.7K

266.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$136 IQD 178.0K

806.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$908 IQD 1.2M

241.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$650 IQD 851.8K

212.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$1,605 IQD 2.1M

387.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$783 IQD 1.0M

460.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$752 IQD 985.3K

113.62%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Basra: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $445 in Basra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 114% 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 $25.00 in Basra for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $212 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 210% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $739 including rent). Basra is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 114% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $445 in Basra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% 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 $25.00 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $739 in Basra versus $2,291 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 210% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.