Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Basra

For one person, living is cheaper in Basra: $652 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $18,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Basra
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Basra Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Basra

🇮🇶 Iraq

$652

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Basra

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,223 in Lisbon versus $652 in Basra.

Lisbon $2,223
Basra $652

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,271 in Lisbon versus $1,179 in Basra.

Lisbon $3,271
Basra $1,179

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,319 in Lisbon versus $1,706 in Basra.

Lisbon $4,319
Basra $1,706

Living in Lisbon is roughly 241% more expensive than in Basra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Basra is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.50 €14.67

$4.06 IQD 6,134

306.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 €54.5

$26.00 IQD 39.3K

135.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.27 €10.03

$6.42 IQD 9,706

75.55%

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.72

$2.21 IQD 3,342

38.46%

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

$2.26 €2.01

$0.36 IQD 551

527.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.54

$0.30 IQD 455

476.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €3.02

$3.21 IQD 4,849

5.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €3.02

$3.57 IQD 5,394

-4.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €1.00

$0.97 IQD 1,460

15.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.65

$0.56 IQD 841

232.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 €1.36

$1.25 IQD 1,895

22.40%

Eggs

$3.96 €3.53

$1.62 IQD 2,442

144.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 €11.35

$6.28 IQD 9,486

103.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.02

$5.33 IQD 8,061

48.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 €15.09

$12.12 IQD 18.3K

40.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

$0.90 IQD 1,356

152.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$1.18 IQD 1,787

48.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$0.84 IQD 1,266

120.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 €2.28

$0.60 IQD 904

328.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.65

$0.69 IQD 1,044

169.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

$0.53 IQD 802

281.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.28

$0.77 IQD 1,160

87.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.73

$0.36 IQD 546

127.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.56 €5.83

$1.79 IQD 2,705

266.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.62 €5.00

$10.93 IQD 16.5K

-48.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 €1.14

$1.46 IQD 2,204

-12.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.84

$1.73 IQD 2,617

19.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 €2.09

$0.50 IQD 756

370.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.18 €39.30

$16.76 IQD 25.3K

163.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 €3.55

$1.95 IQD 2,946

104.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 €0.97

$1.94 IQD 2,930

-43.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.64 €14.81

$6.35 IQD 9,594

162.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$0.56 IQD 849

307.14%

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

$33.7K €30.0K

$11.7K IQD 17.7M

186.97%

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

$39.3K €35.0K

$19.5K IQD 29.5M

101.34%

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

$167 €149

$44.55 IQD 67.3K

275.96%

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

$18.80 €16.72

$22.24 IQD 33.6K

-15.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.09 €29.43

$33.88 IQD 51.2K

-2.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.01 €40.93

$30.91 IQD 46.7K

48.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.19 €17.07

$11.94 IQD 18.0K

60.72%

Cinema Ticket

$9.84 €8.75

$6.55 IQD 9,898

50.23%

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

$677 €602

$109 IQD 164.7K

521.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K €15.1K

$3,250 IQD 4.9M

420.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.1

$43.34 IQD 65.5K

133.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 €40.70

$17.27 IQD 26.1K

164.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100.0 €88.9

$67.0 IQD 101.2K

49.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €109

$35.95 IQD 54.3K

241.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 €1,436

$409 IQD 617.4K

294.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 €1,065

$129 IQD 195.6K

824.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,862 €2,545

$748 IQD 1.1M

282.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,990 €1,770

$539 IQD 814.7K

269.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,577 €6,740

$1,363 IQD 2.1M

455.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,307 €3,831

$688 IQD 1.0M

525.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,588 €1,412

$648 IQD 979.0K

145.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

3.33

15.62%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Basra: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9%

Basra

$129 19.9% 89.2% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$269 12.1%

Basra

$170 26% 37% $100

Eating Out

Lisbon

$242 10.9%

Basra

$104 16% 57% $138

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$219 9.9%

Basra

$101 15.4% 54.1% $119

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Basra

$74 11.3% 55.8% $93

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$66 3%

Basra

$44 6.8% 33% $22

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.8%

Basra

$30 4.7% 51.7% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,614 in Lisbon and $409 in Basra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 145% 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 $26.00 in Basra for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $170 per month, with Basra cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇮🇶 Basra

🕒 Local time

23:39 11:39 PM

01:39 1:39 AM

2 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

2,150,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

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Between locations

Lisbon Basra 5,210 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Basra

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 Basra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Basra differ by about 241% in total monthly costs ($2,223 vs $652 including rent). Basra is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 145% 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: $1,614 in Lisbon versus $409 in Basra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% 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 $26.00 versus $61.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $652 in Basra versus $2,223 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 241% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.