Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Mosul Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Mosul

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $653 in Mosul.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,030 in Mosul.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $1,407 in Mosul.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 247% more expensive than in Mosul, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Mosul is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$3.34 IQD 4,380

425.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$19.19 IQD 25.1K

236.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$6.23 IQD 8,156

87.00%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$1.62 IQD 2,118

101.23%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$0.37 IQD 489

572.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.17 IQD 226

882.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$1.57 IQD 2,051

121.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$1.56 IQD 2,043

129.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$0.80 IQD 1,047

47.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$0.80 IQD 1,045

143.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.33 IQD 1,739

17.29%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$1.49 IQD 1,956

169.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$3.59 IQD 4,707

269.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$4.34 IQD 5,687

94.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$11.71 IQD 15.3K

55.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$0.69 IQD 900

236.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.07 IQD 1,401

61.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$0.71 IQD 929

171.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$0.53 IQD 692

398.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$0.49 IQD 644

287.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$0.44 IQD 582

379.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.39 IQD 515

269.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.66 IQD 862

21.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$1.88 IQD 2,463

272.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$7.87 IQD 10.3K

-24.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.96 IQD 2,564

-30.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.90 IQD 2,485

13.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.39 IQD 513

510.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$75.4 IQD 98.7K

-38.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$1.57 IQD 2,061

166.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.48 IQD 1,944

-25.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$4.51 IQD 5,907

282.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$0.50 IQD 661

350.00%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$17.2K IQD 22.6M

99.94%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$20.4K IQD 26.7M

104.35%

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

$171 €147

$88.0 IQD 115.3K

94.09%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$15.44 IQD 20.2K

23.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$34.00 IQD 44.5K

0.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$23.85 IQD 31.2K

108.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$25.99 IQD 34.0K

-24.93%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$9.78 IQD 12.8K

3.27%

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

$699 €603

$200 IQD 261.7K

249.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$3,569 IQD 4.7M

397.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$12.19 IQD 16.0K

758.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$18.90 IQD 24.8K

153.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$26.60 IQD 34.8K

282.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$25.69 IQD 33.6K

399.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$162 IQD 212.7K

922.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$114 IQD 149.7K

974.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$281 IQD 368.5K

936.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$284 IQD 371.4K

613.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$812 IQD 1.1M

900.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$927 IQD 1.2M

400.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$477 IQD 624.2K

239.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Mosul: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $162 in Mosul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 240% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $19.00 in Mosul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $151 per month, with Mosul 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 Mosul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Mosul differ by about 247% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $653 including rent). Mosul is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 240% 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $162 in Mosul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $200 in Mosul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 86% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $653 in Mosul versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mosul but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Mosul 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 Mosul 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 Mosul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 247% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.