Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sulaymaniyah Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sulaymaniyah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $752 in Sulaymaniyah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,169 in Sulaymaniyah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,586 in Sulaymaniyah.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 205% more expensive than in Sulaymaniyah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Sulaymaniyah is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$5.40 IQD 7,068

199.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$26.96 IQD 35.3K

134.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$6.98 IQD 9,142

47.85%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.68 IQD 3,507

5.60%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$0.39 IQD 512

487.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.21 IQD 274

652.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$2.04 IQD 2,675

66.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$2.67 IQD 3,492

50.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.49 IQD 1,948

-26.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.03 IQD 1,346

69.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.60 IQD 2,100

10.00%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.69 IQD 2,219

87.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$5.79 IQD 7,586

127.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$3.43 IQD 4,492

132.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$14.35 IQD 18.8K

8.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.17 IQD 1,529

102.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.30 IQD 1,703

31.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.26 IQD 1,651

59.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$0.71 IQD 925

242.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.67 IQD 875

162.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.68 IQD 893

198.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.59 IQD 772

225.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.45 IQD 589

88.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$1.93 IQD 2,532

240.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$11.63 IQD 15.2K

-52.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.52 IQD 1,992

-12.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.76 IQD 2,305

68.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.55 IQD 725

314.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$23.33 IQD 30.5K

96.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$2.28 IQD 2,983

85.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$2.29 IQD 2,993

-64.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$5.20 IQD 6,812

254.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$0.71 IQD 931

192.96%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$21.0K IQD 27.4M

65.39%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$20.9K IQD 27.4M

87.08%

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

$148 €130

$76.1 IQD 99.6K

94.67%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$16.47 IQD 21.6K

24.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$26.94 IQD 35.3K

46.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$38.52 IQD 50.4K

24.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$17.02 IQD 22.3K

9.28%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$7.47 IQD 9,776

23.43%

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

$616 €539

$154 IQD 201.3K

300.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$3,465 IQD 4.5M

374.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$23.94 IQD 31.4K

328.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$25.45 IQD 33.3K

64.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$43.60 IQD 57.1K

117.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$36.26 IQD 47.5K

236.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$236 IQD 309.5K

590.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$177 IQD 232.3K

594.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$574 IQD 751.2K

440.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$351 IQD 459.5K

478.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$828 IQD 1.1M

845.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$571 IQD 748.3K

668.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$575 IQD 753.3K

179.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

-57.67%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Sulaymaniyah: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $236 in Sulaymaniyah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 179% 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 $27.00 in Sulaymaniyah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $184 per month, with Sulaymaniyah 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 Sulaymaniyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Sulaymaniyah differ by about 205% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $752 including rent). Sulaymaniyah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 179% 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 $236 in Sulaymaniyah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $154 in Sulaymaniyah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $752 in Sulaymaniyah versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sulaymaniyah but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sulaymaniyah 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 Sulaymaniyah 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 Sulaymaniyah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 205% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.