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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $747 in Sulaymaniyah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,168 in Sulaymaniyah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,589 in Sulaymaniyah.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 196% more expensive than Sulaymaniyah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Sulaymaniyah is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$5.32 IQD 6,969

199.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$26.82 IQD 35.1K

141.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$7.08 IQD 9,272

48.45%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.65 IQD 3,471

8.30%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.37 IQD 481

505.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.18 IQD 236

733.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$2.07 IQD 2,710

68.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.73 IQD 3,570

42.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.42 IQD 1,858

-19.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.03 IQD 1,345

69.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.60 IQD 2,094

10.00%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.78 IQD 2,325

80.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$5.76 IQD 7,540

134.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$3.46 IQD 4,533

128.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$14.08 IQD 18.4K

12.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.17 IQD 1,532

97.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.29 IQD 1,691

31.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.33 IQD 1,737

51.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$0.71 IQD 923

246.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.62 IQD 808

196.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.67 IQD 878

198.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.58 IQD 764

232.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.46 IQD 601

71.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$1.89 IQD 2,481

249.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$11.23 IQD 14.7K

-49.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.50 IQD 1,971

-8.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.75 IQD 2,287

69.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.55 IQD 721

330.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$23.10 IQD 30.3K

97.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$2.36 IQD 3,087

81.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$2.33 IQD 3,050

-64.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$5.41 IQD 7,082

238.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.72 IQD 943

186.11%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$20.8K IQD 27.2M

65.00%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$21.0K IQD 27.5M

87.27%

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

$148 €127

$76.0 IQD 99.5K

94.54%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$16.72 IQD 21.9K

22.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$26.19 IQD 34.3K

51.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$38.72 IQD 50.7K

23.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$16.62 IQD 21.8K

13.84%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$7.78 IQD 10.2K

17.99%

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

$614 €528

$155 IQD 202.4K

297.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$3,464 IQD 4.5M

363.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$23.54 IQD 30.8K

344.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$25.32 IQD 33.2K

66.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$44.08 IQD 57.7K

113.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$35.85 IQD 46.9K

233.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$237 IQD 309.9K

587.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$175 IQD 229.7K

615.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$581 IQD 760.3K

421.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$346 IQD 453.6K

483.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$799 IQD 1.0M

876.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$569 IQD 745.3K

650.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$567 IQD 742.3K

182.85%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Sulaymaniyah: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $237 in Sulaymaniyah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 183% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $27.00 in Sulaymaniyah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $182 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 196% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $747 including rent). Sulaymaniyah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 183% more on average, 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $237 in Sulaymaniyah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $155 in Sulaymaniyah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $747 in Sulaymaniyah versus $2,210 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 196% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.