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: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $774 in Sulaymaniyah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $1,198 in Sulaymaniyah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $1,623 in Sulaymaniyah.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 199% more expensive than in Sulaymaniyah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Sulaymaniyah is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.93

$4.68 IQD 6,133

269.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.6

$22.61 IQD 29.6K

179.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.83

$6.95 IQD 9,102

63.88%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$2.37 IQD 3,097

34.60%

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

$2.45 €2.11

$0.42 IQD 553

483.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.21 IQD 274

738.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.10

$4.67 IQD 6,119

-23.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.93

$2.31 IQD 3,029

46.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.35 IQD 1,768

-8.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$0.91 IQD 1,191

117.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$2.01 IQD 2,636

-24.38%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.49

$1.68 IQD 2,201

140.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.68

$4.99 IQD 6,531

171.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.24

$3.56 IQD 4,658

135.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.75

$15.68 IQD 20.5K

16.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$1.32 IQD 1,728

73.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.29 IQD 1,686

34.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.20 IQD 1,568

55.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.27

$0.70 IQD 919

275.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.59 IQD 778

225.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$0.68 IQD 893

207.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.72 IQD 937

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.50 IQD 650

68.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.85

$2.40 IQD 3,148

182.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.93

$11.54 IQD 15.1K

-50.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.95 IQD 2,560

-29.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.67 IQD 2,193

32.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.07

$0.55 IQD 722

336.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.37

$23.03 IQD 30.2K

103.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.60

$2.36 IQD 3,087

76.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$2.26 IQD 2,961

-49.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.26

$5.33 IQD 6,982

231.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.01

$0.67 IQD 879

246.27%

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

$35.3K €30.5K

$20.4K IQD 26.6M

73.64%

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

$41.4K €35.8K

$19.4K IQD 25.4M

113.25%

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

$170 €147

$99.6 IQD 130.4K

71.10%

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

$19.34 €16.69

$11.01 IQD 14.4K

75.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €29.03

$29.26 IQD 38.3K

14.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.50

$36.07 IQD 47.2K

33.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.17

$20.49 IQD 26.8K

-2.88%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.56

$7.69 IQD 10.1K

29.00%

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

$717 €619

$176 IQD 231.1K

306.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.1K

$2,969 IQD 3.9M

488.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.4

$18.91 IQD 24.8K

453.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.51

$25.92 IQD 33.9K

81.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.2

$42.61 IQD 55.8K

142.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$37.42 IQD 49.0K

231.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,447

$229 IQD 300.2K

631.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,097

$177 IQD 231.7K

618.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,575

$499 IQD 653.5K

498.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,719

$357 IQD 466.9K

458.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,753

$813 IQD 1.1M

862.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,019

$582 IQD 761.8K

700.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,366

$563 IQD 737.4K

181.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

5.77

-34.32%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Sulaymaniyah: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $229 in Sulaymaniyah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 181% 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 $23.00 in Sulaymaniyah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $188 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 199% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $774 including rent). Sulaymaniyah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 181% 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $229 in Sulaymaniyah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $176 in Sulaymaniyah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $774 in Sulaymaniyah versus $2,316 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 199% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.