Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Zakho Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Zakho

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $893 in Zakho.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $1,364 in Zakho.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $1,834 in Zakho.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 149% more expensive than Zakho, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Zakho is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$7.72 IQD 10.1K

109.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$22.91 IQD 30.0K

181.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$8.68 IQD 11.4K

19.59%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$3.13 IQD 4,096

-11.50%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$0.48 IQD 628

368.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.22 IQD 288

613.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$2.01 IQD 2,629

73.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$2.08 IQD 2,723

92.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.37 IQD 1,789

-21.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$0.81 IQD 1,056

114.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.79 IQD 2,351

-2.79%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$1.97 IQD 2,586

61.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$7.57 IQD 9,918

77.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$4.79 IQD 6,276

66.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$13.95 IQD 18.3K

15.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.15 IQD 1,502

98.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.14 IQD 1,494

50.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.17 IQD 1,537

65.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$0.81 IQD 1,064

213.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$0.67 IQD 879

173.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.76 IQD 990

168.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$0.77 IQD 1,013

157.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.52 IQD 687

63.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$2.73 IQD 3,576

150.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$12.23 IQD 16.0K

-52.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.43 IQD 1,871

-4.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$2.04 IQD 2,669

42.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$0.40 IQD 522

470.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

$31.69 IQD 41.5K

47.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$2.32 IQD 3,034

75.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$2.30 IQD 3,013

-64.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$6.74 IQD 8,825

171.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$0.70 IQD 913

187.14%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$18.8K IQD 24.6M

87.89%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$20.4K IQD 26.7M

88.73%

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

$145 €124

$99.3 IQD 130.1K

46.37%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$17.84 IQD 23.4K

17.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$29.52 IQD 38.7K

35.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$37.43 IQD 49.0K

30.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

$16.78 IQD 22.0K

11.38%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$11.46 IQD 15.0K

-20.94%

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

$607 €519

$266 IQD 348.2K

128.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$3,229 IQD 4.2M

405.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$33.39 IQD 43.7K

213.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$48.02 IQD 62.9K

-14.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$80.8 IQD 105.9K

15.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$78.5 IQD 102.9K

51.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$238 IQD 311.5K

574.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$178 IQD 233.3K

593.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$584 IQD 765.1K

421.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$343 IQD 449.8K

498.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$646 IQD 846.8K

145.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.67

-32.80%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Last update for Zakho: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $238 in Zakho. 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $23.00 in Zakho for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $195 per month, with Zakho 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 Zakho: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Zakho differ by about 149% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $893 including rent). Zakho is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 145% 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $238 in Zakho. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $266 in Zakho. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $893 in Zakho versus $2,227 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Zakho but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Zakho 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 Zakho 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 Zakho gentler on the wallet – expenses run 149% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.