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: $2,217 in Lisbon versus $882 in Zakho.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,245 in Lisbon versus $1,370 in Zakho.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,272 in Lisbon versus $1,858 in Zakho.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 151% more expensive than in Zakho, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Zakho is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.78 €13.77

$7.66 IQD 10.0K

106.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 €54.5

$23.28 IQD 30.5K

168.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 €9.19

$8.78 IQD 11.5K

20.05%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.41

$3.20 IQD 4,191

-13.44%

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

$2.28 €1.99

$0.52 IQD 687

338.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.22 IQD 288

604.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.55 €3.09

$1.94 IQD 2,537

82.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 €3.47

$2.05 IQD 2,680

94.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.38 IQD 1,806

-21.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.54

$0.86 IQD 1,122

105.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 €1.54

$1.82 IQD 2,381

-2.75%

Eggs

$3.12 €2.72

$1.90 IQD 2,494

64.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 €11.64

$7.56 IQD 9,906

76.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.98

$4.66 IQD 6,108

71.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 €13.89

$14.27 IQD 18.7K

11.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.18 IQD 1,551

93.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.43

$1.18 IQD 1,547

38.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.19 IQD 1,564

66.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.14

$0.77 IQD 1,007

218.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.54

$0.67 IQD 874

164.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.72

$0.75 IQD 986

162.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.72

$0.72 IQD 938

173.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.70

$0.53 IQD 693

50.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.54 €5.70

$2.61 IQD 3,420

150.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 €5.01

$12.69 IQD 16.6K

-54.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.15

$1.38 IQD 1,802

-4.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 €2.60

$1.93 IQD 2,523

54.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.04

$0.40 IQD 519

485.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.85 €40.01

$31.07 IQD 40.7K

47.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 €3.71

$2.37 IQD 3,101

79.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 €0.74

$2.32 IQD 3,037

-63.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.86 €16.45

$6.84 IQD 8,953

175.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.81

$0.69 IQD 899

200.00%

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

$35.2K €30.8K

$18.9K IQD 24.8M

86.37%

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

$38.6K €33.7K

$20.2K IQD 26.5M

91.14%

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

$151 €132

$100 IQD 131.2K

50.87%

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

$20.91 €18.24

$17.97 IQD 23.5K

16.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.54 €34.50

$29.90 IQD 39.2K

32.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 €42.22

$37.42 IQD 49.0K

29.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.61 €16.24

$16.71 IQD 21.9K

11.37%

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 €7.89

$11.67 IQD 15.3K

-22.54%

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

$610 €532

$263 IQD 344.6K

131.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.2K

$3,321 IQD 4.3M

389.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €88.3

$32.47 IQD 42.5K

211.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.58 €35.41

$48.98 IQD 64.1K

-17.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 €81.2

$81.5 IQD 106.7K

14.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$76.4 IQD 100.0K

55.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 €1,398

$246 IQD 321.6K

552.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 €1,081

$176 IQD 230.3K

604.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,019 €2,634

$568 IQD 744.1K

431.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,061 €1,798

$347 IQD 454.3K

494.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,981 €6,963

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,533 €3,955

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,628 €1,421

$649 IQD 850.1K

150.80%

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: June 15, 2026

Last update for Zakho: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,603 in Lisbon and $246 in Zakho. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 151% 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: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $23.00 in Zakho for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $197 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 151% in total monthly costs ($2,217 vs $882 including rent). Zakho is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 151% 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: $1,603 in Lisbon versus $246 in Zakho. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $610 in Lisbon versus $263 in Zakho. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $882 in Zakho versus $2,217 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 151% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.