Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mosul and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Mosul: $573 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $19,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mosul, Iraq
Lisbon, Portugal
Mosul
🇮🇶 Iraq
$573
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mosul and in Lisbon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mosul and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $573 in Mosul versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

  • Mosul $573
  • Lisbon $2,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $906 in Mosul versus $3,275 in Lisbon.

  • Mosul $906
  • Lisbon $3,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,239 in Mosul versus $4,341 in Lisbon.

  • Mosul $1,239
  • Lisbon $4,341

Living in Mosul costs roughly 74% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mosul is 58% below, Lisbon is 62% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mosul
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.07 IQD 6,154
$16.65 €14.95
-75.56%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$16.30 IQD 24.6K
$61.7 €55.5
-73.60%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.21 IQD 7,870
$11.36 €10.20
-54.14%
Cappuccino
$1.44 IQD 2,171
$2.97 €2.67
-51.52%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.37 IQD 552
$2.29 €2.06
-83.84%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.16 IQD 241
$1.74 €1.56
-90.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.35 IQD 2,045
$3.40 €3.06
-60.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.30 IQD 1,965
$3.31 €2.97
-60.73%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mosul
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.72 IQD 1,086
$1.16 €1.04
-37.93%
White Bread (500g)
$0.63 IQD 955
$1.91 €1.72
-67.02%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.09 IQD 1,645
$1.51 €1.36
-27.81%
Eggs
$1.35 IQD 2,045
$4.02 €3.61
-66.42%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$3.05 IQD 4,611
$12.94 €11.62
-76.43%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.63 IQD 5,481
$7.77 €6.98
-53.28%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.20 IQD 15.4K
$17.76 €15.95
-42.57%
Apples (1kg)
$0.60 IQD 900
$2.30 €2.07
-73.91%
Banana (1kg)
$0.89 IQD 1,347
$1.73 €1.56
-48.55%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.61 IQD 915
$1.86 €1.67
-67.20%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.43 IQD 650
$2.59 €2.33
-83.40%
Potato (1kg)
$0.41 IQD 617
$1.82 €1.64
-77.47%
Onion (1kg)
$0.41 IQD 621
$1.97 €1.77
-79.19%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.36 IQD 544
$1.47 €1.32
-75.51%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 IQD 785
$0.72 €0.65
-27.78%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.67 IQD 2,528
$6.58 €5.91
-74.62%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.47 IQD 9,779
$5.61 €5.04
15.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.47 IQD 2,222
$1.36 €1.22
8.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67 IQD 2,516
$2.14 €1.92
-21.96%
🚌 Getting Around
Mosul
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.34 IQD 518
$2.33 €2.10
-85.41%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$75.0 IQD 113.4K
$44.68 €40.14
67.93%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.29 IQD 1,954
$3.85 €3.46
-66.49%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.36 IQD 2,051
$1.07 €0.96
27.10%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.99 IQD 6,032
$16.46 €14.79
-75.76%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.44 IQD 661
$2.20 €1.98
-80.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$15.0K IQD 22.7M
$34.2K €30.7K
-56.15%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$17.3K IQD 26.2M
$38.7K €34.8K
-55.26%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mosul
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$76.1 IQD 115.0K
$161 €145
-52.80%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.24 IQD 18.5K
$18.41 €16.54
-33.51%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.78 IQD 35.9K
$32.74 €29.41
-27.37%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mosul
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$20.66 IQD 31.2K
$44.55 €40.02
-53.63%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.72 IQD 34.3K
$19.10 €17.16
18.95%
Cinema Ticket
$8.09 IQD 12.2K
$9.60 €8.62
-15.73%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mosul
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$172 IQD 259.6K
$668 €600
-74.26%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,729 IQD 4.1M
$17.6K €15.8K
-84.51%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mosul
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$10.79 IQD 16.3K
$102 €91.6
-89.42%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$16.25 IQD 24.6K
$44.46 €39.94
-63.45%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$23.17 IQD 35.0K
$98.5 €88.5
-76.48%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$22.08 IQD 33.4K
$124 €111
-82.15%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mosul
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$142 IQD 215.2K
$1,608 €1,445
-91.15%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$103 IQD 155.9K
$1,190 €1,069
-91.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$247 IQD 373.8K
$2,812 €2,526
-91.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$252 IQD 380.7K
$2,013 €1,808
-87.49%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$730 IQD 1.1M
$7,839 €7,042
-90.69%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$502 IQD 758.5K
$4,576 €4,110
-89.03%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mosul
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$420 IQD 634.2K
$1,575 €1,415
-73.35%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.53
3.85
-34.29%

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

Last update for Mosul: October 25, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Mosul
$127
Lisbon
$272 114% $145
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mosul
$112
Lisbon
$212 89.4% $100
Accommodation & Living
Mosul
$103
Lisbon
$1.2K 1054% $1.1K
Getting Around
Mosul
$84
Lisbon
$63 25.2% $21
Eating Out
Mosul
$77
Lisbon
$243 215% $166
Sport & Entertainment
Mosul
$37
Lisbon
$64 73% $27
Clothing & Footwear
Mosul
$33
Lisbon
$166 410% $133

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $142 in Mosul and $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays about 3.8 times 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: $16 in Mosul vs $62 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $127 vs $272 per month, with Mosul cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇶 Mosul
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
17:01 5:01 PM
14:01 2:01 PM
3 h behind Mosul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,683,000
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to IQD – Iraqi Dinar Converter

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,682 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.95 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mosul Lisbon 4,550 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mosul
  • Lisbon

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Mosul vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Mosul and in Lisbon?
Mosul and Lisbon differ by about 285% in total monthly costs ($573 vs $2,210 including rent). Mosul is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 73% lower in Mosul. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Mosul and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $142 in Mosul versus $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Mosul and Lisbon?
Childcare runs $172 in Mosul versus $668 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 114% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $573 in Mosul versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Mosul but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Mosul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Mosul and Lisbon?
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.
How do I decide between Mosul and Lisbon?
It comes down to priorities – Mosul wins on affordability, Lisbon on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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