Cost of Living Comparison Between Spain and Iraq Cost of Living Comparison Between Spain and Iraq

Name: Iraq
Address: IQ

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,642 in Spain versus $760 in Iraq.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,392 in Spain versus $1,167 in Iraq.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,142 in Spain versus $1,574 in Iraq.

Living in Spain is roughly 116% more expensive than in Iraq on average.

Spain (23% above) and Iraq (43% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Spain: monthly costs span $1,122 to $3,254, compared to $521–$1,055 in Iraq. City choice carries more weight in Spain.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.06 €14.00

$4.70 IQD 6,157

241.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.9 €49.57

$23.21 IQD 30.4K

144.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.30 €8.98

$6.49 IQD 8,494

58.71%

Cappuccino

$2.32 €2.02

$2.25 IQD 2,950

3.11%

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

$2.60 €2.27

$0.39 IQD 506

566.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 €1.60

$0.22 IQD 282

736.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.99

$2.26 IQD 2,956

51.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 €3.46

$2.62 IQD 3,431

51.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.04

$1.28 IQD 1,675

-7.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 €1.33

$0.82 IQD 1,072

85.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 €1.46

$1.56 IQD 2,045

7.05%

Eggs

$2.98 €2.60

$1.73 IQD 2,268

72.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.42 €12.58

$4.89 IQD 6,402

194.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.59 €7.49

$4.15 IQD 5,429

106.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.95 €13.91

$12.49 IQD 16.4K

27.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.51 €2.19

$1.03 IQD 1,345

143.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 €1.81

$1.18 IQD 1,541

75.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 €1.78

$1.01 IQD 1,322

101.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.30

$0.68 IQD 896

288.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.66 IQD 858

166.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$0.65 IQD 853

204.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.17

$0.62 IQD 810

117.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 €0.65

$0.55 IQD 721

34.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.27 €5.46

$1.93 IQD 2,531

224.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 €5.01

$12.15 IQD 15.9K

-52.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 €1.14

$1.78 IQD 2,328

-26.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.80

$2.21 IQD 2,890

-6.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 €1.54

$0.36 IQD 477

391.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.49 €30.07

$32.91 IQD 43.1K

4.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.49 €3.91

$2.23 IQD 2,923

101.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 €1.15

$1.71 IQD 2,244

-22.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.12 €23.64

$5.99 IQD 7,841

352.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.57

$0.59 IQD 774

205.08%

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

$38.2K €33.3K

$18.2K IQD 23.8M

110.43%

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

$30.8K €26.9K

$20.1K IQD 26.4M

52.91%

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

$149 €130

$98.1 IQD 128.4K

51.77%

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

$20.14 €17.56

$19.26 IQD 25.2K

4.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.50 €29.21

$31.85 IQD 41.7K

5.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.30 €40.37

$34.85 IQD 45.6K

32.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.61 €13.61

$14.57 IQD 19.1K

7.14%

Cinema Ticket

$9.40 €8.20

$7.75 IQD 10.2K

21.29%

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

$522 €455

$133 IQD 174.4K

292.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,880 €8,613

$2,672 IQD 3.5M

269.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.1 €76.8

$22.72 IQD 29.8K

287.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.98 €31.36

$25.90 IQD 33.9K

38.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.0 €77.6

$56.9 IQD 74.5K

56.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €94.2

$39.49 IQD 51.7K

173.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,039 €906

$303 IQD 397.0K

242.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$820 €715

$198 IQD 259.8K

313.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,689 €1,472

$549 IQD 718.8K

207.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,214 €1,058

$378 IQD 494.8K

221.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,301 €3,750

$1,559 IQD 2.0M

175.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,604 €2,270

$789 IQD 1.0M

230.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,982 €1,728

$562 IQD 736.3K

252.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.51

8.23

-57.35%

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

Last update for Spain: July 27, 2026

Last update for Iraq: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $898 in Spain, $254 in Iraq. Capital cities: $1,561 in Madrid vs $554 in Baghdad.

National salary averages: $1,989 in Spain, $562 in Iraq. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 254% higher in Spain.

Dining out costs 121% more in Spain.

Salaries are 254% higher in Spain, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Spain.

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

Spain vs Iraq: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $788 per month in Iraq and $2,188 in Spain, there's a 178% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Iraq: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Spain is consistently higher than in Iraq across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Iraq, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in Spain it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Iraq wins on affordability; Spain may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.