Cost of Living Comparison Between Sulaymaniyah and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Sulaymaniyah and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $759 in Sulaymaniyah versus $2,434 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,194 in Sulaymaniyah versus $3,473 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,629 in Sulaymaniyah versus $4,512 in Barcelona.

Living in Sulaymaniyah costs roughly 69% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sulaymaniyah is 45% below, Barcelona is 78% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.61 IQD 6,031

$18.80 €16.09

-75.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.56 IQD 29.5K

$69.5 €59.4

-67.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.95 IQD 9,096

$14.08 €12.05

-50.64%

Cappuccino

$2.36 IQD 3,091

$3.12 €2.66

-24.36%

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

$0.46 IQD 603

$2.91 €2.49

-84.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 IQD 302

$1.87 €1.60

-87.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.55 IQD 5,952

$4.00 €3.42

13.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 IQD 3,044

$4.64 €3.97

-50.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 IQD 1,780

$1.19 €1.02

14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 IQD 1,265

$2.13 €1.82

-54.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 IQD 2,507

$1.84 €1.57

3.80%

Eggs

$1.74 IQD 2,276

$5.13 €4.39

-66.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.04 IQD 6,595

$16.39 €14.02

-69.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.44 IQD 4,504

$9.71 €8.31

-64.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.51 IQD 20.3K

$19.65 €16.81

-21.07%

Apples (1kg)

$1.33 IQD 1,741

$3.13 €2.68

-57.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 IQD 1,642

$2.18 €1.87

-42.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.15 IQD 1,512

$2.46 €2.11

-53.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.70 IQD 920

$2.77 €2.37

-74.73%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 IQD 763

$2.12 €1.82

-72.64%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 IQD 966

$2.23 €1.90

-66.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 IQD 933

$1.49 €1.27

-52.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 IQD 697

$0.91 €0.78

-41.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 IQD 3,100

$7.26 €6.21

-67.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.61 IQD 15.2K

$8.29 €7.09

40.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 IQD 2,519

$1.54 €1.32

24.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 IQD 2,284

$2.68 €2.30

-35.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 IQD 728

$3.07 €2.63

-81.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.76 IQD 29.8K

$25.93 €22.18

-12.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 IQD 2,953

$3.34 €2.86

-32.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.24 IQD 2,932

$1.88 €1.61

19.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.20 IQD 6,808

$34.98 €29.92

-85.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 IQD 856

$1.74 €1.49

-62.64%

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

$20.8K IQD 27.2M

$36.5K €31.2K

-43.04%

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

$19.2K IQD 25.1M

$31.5K €27.0K

-39.15%

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

$102 IQD 133.2K

$183 €156

-44.36%

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

$10.63 IQD 13.9K

$15.70 €13.43

-32.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.41 IQD 37.2K

$36.73 €31.42

-22.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.69 IQD 46.7K

$53.5 €45.76

-33.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.99 IQD 26.2K

$17.13 €14.65

16.70%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 IQD 9,793

$11.51 €9.85

-35.01%

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

$176 IQD 230.6K

$952 €815

-81.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,882 IQD 3.8M

$16.2K €13.8K

-82.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.84 IQD 24.7K

$82.5 €70.5

-77.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.87 IQD 33.9K

$40.47 €34.62

-36.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$43.64 IQD 57.1K

$108 €92.2

-59.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.78 IQD 50.8K

$125 €107

-69.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$228 IQD 298.0K

$1,668 €1,426

-86.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$176 IQD 230.2K

$1,288 €1,101

-86.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$514 IQD 672.5K

$2,663 €2,278

-80.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 IQD 472.4K

$1,904 €1,628

-81.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$827 IQD 1.1M

$7,513 €6,427

-89.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$565 IQD 740.2K

$5,178 €4,429

-89.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$571 IQD 747.4K

$2,451 €2,096

-76.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.77

3.12

84.94%

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

Last update for Sulaymaniyah: August 17, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $228 in Sulaymaniyah and $1,668 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 329% 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: $23.00 in Sulaymaniyah vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $328 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

Sulaymaniyah vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sulaymaniyah and Barcelona differ by about 221% in total monthly costs ($759 vs $2,434 including rent). Sulaymaniyah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 329% lower in Barcelona. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $228 in Sulaymaniyah versus $1,668 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $176 in Sulaymaniyah versus $952 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 74% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $759 in Sulaymaniyah versus $2,434 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sulaymaniyah but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. 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, Sulaymaniyah and Barcelona 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 221% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.