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: $744 in Sulaymaniyah versus $2,337 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,167 in Sulaymaniyah versus $3,468 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,591 in Sulaymaniyah versus $4,599 in Barcelona.

Living in Sulaymaniyah costs roughly 68% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sulaymaniyah is 45% below, Barcelona is 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.32 IQD 6,971

$17.08 €14.72

-68.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.03 IQD 35.4K

$69.2 €59.7

-60.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.90 IQD 9,040

$13.78 €11.87

-49.93%

Cappuccino

$2.56 IQD 3,349

$2.76 €2.37

-7.25%

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

$0.37 IQD 482

$2.79 €2.40

-86.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 IQD 277

$1.99 €1.72

-89.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.05 IQD 2,683

$4.36 €3.76

-52.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 IQD 3,454

$4.74 €4.09

-44.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 IQD 1,862

$1.29 €1.11

10.08%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 IQD 1,277

$2.05 €1.77

-52.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 IQD 2,172

$1.99 €1.71

-16.58%

Eggs

$1.76 IQD 2,299

$3.39 €2.92

-48.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.80 IQD 7,598

$18.81 €16.21

-69.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.44 IQD 4,501

$9.36 €8.07

-63.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 IQD 18.7K

$19.12 €16.48

-25.21%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 IQD 1,607

$2.70 €2.32

-54.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 IQD 1,634

$2.34 €2.02

-46.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 IQD 1,645

$2.12 €1.83

-40.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.70 IQD 921

$2.85 €2.46

-75.44%

Potato (1kg)

$0.63 IQD 821

$1.97 €1.70

-68.02%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 IQD 844

$1.80 €1.55

-64.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 IQD 711

$1.45 €1.25

-62.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 IQD 591

$0.86 €0.74

-47.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.89 IQD 2,470

$6.78 €5.84

-72.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.68 IQD 15.3K

$7.90 €6.81

47.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 IQD 2,072

$1.39 €1.20

13.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 IQD 2,272

$2.37 €2.04

-26.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 IQD 724

$2.92 €2.52

-81.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.87 IQD 29.9K

$28.69 €24.72

-20.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.25 IQD 2,949

$4.46 €3.84

-49.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.24 IQD 2,929

$2.05 €1.77

9.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.37 IQD 7,033

$29.55 €25.46

-81.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.75 IQD 985

$1.82 €1.56

-58.79%

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

$20.7K IQD 27.1M

$38.8K €33.5K

-46.66%

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

$20.6K IQD 27.0M

$33.1K €28.5K

-37.65%

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

$75.9 IQD 99.4K

$189 €163

-59.87%

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

$16.34 IQD 21.4K

$22.80 €19.65

-28.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.04 IQD 34.1K

$37.59 €32.39

-30.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.68 IQD 52.0K

$57.7 €49.75

-31.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.91 IQD 22.1K

$20.74 €17.87

-18.47%

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 IQD 10.3K

$10.82 €9.33

-27.45%

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

$154 IQD 201.3K

$728 €628

-78.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,539 IQD 4.6M

$14.8K €12.7K

-76.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.16 IQD 31.6K

$88.6 €76.4

-72.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.00 IQD 32.7K

$36.85 €31.75

-32.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$43.01 IQD 56.3K

$102 €87.9

-57.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.77 IQD 46.8K

$116 €100

-69.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$237 IQD 310.3K

$1,569 €1,352

-84.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$181 IQD 236.9K

$1,218 €1,050

-85.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$569 IQD 744.6K

$2,795 €2,409

-79.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$344 IQD 450.5K

$1,975 €1,702

-82.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$805 IQD 1.1M

$7,754 €6,680

-89.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$587 IQD 768.2K

$5,176 €4,460

-88.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$562 IQD 735.6K

$2,343 €2,019

-76.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

165.49%

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

Last update for Sulaymaniyah: June 8, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $237 in Sulaymaniyah and $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 317% 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: $27.00 in Sulaymaniyah vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $183 vs $319 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 214% in total monthly costs ($744 vs $2,337 including rent). Sulaymaniyah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 317% less. 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: $237 in Sulaymaniyah versus $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $154 in Sulaymaniyah versus $728 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 75% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $744 in Sulaymaniyah versus $2,337 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 214% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.