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: $750 in Sulaymaniyah versus $2,341 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,166 in Sulaymaniyah versus $3,462 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,581 in Sulaymaniyah versus $4,582 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 44% below, Barcelona is 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.26 IQD 6,895

$17.61 €15.08

-70.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.81 IQD 35.1K

$68.7 €58.8

-60.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.01 IQD 9,182

$13.75 €11.77

-49.02%

Cappuccino

$2.64 IQD 3,461

$2.76 €2.36

-4.35%

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

$0.39 IQD 514

$2.78 €2.38

-85.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 IQD 269

$2.05 €1.75

-89.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.07 IQD 2,714

$4.61 €3.94

-55.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 IQD 3,550

$4.59 €3.93

-40.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 IQD 1,851

$1.28 €1.10

10.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 IQD 1,332

$2.11 €1.81

-51.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 IQD 2,109

$1.97 €1.69

-18.27%

Eggs

$1.78 IQD 2,329

$3.44 €2.95

-48.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.10 IQD 7,998

$18.83 €16.12

-67.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.56 IQD 4,667

$9.45 €8.09

-62.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.01 IQD 18.4K

$19.01 €16.27

-26.30%

Apples (1kg)

$1.17 IQD 1,532

$2.72 €2.33

-56.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 IQD 1,694

$2.37 €2.03

-45.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 IQD 1,662

$2.08 €1.78

-38.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.73 IQD 957

$2.76 €2.36

-73.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.61 IQD 798

$1.97 €1.69

-69.04%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 IQD 879

$1.79 €1.53

-62.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 IQD 777

$1.51 €1.29

-60.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 IQD 590

$0.90 €0.77

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.94 IQD 2,536

$6.76 €5.79

-71.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.61 IQD 15.2K

$7.55 €6.46

53.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 IQD 1,975

$1.44 €1.23

4.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 IQD 2,367

$2.41 €2.06

-24.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 IQD 715

$3.03 €2.59

-81.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.16 IQD 30.3K

$28.39 €24.30

-18.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.36 IQD 3,096

$4.43 €3.79

-46.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.33 IQD 3,053

$2.05 €1.76

13.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.46 IQD 7,150

$29.33 €25.11

-81.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.77 IQD 1,006

$1.89 €1.62

-59.26%

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

$20.3K IQD 26.6M

$38.7K €33.2K

-47.57%

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

$20.6K IQD 26.9M

$32.4K €27.7K

-36.46%

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

$76.6 IQD 100.4K

$189 €161

-59.38%

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

$16.90 IQD 22.1K

$22.21 €19.01

-23.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.27 IQD 34.4K

$36.82 €31.52

-28.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.65 IQD 51.9K

$58.0 €49.64

-31.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.92 IQD 22.2K

$20.99 €17.97

-19.39%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 IQD 9,788

$11.05 €9.46

-32.40%

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

$151 IQD 198.4K

$726 €622

-79.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,491 IQD 4.6M

$15.2K €13.0K

-77.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.36 IQD 30.6K

$88.3 €75.6

-73.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.92 IQD 32.6K

$36.98 €31.66

-32.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$43.74 IQD 57.3K

$103 €87.8

-57.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.40 IQD 47.7K

$119 €102

-69.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$240 IQD 315.0K

$1,526 €1,307

-84.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$175 IQD 229.4K

$1,218 €1,043

-85.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$572 IQD 749.7K

$2,794 €2,392

-79.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$341 IQD 446.4K

$2,027 €1,735

-83.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$810 IQD 1.1M

$7,094 €6,073

-88.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$579 IQD 758.5K

$4,849 €4,151

-88.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$580 IQD 759.7K

$2,404 €2,058

-75.88%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $240 in Sulaymaniyah and $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 315% 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 $184 vs $320 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 212% in total monthly costs ($750 vs $2,341 including rent). Sulaymaniyah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 315% 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: $240 in Sulaymaniyah versus $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $151 in Sulaymaniyah versus $726 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 $750 in Sulaymaniyah versus $2,341 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 212% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.