Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sulaymaniyah and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Sulaymaniyah: $668 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $18,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Sulaymaniyah
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Sulaymaniyah Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Sulaymaniyah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$668

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sulaymaniyah 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 Sulaymaniyah and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $668 in Sulaymaniyah versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

Sulaymaniyah $668
Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,038 in Sulaymaniyah versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

Sulaymaniyah $1,038
Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,407 in Sulaymaniyah versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

Sulaymaniyah $1,407
Lisbon $4,319

Living in Sulaymaniyah costs roughly 70% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sulaymaniyah is 51% below, Lisbon is 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 IQD 6,664

$16.50 €14.67

-73.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.08 IQD 30.3K

$61.3 €54.5

-67.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.02 IQD 9,090

$11.27 €10.03

-46.58%

Cappuccino

$2.38 IQD 3,595

$3.06 €2.72

-22.22%

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

$0.42 IQD 639

$2.26 €2.01

-81.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 IQD 332

$1.73 €1.54

-87.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 IQD 4,910

$3.39 €3.02

-4.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 IQD 2,968

$3.40 €3.02

-42.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 IQD 1,659

$1.12 €1.00

-1.79%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 IQD 1,300

$1.86 €1.65

-53.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 IQD 2,494

$1.53 €1.36

7.84%

Eggs

$1.48 IQD 2,232

$3.96 €3.53

-62.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.46 IQD 6,743

$12.76 €11.35

-65.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.53 IQD 5,334

$7.90 €7.02

-55.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.97 IQD 19.6K

$16.97 €15.09

-23.57%

Apples (1kg)

$1.14 IQD 1,730

$2.27 €2.02

-49.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 IQD 1,619

$1.75 €1.55

-38.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.01 IQD 1,524

$1.85 €1.64

-45.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.58 IQD 878

$2.57 €2.28

-77.43%

Potato (1kg)

$0.49 IQD 739

$1.86 €1.65

-73.66%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 IQD 892

$2.02 €1.80

-70.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 IQD 950

$1.44 €1.28

-56.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 IQD 682

$0.82 €0.73

-45.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.00 IQD 3,021

$6.56 €5.83

-69.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.99 IQD 15.1K

$5.62 €5.00

77.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 IQD 2,527

$1.28 €1.14

30.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 IQD 1,899

$2.07 €1.84

-39.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 IQD 769

$2.35 €2.09

-78.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 IQD 29.8K

$44.18 €39.30

-55.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.95 IQD 2,952

$3.99 €3.55

-51.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 IQD 2,925

$1.09 €0.97

77.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 IQD 6,957

$16.64 €14.81

-72.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.57 IQD 857

$2.28 €2.03

-75.00%

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

$17.6K IQD 26.6M

$33.7K €30.0K

-47.71%

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

$16.6K IQD 25.1M

$39.3K €35.0K

-57.74%

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

$87.2 IQD 131.7K

$167 €149

-47.96%

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

$10.17 IQD 15.4K

$18.80 €16.72

-45.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.75 IQD 35.9K

$33.09 €29.43

-28.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.59 IQD 52.3K

$46.01 €40.93

-24.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.49 IQD 26.4K

$19.19 €17.07

-8.86%

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 IQD 10.1K

$9.84 €8.75

-32.32%

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

$150 IQD 227.3K

$677 €602

-77.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,553 IQD 3.9M

$16.9K €15.1K

-84.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.58 IQD 25.0K

$101 €90.1

-83.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.70 IQD 32.8K

$45.76 €40.70

-52.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$37.04 IQD 56.0K

$100.0 €88.9

-62.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.18 IQD 50.1K

$123 €109

-72.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$187 IQD 283.1K

$1,614 €1,436

-88.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$149 IQD 225.8K

$1,197 €1,065

-87.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$410 IQD 619.7K

$2,862 €2,545

-85.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 IQD 472.8K

$1,990 €1,770

-84.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$688 IQD 1.0M

$7,577 €6,740

-90.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$530 IQD 800.5K

$4,307 €3,831

-87.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$487 IQD 735.7K

$1,588 €1,412

-69.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.77

3.85

49.87%

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

Last update for Sulaymaniyah: October 10, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Sulaymaniyah

$163 24.4%

Lisbon

$269 12.1% 65.7% $107

Accommodation & Living

Sulaymaniyah

$149 22.4%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9% 701% $1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sulaymaniyah

$121 18.1%

Lisbon

$219 9.9% 81.2% $98

Eating Out

Sulaymaniyah

$105 15.7%

Lisbon

$242 10.9% 132% $138

Clothing & Footwear

Sulaymaniyah

$49 7.3%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 241% $118

Sport & Entertainment

Sulaymaniyah

$48 7.2%

Lisbon

$66 3% 37.1% $18

Getting Around

Sulaymaniyah

$33 5%

Lisbon

$63 2.8% 88.6% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $187 in Sulaymaniyah and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 226% 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: $20.00 in Sulaymaniyah vs $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $163 vs $269 per month, with Sulaymaniyah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Sulaymaniyah

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

03:20 3:20 AM

01:20 1:20 AM

2 h behind Sulaymaniyah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

823,199

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to IQD – Iraqi Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇶 Iraqi Dinar (ع.د)

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to IQD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sulaymaniyah Lisbon 4,780 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Sulaymaniyah
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

Sulaymaniyah vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sulaymaniyah and Lisbon differ by about 233% in total monthly costs ($668 vs $2,223 including rent). Sulaymaniyah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 226% lower in Lisbon. 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: $187 in Sulaymaniyah versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $150 in Sulaymaniyah versus $677 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 66% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $668 in Sulaymaniyah versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sulaymaniyah but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. 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 Lisbon 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 233% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.