Cost of Living Comparison Between Sulaymaniyah and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Sulaymaniyah and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $752 in Sulaymaniyah versus $2,291 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,169 in Sulaymaniyah versus $3,322 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,586 in Sulaymaniyah versus $4,354 in Lisbon.

Living in Sulaymaniyah costs roughly 67% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sulaymaniyah is 44% below, Lisbon is 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.40 IQD 7,068

$16.19 €14.15

-66.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.96 IQD 35.3K

$63.3 €55.3

-57.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.98 IQD 9,142

$10.32 €9.02

-32.36%

Cappuccino

$2.68 IQD 3,507

$2.83 €2.47

-5.30%

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

$0.39 IQD 512

$2.29 €2.00

-82.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 IQD 274

$1.58 €1.38

-86.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 IQD 2,675

$3.40 €2.97

-40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 IQD 3,492

$4.03 €3.52

-33.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 IQD 1,948

$1.09 €0.95

36.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 IQD 1,346

$1.75 €1.53

-41.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 IQD 2,100

$1.76 €1.54

-9.09%

Eggs

$1.69 IQD 2,219

$3.17 €2.77

-46.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.79 IQD 7,586

$13.19 €11.53

-56.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 IQD 4,492

$7.97 €6.96

-56.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.35 IQD 18.8K

$15.53 €13.57

-7.60%

Apples (1kg)

$1.17 IQD 1,529

$2.37 €2.07

-50.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 IQD 1,703

$1.71 €1.49

-23.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 IQD 1,651

$2.01 €1.75

-37.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.71 IQD 925

$2.43 €2.12

-70.78%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 IQD 875

$1.76 €1.54

-61.93%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 IQD 893

$2.03 €1.78

-66.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 IQD 772

$1.92 €1.68

-69.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 IQD 589

$0.85 €0.74

-47.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.93 IQD 2,532

$6.58 €5.75

-70.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.63 IQD 15.2K

$5.58 €4.87

108.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 IQD 1,992

$1.33 €1.16

14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 IQD 2,305

$2.97 €2.60

-40.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 IQD 725

$2.28 €1.99

-75.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.33 IQD 30.5K

$45.79 €40.01

-49.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.28 IQD 2,983

$4.23 €3.69

-46.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.29 IQD 2,993

$0.81 €0.71

182.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.20 IQD 6,812

$18.44 €16.11

-71.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.71 IQD 931

$2.08 €1.82

-65.87%

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

$21.0K IQD 27.4M

$34.7K €30.3K

-39.54%

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

$20.9K IQD 27.4M

$39.2K €34.2K

-46.55%

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

$76.1 IQD 99.6K

$148 €129

-48.63%

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

$16.47 IQD 21.6K

$20.46 €17.88

-19.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.94 IQD 35.3K

$39.56 €34.56

-31.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.52 IQD 50.4K

$47.99 €41.93

-19.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.02 IQD 22.3K

$18.60 €16.25

-8.49%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 IQD 9,776

$9.22 €8.06

-18.98%

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

$154 IQD 201.3K

$616 €538

-75.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,465 IQD 4.5M

$16.4K €14.4K

-78.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.94 IQD 31.4K

$103 €89.7

-76.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.45 IQD 33.3K

$41.74 €36.47

-39.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$43.60 IQD 57.1K

$94.8 €82.8

-53.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.26 IQD 47.5K

$122 €107

-70.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$236 IQD 309.5K

$1,633 €1,426

-85.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$177 IQD 232.3K

$1,232 €1,077

-85.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$574 IQD 751.2K

$3,098 €2,707

-81.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$351 IQD 459.5K

$2,031 €1,775

-82.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$828 IQD 1.1M

$7,831 €6,842

-89.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$571 IQD 748.3K

$4,389 €3,835

-86.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$575 IQD 753.3K

$1,607 €1,404

-64.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

136.22%

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

Last update for Sulaymaniyah: July 13, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $236 in Sulaymaniyah and $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 179% 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 $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $184 vs $267 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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sulaymaniyah and Lisbon differ by about 205% in total monthly costs ($752 vs $2,291 including rent). Sulaymaniyah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 179% 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: $236 in Sulaymaniyah versus $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $154 in Sulaymaniyah versus $616 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $752 in Sulaymaniyah versus $2,291 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 205% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.