Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vila Real and Erbil

For one person, living is cheaper in Erbil: $956 a month against $1,234 in Vila Real, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Vila Real
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Vila Real Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Erbil
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Erbil Living Index

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Vila Real

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,234

/mo nomad

Erbil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$956

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vila Real and in Erbil

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Vila Real and in Erbil actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,234 per month in Vila Real vs $956 in Erbil, rent included.

Vila Real $1,234
Erbil $956

A couple spends around $1,800 per month in Vila Real vs $1,421 in Erbil, rent included.

Vila Real $1,800
Erbil $1,421

A family of three spends $2,367 per month in Vila Real vs $1,887 in Erbil, rent included.

Vila Real $2,367
Erbil $1,887

Vila Real costs about 29% more than Erbil, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Vila Real and Erbil are more affordable than the global median – Vila Real 9% lower, Erbil 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.01 €8.01

$6.45 IQD 9,753

39.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.10 €24.99

$36.44 IQD 55.1K

-22.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.63 €6.78

$7.09 IQD 10.7K

7.62%

Cappuccino

$1.13 €1.01

$3.23 IQD 4,873

-65.02%

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

$1.62 €1.44

$0.89 IQD 1,338

82.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 €1.01

$0.33 IQD 503

242.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.41 €3.04

$5.17 IQD 7,819

-34.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 €1.35

$3.85 IQD 5,825

-60.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 €0.88

$1.06 IQD 1,600

-6.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 €1.22

$0.73 IQD 1,101

87.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.52 IQD 2,300

-23.03%

Eggs

$2.71 €2.41

$1.57 IQD 2,373

72.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 €8.72

$6.90 IQD 10.4K

42.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.36 €6.55

$4.27 IQD 6,458

72.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.01 €13.35

$12.51 IQD 18.9K

19.98%

Apples (1kg)

$1.75 €1.56

$0.99 IQD 1,501

76.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 €1.21

$0.99 IQD 1,495

37.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 €1.42

$1.03 IQD 1,555

55.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.60 €2.32

$0.65 IQD 988

300.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 €1.29

$0.64 IQD 964

128.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.73 €1.54

$0.61 IQD 925

183.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 €1.09

$0.60 IQD 909

103.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 €0.37

$0.47 IQD 709

-10.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.96 €5.31

$2.15 IQD 3,250

177.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.58 €4.08

$10.81 IQD 16.3K

-57.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 €0.98

$1.47 IQD 2,222

-25.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.49

$1.87 IQD 2,825

-10.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.31 €1.16

$0.48 IQD 718

172.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.18 €21.50

$38.85 IQD 58.7K

-37.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 €3.89

$1.68 IQD 2,531

160.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 €1.51

$1.60 IQD 2,421

5.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.30 €14.50

$5.67 IQD 8,566

187.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 €1.94

$0.55 IQD 825

296.36%

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

$31.3K €27.8K

$16.3K IQD 24.7M

91.33%

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

$37.5K €33.4K

$17.0K IQD 25.6M

121.02%

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

$109 €96.6

$113 IQD 170.3K

-3.68%

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

$17.05 €15.16

$12.21 IQD 18.4K

39.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.92 €41.73

$24.30 IQD 36.7K

93.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.05 €28.51

$56.6 IQD 85.5K

-43.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.07 €8.95

$13.33 IQD 20.1K

-24.46%

Cinema Ticket

$8.84 €7.86

$10.00 IQD 15.1K

-11.60%

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

$336 €298

$315 IQD 476.0K

6.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.0K €8,906

$2,809 IQD 4.2M

256.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.8 €57.7

$26.70 IQD 40.3K

142.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.97 €27.54

$39.59 IQD 59.8K

-21.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.5 €74.3

$59.4 IQD 89.7K

40.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.5 €70.7

$59.4 IQD 89.8K

33.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 €699

$423 IQD 639.7K

85.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 €437

$275 IQD 415.2K

78.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 €910

$700 IQD 1.1M

46.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$772 €687

$406 IQD 613.1K

90.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,741 €1,549

$1,047 IQD 1.6M

66.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,331 €1,183

$608 IQD 919.3K

118.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,105 €983

$525 IQD 793.9K

110.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.55

2.53

40.32%

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

Last update for Vila Real: October 12, 2026

Last update for Erbil: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vila Real

$491 39.8%

Erbil

$275 28.7% 44.1% $216

Groceries & Markets

Vila Real

$223 18%

Erbil

$172 18% 22.7% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vila Real

$173 14%

Erbil

$149 15.6% 13.5% $23

Eating Out

Vila Real

$140 11.3%

Erbil

$150 15.7% 7.4% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Vila Real

$116 9.4%

Erbil

$83 8.7% 28.5% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Vila Real

$50 4%

Erbil

$77 8% 54% $27

Getting Around

Vila Real

$42 3.4%

Erbil

$50 5.3% 19.4% $8.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Vila Real versus $423 in Erbil. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 110% higher in Vila Real, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28.00 in Vila Real versus $36.00 in Erbil. Groceries tell a different story – $223 in Vila Real vs $172 in Erbil – so Erbil wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Vila Real

🇮🇶 Erbil

🕒 Local time

16:47 4:47 PM

18:47 6:47 PM

2 h ahead of Vila Real

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

49,574

1,713,461

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

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Vila Real Erbil 4,460 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Vila Real
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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

Vila Real vs Erbil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Vila Real is pricier by about 29%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,851 per month in Vila Real and $1,435 in Erbil. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Erbil, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 29% more in Vila Real, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28.00 in Vila Real and $36.00 in Erbil. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Erbil, where all-in costs run around $956, than in Vila Real at $1,234. In Erbil it covers expenses comfortably, while in Vila Real it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Erbil – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Erbil. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Vila Real makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.