Cost of Living Comparison Between Zakho and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Zakho and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $890 in Zakho versus $2,280 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,364 in Zakho versus $3,294 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,839 in Zakho versus $4,307 in Lisbon.

Living in Zakho costs roughly 61% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Zakho is 33% below, Lisbon is 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.77 IQD 10.2K

$15.75 €13.64

-50.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.31 IQD 30.5K

$63.5 €55.0

-63.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.61 IQD 11.3K

$10.45 €9.05

-17.61%

Cappuccino

$3.09 IQD 4,043

$2.91 €2.52

6.19%

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

$0.52 IQD 677

$2.29 €1.98

-77.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 IQD 262

$1.50 €1.30

-86.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 IQD 2,636

$3.56 €3.09

-43.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 IQD 2,825

$3.96 €3.43

-45.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 IQD 1,750

$1.08 €0.94

24.07%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 IQD 1,040

$1.76 €1.53

-55.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 IQD 2,432

$1.70 €1.47

9.41%

Eggs

$1.90 IQD 2,491

$3.25 €2.81

-41.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.42 IQD 9,721

$13.25 €11.47

-44.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.73 IQD 6,199

$7.70 €6.67

-38.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.98 IQD 18.3K

$15.77 €13.66

-11.35%

Apples (1kg)

$1.14 IQD 1,487

$2.28 €1.97

-50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 IQD 1,551

$1.66 €1.43

-28.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.13 IQD 1,479

$2.02 €1.75

-44.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.82 IQD 1,068

$2.47 €2.14

-66.80%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 IQD 860

$1.79 €1.55

-63.13%

Onion (1kg)

$0.71 IQD 933

$2.07 €1.79

-65.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 IQD 967

$1.97 €1.71

-62.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 IQD 692

$0.83 €0.72

-36.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.73 IQD 3,569

$6.55 €5.68

-58.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.23 IQD 16.0K

$5.57 €4.82

119.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 IQD 1,807

$1.33 €1.15

3.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 IQD 2,661

$3.01 €2.60

-32.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 IQD 473

$2.27 €1.97

-84.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.67 IQD 40.2K

$46.35 €40.14

-33.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.27 IQD 2,976

$4.23 €3.66

-46.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 IQD 2,912

$0.85 €0.73

161.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.98 IQD 9,142

$18.83 €16.31

-62.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.70 IQD 919

$2.02 €1.75

-65.35%

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

$19.0K IQD 24.9M

$35.0K €30.3K

-45.71%

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

$20.9K IQD 27.3M

$39.6K €34.3K

-47.33%

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

$101 IQD 131.6K

$148 €128

-32.06%

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

$17.58 IQD 23.0K

$20.52 €17.77

-14.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.20 IQD 39.5K

$39.52 €34.23

-23.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.33 IQD 47.6K

$48.17 €41.72

-24.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 IQD 22.3K

$18.39 €15.92

-7.23%

Cinema Ticket

$11.42 IQD 15.0K

$9.10 €7.88

25.49%

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

$267 IQD 349.6K

$615 €532

-56.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,247 IQD 4.3M

$16.3K €14.1K

-80.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.29 IQD 42.3K

$102 €88.0

-68.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.66 IQD 63.7K

$42.09 €36.45

15.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.9 IQD 109.9K

$92.3 €79.9

-9.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.6 IQD 102.9K

$122 €106

-35.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$238 IQD 311.3K

$1,612 €1,396

-85.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$181 IQD 236.8K

$1,254 €1,086

-85.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$576 IQD 753.6K

$3,069 €2,658

-81.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$342 IQD 447.6K

$2,037 €1,764

-83.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 IQD 867.7K

$1,602 €1,387

-58.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.67

3.81

48.82%

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

Last update for Zakho: July 25, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $238 in Zakho and $1,612 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 142% 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: $23.00 in Zakho vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $194 vs $267 per month, with Zakho 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

Zakho vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zakho and Lisbon differ by about 156% in total monthly costs ($890 vs $2,280 including rent). Zakho is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 142% 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: $238 in Zakho versus $1,612 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $267 in Zakho versus $615 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $890 in Zakho versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Zakho but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Zakho 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, Zakho 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 Zakho gentler on the wallet – expenses run 156% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.