Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-'amarah and Basra

For one person, living costs are similar in Al-’amarah and in Basra: $672 and $664 a month, rent and utilities included.

32

Cost of Living Index in Al-'amarah
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Al-'amarah Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Basra
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Basra Living Index

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Al-'amarah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$672

/mo nomad

Basra

🇮🇶 Iraq

$664

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Al-'amarah and in Basra

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

A single person spends $672 per month in Al-’amarah vs $664 in Basra, rent included.

Al-'amarah $672
Basra $664

A couple spends around $1,023 per month in Al-’amarah vs $1,194 in Basra, rent included.

Al-'amarah $1,023
Basra $1,194

A family of three spends $1,373 per month in Al-’amarah vs $1,725 in Basra, rent included.

Al-'amarah $1,373
Basra $1,725

Al-’amarah and Basra have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Al-’amarah and Basra are more affordable than the global median – Al-’amarah 51% lower, Basra 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.08 IQD 6,163

$3.88 IQD 5,859

5.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.39 IQD 29.3K

$26.91 IQD 40.7K

-27.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.29 IQD 9,501

$6.70 IQD 10.1K

-6.12%

Cappuccino

$2.23 IQD 3,364

$2.29 IQD 3,462

-2.62%

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

$0.38 IQD 575

$0.38 IQD 568

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 IQD 311

$0.30 IQD 458

-30.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 IQD 4,555

$3.28 IQD 4,951

-8.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 IQD 3,705

$3.67 IQD 5,541

-33.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 IQD 1,494

$0.99 IQD 1,502

White Bread (500g)

$0.67 IQD 1,014

$0.61 IQD 920

9.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 IQD 2,090

$1.21 IQD 1,833

14.05%

Eggs

$1.59 IQD 2,409

$1.60 IQD 2,417

-0.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.88 IQD 5,856

$6.32 IQD 9,552

-38.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.44 IQD 5,192

$5.40 IQD 8,161

-36.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.32 IQD 20.1K

$12.12 IQD 18.3K

9.90%

Apples (1kg)

$0.95 IQD 1,440

$0.84 IQD 1,265

13.10%

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 IQD 1,474

$1.18 IQD 1,784

-16.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.91 IQD 1,368

$0.85 IQD 1,285

7.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 IQD 951

$0.55 IQD 834

14.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 IQD 836

$0.64 IQD 960

-14.06%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 IQD 950

$0.54 IQD 813

16.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 IQD 848

$0.80 IQD 1,211

-30.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 IQD 715

$0.34 IQD 512

38.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.48 IQD 2,231

$1.80 IQD 2,725

-17.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.09 IQD 18.3K

$11.21 IQD 16.9K

7.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 IQD 2,545

$1.58 IQD 2,383

6.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 IQD 2,798

$1.82 IQD 2,755

1.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 IQD 438

$0.52 IQD 789

-44.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.41 IQD 24.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.79 IQD 2,712

$1.93 IQD 2,923

-7.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.17 IQD 1,766

$1.95 IQD 2,948

-40.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.46 IQD 8,252

$6.34 IQD 9,576

-13.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.58 IQD 878

$0.56 IQD 841

3.57%

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

$17.6K IQD 26.6M

$11.4K IQD 17.3M

54.05%

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

$14.7K IQD 22.2M

$19.6K IQD 29.7M

-25.32%

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

$97.8 IQD 147.8K

$43.92 IQD 66.4K

122.70%

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

$14.57 IQD 22.0K

$22.28 IQD 33.7K

-34.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.47 IQD 43.0K

$33.60 IQD 50.8K

-15.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.45 IQD 55.1K

$31.84 IQD 48.1K

14.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.99 IQD 18.1K

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 IQD 13.7K

$6.56 IQD 9,906

37.80%

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

$143 IQD 216.2K

$109 IQD 165.2K

30.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,964 IQD 4.5M

$3,237 IQD 4.9M

-8.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.18 IQD 35.0K

$43.57 IQD 65.8K

-46.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.01 IQD 33.3K

$17.35 IQD 26.2K

26.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.2 IQD 103.0K

$68.7 IQD 103.8K

-0.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$32.78 IQD 49.5K

$35.89 IQD 54.2K

-8.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$204 IQD 308.8K

$405 IQD 611.7K

-49.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$140 IQD 211.8K

$138 IQD 208.3K

1.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$368 IQD 555.9K

$369 IQD 558.1K

-0.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 IQD 433.4K

$548 IQD 828.2K

-47.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$863 IQD 1.3M

$1,403 IQD 2.1M

-38.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$486 IQD 733.7K

$707 IQD 1.1M

-31.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$434 IQD 655.1K

$667 IQD 1.0M

-34.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.12

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

Last update for Al-'amarah: October 27, 2026

Last update for Basra: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Al-'amarah

$162 24.1%

Basra

$171 25.8% 5.8% $9.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al-'amarah

$141 21%

Basra

$100 15% 29.2% $41

Accommodation & Living

Al-'amarah

$140 20.9%

Basra

$138 20.8% 1.7% $2.3

Eating Out

Al-'amarah

$101 15%

Basra

$105 15.8% 4.5% $4.5

Clothing & Footwear

Al-'amarah

$66 9.8%

Basra

$74 11.2% 13.2% $8.7

Sport & Entertainment

Al-'amarah

$55 8.1%

Basra

$45 6.8% 17.6% $9.6

Getting Around

Al-'amarah

$8.8 * 1.3%

Basra

$30 4.6% 243% $21

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $204 in Al-’amarah versus $405 in Basra. 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 54% higher in Basra. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Al-’amarah versus $27 in Basra. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $162 vs $171 – making Al-’amarah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Al-'amarah

🇮🇶 Basra

🕒 Local time

02:10 2:10 AM

Same time as Al-'amarah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

511,542

2,150,000

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Al-'amarah vs Basra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,009 per month in Al-’amarah and $995 in Basra. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Al-’amarah, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $204 there versus $405 in Basra.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Al-’amarah and $27 in Basra. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Kindergarten costs $143 per month in Al-’amarah and $109 in Basra. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $672 in Al-’amarah and $664 in Basra, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.