Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Kut and Basra

For one person, living costs are similar in Al Kut and in Basra: $660 and $664 a month, rent and utilities included.

32

Cost of Living Index in Al Kut
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Al Kut Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Basra
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Basra Living Index

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Al Kut

🇮🇶 Iraq

$660

/mo nomad

Basra

🇮🇶 Iraq

$664

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Al Kut 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 Kut and in Basra actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $660 per month in Al Kut vs $664 in Basra, rent included.

Al Kut $660
Basra $664

A couple spends around $1,016 per month in Al Kut vs $1,194 in Basra, rent included.

Al Kut $1,016
Basra $1,194

A family of three spends $1,372 per month in Al Kut vs $1,725 in Basra, rent included.

Al Kut $1,372
Basra $1,725

Al Kut and Basra have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Al Kut and Basra are more affordable than the global median – Al Kut 52% lower, Basra 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.05 IQD 6,122

$3.88 IQD 5,859

4.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.78 IQD 28.4K

$26.91 IQD 40.7K

-30.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.05 IQD 9,139

$6.70 IQD 10.1K

-9.70%

Cappuccino

$2.51 IQD 3,795

$2.29 IQD 3,462

9.61%

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

$0.39 IQD 583

$0.38 IQD 568

2.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 IQD 342

$0.30 IQD 458

-23.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.84 IQD 4,294

$3.28 IQD 4,951

-13.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 IQD 4,030

$3.67 IQD 5,541

-27.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 IQD 1,543

$0.99 IQD 1,502

3.03%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 IQD 1,097

$0.61 IQD 920

19.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 IQD 2,246

$1.21 IQD 1,833

23.14%

Eggs

$1.60 IQD 2,411

$1.60 IQD 2,417

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.85 IQD 5,821

$6.32 IQD 9,552

-39.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.58 IQD 5,410

$5.40 IQD 8,161

-33.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.64 IQD 17.6K

$12.12 IQD 18.3K

-3.96%

Apples (1kg)

$0.91 IQD 1,376

$0.84 IQD 1,265

8.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.00 IQD 1,511

$1.18 IQD 1,784

-15.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.85 IQD 1,289

$0.85 IQD 1,285

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 IQD 951

$0.55 IQD 834

14.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 IQD 837

$0.64 IQD 960

-14.06%

Onion (1kg)

$0.57 IQD 864

$0.54 IQD 813

5.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 IQD 849

$0.80 IQD 1,211

-30.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 IQD 768

$0.34 IQD 512

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.71 IQD 2,577

$1.80 IQD 2,725

-5.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.61 IQD 14.5K

$11.21 IQD 16.9K

-14.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 IQD 2,055

$1.58 IQD 2,383

-13.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 IQD 2,918

$1.82 IQD 2,755

6.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 IQD 493

$0.52 IQD 789

-36.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.41 IQD 24.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.88 IQD 2,848

$1.93 IQD 2,923

-2.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 IQD 1,720

$1.95 IQD 2,948

-41.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.53 IQD 8,349

$6.34 IQD 9,576

-12.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.50 IQD 754

$0.56 IQD 841

-10.71%

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

$14.1K IQD 21.3M

$11.4K IQD 17.3M

23.13%

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

$15.4K IQD 23.3M

$19.6K IQD 29.7M

-21.62%

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

$86.2 IQD 130.3K

$43.92 IQD 66.4K

96.29%

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

$13.28 IQD 20.1K

$22.28 IQD 33.7K

-40.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 IQD 44.3K

$33.60 IQD 50.8K

-12.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.82 IQD 55.6K

$31.84 IQD 48.1K

15.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.99 IQD 18.1K

Cinema Ticket

$9.35 IQD 14.1K

$6.56 IQD 9,906

42.53%

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

$138 IQD 208.6K

$109 IQD 165.2K

26.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,820 IQD 4.3M

$3,237 IQD 4.9M

-12.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.90 IQD 31.6K

$43.57 IQD 65.8K

-52.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.07 IQD 34.9K

$17.35 IQD 26.2K

32.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.9 IQD 88.9K

$68.7 IQD 103.8K

-14.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$37.09 IQD 56.0K

$35.89 IQD 54.2K

3.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$183 IQD 275.9K

$405 IQD 611.7K

-54.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$149 IQD 224.5K

$138 IQD 208.3K

7.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$370 IQD 559.1K

$369 IQD 558.1K

0.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$320 IQD 483.8K

$548 IQD 828.2K

-41.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$846 IQD 1.3M

$1,403 IQD 2.1M

-39.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$502 IQD 758.8K

$707 IQD 1.1M

-28.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 IQD 1.0M

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 Kut: October 25, 2026

Last update for Basra: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Al Kut

$152 23.1%

Basra

$171 25.8% 12.4% $19

Accommodation & Living

Al Kut

$149 22.5%

Basra

$138 20.8% 7.2% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al Kut

$129 19.5%

Basra

$100 15% 22.5% $29

Eating Out

Al Kut

$103 15.6%

Basra

$105 15.8% 2.3% $2.4

Clothing & Footwear

Al Kut

$63 9.5%

Basra

$74 11.2% 18.3% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Al Kut

$56 8.4%

Basra

$45 6.8% 19% $11

Getting Around

Al Kut

$8.9 * 1.4%

Basra

$30 4.6% 240% $21

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $183 in Al Kut 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Al Kut versus $27 in Basra. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $152 vs $171 – making Al Kut the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Al Kut

🇮🇶 Basra

🕒 Local time

23:24 11:24 PM

Same time as Al Kut

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

422,793

2,150,000

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.95 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.95 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Al Kut Basra 290 km

From you

Al Kut
Basra

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

Al Kut vs Basra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $990 per month in Al Kut 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 Kut, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $183 there versus $405 in Basra.

Kindergarten costs $138 per month in Al Kut and $109 in Basra. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Basra, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $660 in Al Kut and $664 in Basra, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.