Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-mawsil and Basra

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-mawsil: $598 a month against $664 in Basra, rent and utilities included – about $790 less a year. The total is higher in Basra despite lower rent and utilities.

29

Cost of Living Index in Al-mawsil
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Al-mawsil Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Basra
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Basra Living Index

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Al-mawsil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$598

/mo nomad

Basra

🇮🇶 Iraq

$664

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $598 in Al-mawsil versus $664 in Basra.

Al-mawsil $598
Basra $664

Estimated couple costs with rent: $903 in Al-mawsil versus $1,194 in Basra.

Al-mawsil $903
Basra $1,194

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,207 in Al-mawsil versus $1,725 in Basra.

Al-mawsil $1,207
Basra $1,725

Living in Al-mawsil costs roughly 10% less than in Basra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Al-mawsil 56% lower, Basra 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.07 IQD 6,148

$3.88 IQD 5,859

4.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.40 IQD 15.7K

$26.91 IQD 40.7K

-61.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 IQD 7,571

$6.70 IQD 10.1K

-25.22%

Cappuccino

$0.64 IQD 974

$2.29 IQD 3,462

-72.05%

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

$0.35 IQD 522

$0.38 IQD 568

-7.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.18 IQD 279

$0.30 IQD 458

-40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.87 IQD 1,311

$3.28 IQD 4,951

-73.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 IQD 2,051

$3.67 IQD 5,541

-62.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.64 IQD 970

$0.99 IQD 1,502

-35.35%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 IQD 978

$0.61 IQD 920

6.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.55 IQD 830

$1.21 IQD 1,833

-54.55%

Eggs

$0.95 IQD 1,440

$1.60 IQD 2,417

-40.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.19 IQD 10.9K

$6.32 IQD 9,552

13.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.88 IQD 4,353

$5.40 IQD 8,161

-46.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.14 IQD 12.3K

$12.12 IQD 18.3K

-32.84%

Apples (1kg)

$0.64 IQD 963

$0.84 IQD 1,265

-23.81%

Banana (1kg)

$0.64 IQD 972

$1.18 IQD 1,784

-45.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.48 IQD 728

$0.85 IQD 1,285

-43.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.22 IQD 331

$0.55 IQD 834

-60.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.25 IQD 375

$0.64 IQD 960

-60.94%

Onion (1kg)

$0.31 IQD 474

$0.54 IQD 813

-42.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 IQD 911

$0.80 IQD 1,211

-25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 IQD 740

$0.34 IQD 512

44.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.61 IQD 2,439

$1.80 IQD 2,725

-10.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.94 IQD 16.5K

$11.21 IQD 16.9K

-2.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 IQD 2,195

$1.58 IQD 2,383

-8.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 IQD 2,714

$1.82 IQD 2,755

-1.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 IQD 475

$0.52 IQD 789

-40.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.19 IQD 39.6K

$16.41 IQD 24.8K

59.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 IQD 2,438

$1.93 IQD 2,923

-16.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 IQD 2,420

$1.95 IQD 2,948

-17.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 IQD 6,021

$6.34 IQD 9,576

-37.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.31 IQD 472

$0.56 IQD 841

-44.64%

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

$13.0K IQD 19.7M

$11.4K IQD 17.3M

13.94%

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

$15.3K IQD 23.2M

$19.6K IQD 29.7M

-21.87%

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

$93.7 IQD 141.5K

$43.92 IQD 66.4K

113.25%

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

$12.00 IQD 18.1K

$22.28 IQD 33.7K

-46.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.95 IQD 34.7K

$33.60 IQD 50.8K

-31.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.48 IQD 56.6K

$31.84 IQD 48.1K

17.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.48 IQD 9,784

$11.99 IQD 18.1K

-45.95%

Cinema Ticket

$6.42 IQD 9,708

$6.56 IQD 9,906

-2.13%

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

$301 IQD 455.1K

$109 IQD 165.2K

175.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$604 IQD 912.4K

$3,237 IQD 4.9M

-81.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.49 IQD 24.9K

$43.57 IQD 65.8K

-62.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.99 IQD 19.6K

$17.35 IQD 26.2K

-25.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.0 IQD 90.6K

$68.7 IQD 103.8K

-12.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$15.65 IQD 23.6K

$35.89 IQD 54.2K

-56.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$211 IQD 318.8K

$405 IQD 611.7K

-47.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$139 IQD 209.6K

$138 IQD 208.3K

0.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$369 IQD 557.1K

$369 IQD 558.1K

-0.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 IQD 466.9K

$548 IQD 828.2K

-43.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$851 IQD 1.3M

$1,403 IQD 2.1M

-39.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$435 IQD 657.4K

$707 IQD 1.1M

-38.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$521 IQD 787.2K

$667 IQD 1.0M

-21.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.53

4.12

-38.59%

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

Last update for Al-mawsil: October 25, 2026

Last update for Basra: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Al-mawsil

$139 23.2%

Basra

$138 20.8% 0.6% $0.9

Groceries & Markets

Al-mawsil

$132 22%

Basra

$171 25.8% 30% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al-mawsil

$129 21.5%

Basra

$100 15% 22.4% $29

Eating Out

Al-mawsil

$64 10.8%

Basra

$105 15.8% 62.9% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Al-mawsil

$50 8.4%

Basra

$45 6.8% 10.7% $5.4

Clothing & Footwear

Al-mawsil

$47 7.9%

Basra

$74 11.2% 57.5% $27

Getting Around

Al-mawsil

$37 6.2%

Basra

$30 4.6% 18.6% $6.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $211 in Al-mawsil and $405 in Basra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basra pays 28% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $10 in Al-mawsil vs $27 in Basra for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $132 vs $171 per month, with Al-mawsil cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Al-mawsil

🇮🇶 Basra

🕒 Local time

21:45 9:45 PM

Same time as Al-mawsil

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,683,000

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

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Al-mawsil Basra 780 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Al-mawsil is about 10% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 22% lower in Al-mawsil. 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: $211 in Al-mawsil versus $405 in Basra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $301 in Al-mawsil versus $109 in Basra. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Basra. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Al-mawsil gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

It comes down to priorities – Al-mawsil wins on affordability, Basra on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.