Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between As Samawah and Basra

For one person, living costs are similar in As Samawah and in Basra: $651 and $662 a month, rent and utilities included.

31

Cost of Living Index in As Samawah
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As Samawah Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Basra
Learn more

Basra Living Index

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As Samawah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$651

/mo nomad

Basra

🇮🇶 Iraq

$662

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $651 in As Samawah versus $662 in Basra.

As Samawah $651
Basra $662

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,052 in As Samawah versus $1,191 in Basra.

As Samawah $1,052
Basra $1,191

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,452 in As Samawah versus $1,719 in Basra.

As Samawah $1,452
Basra $1,719

Monthly costs are close between As Samawah and Basra; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: As Samawah 52% lower, Basra 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 IQD 7,041

$4.02 IQD 6,082

15.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.87 IQD 40.6K

$26.47 IQD 40.0K

1.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.63 IQD 10.0K

$6.62 IQD 10.0K

0.15%

Cappuccino

$2.82 IQD 4,266

$2.17 IQD 3,285

29.95%

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

$0.35 IQD 522

$0.37 IQD 554

-5.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.19 IQD 281

$0.28 IQD 417

-32.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 IQD 5,079

$3.25 IQD 4,916

3.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 IQD 4,889

$3.57 IQD 5,393

-9.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 IQD 1,367

$0.92 IQD 1,389

-2.17%

White Bread (500g)

$0.63 IQD 951

$0.60 IQD 902

5.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 IQD 1,978

$1.22 IQD 1,842

7.38%

Eggs

$1.61 IQD 2,436

$1.62 IQD 2,448

-0.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$1.34 IQD 2,019

$6.41 IQD 9,681

-79.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.02 IQD 6,070

$5.58 IQD 8,429

-27.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.86 IQD 17.9K

$12.22 IQD 18.5K

-2.95%

Apples (1kg)

$0.96 IQD 1,455

$0.84 IQD 1,267

14.29%

Banana (1kg)

$0.92 IQD 1,383

$1.16 IQD 1,753

-20.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.83 IQD 1,256

$0.89 IQD 1,342

-6.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.40 IQD 606

$0.60 IQD 910

-33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.52 IQD 784

$0.69 IQD 1,044

-24.64%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 IQD 851

$0.56 IQD 846

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 IQD 892

$0.82 IQD 1,236

-28.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 IQD 878

$0.36 IQD 547

61.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.69 IQD 2,548

$1.85 IQD 2,790

-8.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.66 IQD 10.1K

$11.16 IQD 16.9K

-40.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 IQD 2,973

$1.57 IQD 2,365

25.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 IQD 2,854

$1.80 IQD 2,717

5.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 IQD 517

$0.50 IQD 762

-32.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.98 IQD 30.2K

$16.56 IQD 25.0K

20.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 IQD 2,968

$2.02 IQD 3,056

-2.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 IQD 1,940

$2.00 IQD 3,023

-36.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 IQD 3,937

$6.34 IQD 9,581

-58.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.57 IQD 866

$0.55 IQD 838

3.64%

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

$16.7K IQD 25.3M

$11.7K IQD 17.7M

42.90%

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

$16.6K IQD 25.1M

$19.9K IQD 30.1M

-16.56%

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

$69.4 IQD 104.9K

$43.26 IQD 65.4K

60.40%

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

$16.69 IQD 25.2K

$21.81 IQD 33.0K

-23.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.78 IQD 25.3K

$34.04 IQD 51.4K

-50.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.45 IQD 55.1K

$31.25 IQD 47.2K

16.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.68 IQD 25.2K

$12.28 IQD 18.6K

35.83%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 IQD 11.8K

$6.69 IQD 10.1K

16.74%

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

$49.72 IQD 75.1K

$107 IQD 161.7K

-53.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,297 IQD 2.0M

$3,309 IQD 5.0M

-60.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.54 IQD 38.6K

$43.15 IQD 65.2K

-40.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.33 IQD 50.4K

$17.34 IQD 26.2K

92.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.9 IQD 89.0K

$67.0 IQD 101.2K

-12.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.08 IQD 62.1K

$36.13 IQD 54.6K

13.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$209 IQD 316.2K

$405 IQD 612.0K

-48.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$137 IQD 207.7K

$138 IQD 208.2K

-0.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$168 IQD 254.1K

$370 IQD 559.6K

-54.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 IQD 467.1K

$545 IQD 823.8K

-43.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$867 IQD 1.3M

$1,398 IQD 2.1M

-38.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$496 IQD 750.1K

$704 IQD 1.1M

-29.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$672 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 As Samawah: November 2, 2026

Last update for Basra: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

As Samawah

$141 21.7%

Basra

$173 26% 22.1% $31

Accommodation & Living

As Samawah

$137 21.1%

Basra

$138 20.8% 0.2% $0.3

Eating Out

As Samawah

$116 17.9%

Basra

$104 15.7% 10.6% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

As Samawah

$103 15.8%

Basra

$99 15% 3.6% $3.8

Clothing & Footwear

As Samawah

$71 11%

Basra

$74 11.1% 3% $2.2

Sport & Entertainment

As Samawah

$52 8%

Basra

$45 6.7% 14.3% $7.4

Getting Around

As Samawah

$30 4.6%

Basra

$31 4.6% 2.9% $0.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $209 in As Samawah and $405 in Basra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $27 in As Samawah vs $26 in Basra. Groceries flip the comparison at $141 vs $173, with As Samawah cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇶 As Samawah

🇮🇶 Basra

🕒 Local time

01:26 1:26 AM

Same time as As Samawah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

250,000

2,150,000

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

As Samawah Basra 260 km

From you

As Samawah
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

As Samawah vs Basra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

You’d need roughly $977 in As Samawah and $994 in Basra to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $209 in As Samawah versus $405 in Basra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $50 in As Samawah versus $107 in Basra. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Basra – a meal for two runs $26 versus $27 in As Samawah. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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

For families, As Samawah is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Basra, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.