Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Az Zubayr and Basra

For one person, living costs are similar in Az Zubayr and in Basra: $656 and $664 a month, rent and utilities included.

32

Cost of Living Index in Az Zubayr
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Az Zubayr Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Basra
Learn more

Basra Living Index

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Az Zubayr

🇮🇶 Iraq

$656

/mo nomad

Basra

🇮🇶 Iraq

$664

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $656 in Az Zubayr versus $664 in Basra.

Az Zubayr $656
Basra $664

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,021 in Az Zubayr versus $1,194 in Basra.

Az Zubayr $1,021
Basra $1,194

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,387 in Az Zubayr versus $1,725 in Basra.

Az Zubayr $1,387
Basra $1,725

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Az Zubayr 52% lower, Basra 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.37 IQD 6,602

$3.88 IQD 5,859

12.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.52 IQD 29.5K

$26.91 IQD 40.7K

-27.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.58 IQD 8,436

$6.70 IQD 10.1K

-16.72%

Cappuccino

$2.65 IQD 4,001

$2.29 IQD 3,462

15.72%

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

$0.33 IQD 497

$0.38 IQD 568

-13.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 IQD 297

$0.30 IQD 458

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 IQD 5,107

$3.28 IQD 4,951

3.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 IQD 3,447

$3.67 IQD 5,541

-37.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 IQD 1,513

$0.99 IQD 1,502

1.01%

White Bread (500g)

$0.76 IQD 1,152

$0.61 IQD 920

24.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 IQD 2,399

$1.21 IQD 1,833

31.40%

Eggs

$1.46 IQD 2,203

$1.60 IQD 2,417

-8.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.38 IQD 6,621

$6.32 IQD 9,552

-30.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 IQD 5,189

$5.40 IQD 8,161

-36.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.09 IQD 18.3K

$12.12 IQD 18.3K

-0.25%

Apples (1kg)

$1.07 IQD 1,623

$0.84 IQD 1,265

27.38%

Banana (1kg)

$0.99 IQD 1,502

$1.18 IQD 1,784

-16.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 IQD 1,561

$0.85 IQD 1,285

21.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.66 IQD 994

$0.55 IQD 834

20.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.57 IQD 855

$0.64 IQD 960

-10.94%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 IQD 1,012

$0.54 IQD 813

24.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 IQD 852

$0.80 IQD 1,211

-30.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 IQD 671

$0.34 IQD 512

29.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.47 IQD 2,225

$1.80 IQD 2,725

-18.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.27 IQD 17.0K

$11.21 IQD 16.9K

0.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 IQD 2,149

$1.58 IQD 2,383

-10.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 IQD 2,450

$1.82 IQD 2,755

-10.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 IQD 479

$0.52 IQD 789

-38.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.41 IQD 24.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 IQD 2,543

$1.93 IQD 2,923

-12.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 IQD 1,698

$1.95 IQD 2,948

-42.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 IQD 8,146

$6.34 IQD 9,576

-14.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.53 IQD 803

$0.56 IQD 841

-5.36%

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

$15.9K IQD 24.0M

$11.4K IQD 17.3M

38.82%

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

$16.5K IQD 24.9M

$19.6K IQD 29.7M

-16.14%

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

$94.9 IQD 143.4K

$43.92 IQD 66.4K

116.03%

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

$11.70 IQD 17.7K

$22.28 IQD 33.7K

-47.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.28 IQD 41.2K

$33.60 IQD 50.8K

-18.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.31 IQD 59.4K

$31.84 IQD 48.1K

23.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.99 IQD 18.1K

Cinema Ticket

$7.83 IQD 11.8K

$6.56 IQD 9,906

19.36%

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

$137 IQD 206.7K

$109 IQD 165.2K

25.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,772 IQD 4.2M

$3,237 IQD 4.9M

-14.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.27 IQD 27.6K

$43.57 IQD 65.8K

-58.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.75 IQD 32.9K

$17.35 IQD 26.2K

25.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.7 IQD 81.2K

$68.7 IQD 103.8K

-21.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.29 IQD 59.4K

$35.89 IQD 54.2K

9.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$200 IQD 302.7K

$405 IQD 611.7K

-50.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$133 IQD 200.3K

$138 IQD 208.3K

-3.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$418 IQD 631.5K

$369 IQD 558.1K

13.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$315 IQD 476.0K

$548 IQD 828.2K

-42.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$833 IQD 1.3M

$1,403 IQD 2.1M

-40.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$479 IQD 723.6K

$707 IQD 1.1M

-32.24%

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 Az Zubayr: 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

Az Zubayr

$159 24.2%

Basra

$171 25.8% 7.9% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Az Zubayr

$134 20.4%

Basra

$100 15% 25.5% $34

Accommodation & Living

Az Zubayr

$133 20.2%

Basra

$138 20.8% 4% $5.3

Eating Out

Az Zubayr

$107 16.3%

Basra

$105 15.8% 1.8% $2

Clothing & Footwear

Az Zubayr

$60 9.1%

Basra

$74 11.2% 24.4% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Az Zubayr

$55 8.4%

Basra

$45 6.8% 18.2% $10

Getting Around

Az Zubayr

$8.6 * 1.3%

Basra

$30 4.6% 252% $22

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $200 in Az Zubayr and $405 in Basra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $20 in Az Zubayr vs $27 in Basra for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $159 vs $171 per month, with Az Zubayr cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Az Zubayr

🇮🇶 Basra

🕒 Local time

19:52 7:52 PM

Same time as Az Zubayr

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

370,000

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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Between locations

Az Zubayr Basra 15 km

From you

Az Zubayr
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

Az Zubayr vs Basra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

You’d need roughly $983 in Az Zubayr and $995 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: $200 in Az Zubayr versus $405 in Basra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $137 in Az Zubayr 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 8% higher in Basra. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Az Zubayr gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.