Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baghdad and Basra

For one person, living is cheaper in Basra: $652 a month against $1,001 in Baghdad, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Baghdad
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Baghdad Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Basra
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Basra Living Index

Jump to prices

Baghdad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$1,001

/mo nomad

Basra

🇮🇶 Iraq

$652

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,001 in Baghdad versus $652 in Basra.

Baghdad $1,001
Basra $652

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,472 in Baghdad versus $1,179 in Basra.

Baghdad $1,472
Basra $1,179

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,943 in Baghdad versus $1,706 in Basra.

Baghdad $1,943
Basra $1,706

Living in Baghdad is roughly 54% more expensive than in Basra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baghdad 26% lower, Basra 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.27 IQD 6,445

$4.06 IQD 6,134

5.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.18 IQD 44.1K

$26.00 IQD 39.3K

12.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.77 IQD 10.2K

$6.42 IQD 9,706

5.45%

Cappuccino

$2.65 IQD 4,003

$2.21 IQD 3,342

19.91%

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

$0.35 IQD 530

$0.36 IQD 551

-2.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 IQD 302

$0.30 IQD 455

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 IQD 4,927

$3.21 IQD 4,849

1.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 IQD 4,868

$3.57 IQD 5,394

-9.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 IQD 1,466

$0.97 IQD 1,460

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 IQD 1,097

$0.56 IQD 841

30.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 IQD 2,003

$1.25 IQD 1,895

6.40%

Eggs

$1.68 IQD 2,534

$1.62 IQD 2,442

3.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.25 IQD 4,912

$6.28 IQD 9,486

-48.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 IQD 6,192

$5.33 IQD 8,061

-23.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.41 IQD 18.8K

$12.12 IQD 18.3K

2.39%

Apples (1kg)

$1.01 IQD 1,523

$0.90 IQD 1,356

12.22%

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 IQD 1,487

$1.18 IQD 1,787

-16.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.96 IQD 1,444

$0.84 IQD 1,266

14.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.69 IQD 1,045

$0.60 IQD 904

15.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.56 IQD 842

$0.69 IQD 1,044

-18.84%

Onion (1kg)

$0.57 IQD 855

$0.53 IQD 802

7.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 IQD 806

$0.77 IQD 1,160

-31.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 IQD 943

$0.36 IQD 546

72.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.68 IQD 2,534

$1.79 IQD 2,705

-6.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.61 IQD 17.5K

$10.93 IQD 16.5K

6.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 IQD 2,863

$1.46 IQD 2,204

29.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 IQD 2,876

$1.73 IQD 2,617

9.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 IQD 858

$0.50 IQD 756

14.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.12 IQD 30.4K

$16.76 IQD 25.3K

20.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.01 IQD 3,038

$1.95 IQD 2,946

3.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 IQD 2,029

$1.94 IQD 2,930

-30.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.54 IQD 9,887

$6.35 IQD 9,594

2.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.54 IQD 810

$0.56 IQD 849

-3.57%

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

$16.3K IQD 24.6M

$11.7K IQD 17.7M

38.96%

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

$16.6K IQD 25.1M

$19.5K IQD 29.5M

-15.02%

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

$189 IQD 285.6K

$44.55 IQD 67.3K

324.24%

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

$17.44 IQD 26.4K

$22.24 IQD 33.6K

-21.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.40 IQD 55.0K

$33.88 IQD 51.2K

7.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.49 IQD 62.7K

$30.91 IQD 46.7K

34.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.51 IQD 28.0K

$11.94 IQD 18.0K

55.03%

Cinema Ticket

$9.64 IQD 14.6K

$6.55 IQD 9,898

47.18%

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

$145 IQD 218.9K

$109 IQD 164.7K

32.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,046 IQD 4.6M

$3,250 IQD 4.9M

-6.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.78 IQD 37.4K

$43.34 IQD 65.5K

-42.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.66 IQD 43.3K

$17.27 IQD 26.1K

65.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.8 IQD 90.4K

$67.0 IQD 101.2K

-10.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.64 IQD 62.9K

$35.95 IQD 54.3K

15.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$513 IQD 774.7K

$409 IQD 617.4K

25.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 IQD 485.8K

$129 IQD 195.6K

148.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$881 IQD 1.3M

$748 IQD 1.1M

17.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$595 IQD 899.0K

$539 IQD 814.7K

10.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,336 IQD 6.6M

$1,363 IQD 2.1M

218.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,443 IQD 2.2M

$688 IQD 1.0M

109.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$499 IQD 753.9K

$648 IQD 979.0K

-23.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.12

3.33

23.72%

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

Last update for Baghdad: October 12, 2026

Last update for Basra: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baghdad

$322 32.1%

Basra

$129 19.9% 59.7% $192

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baghdad

$243 24.3%

Basra

$101 15.4% 58.6% $142

Groceries & Markets

Baghdad

$164 16.4%

Basra

$170 26% 3.7% $6.1

Eating Out

Baghdad

$111 11.1%

Basra

$104 16% 6.3% $7

Clothing & Footwear

Baghdad

$70 7%

Basra

$74 11.3% 5.6% $3.9

Sport & Entertainment

Baghdad

$61 6.1%

Basra

$44 6.8% 27.6% $17

Getting Around

Baghdad

$31 3.1%

Basra

$30 4.7% 2.3% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $513 in Baghdad and $409 in Basra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basra pays 30% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $29.00 in Baghdad vs $26.00 in Basra. Groceries flip the comparison at $164 vs $170, with Baghdad cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Baghdad

🇮🇶 Basra

🕒 Local time

15:19 3:19 PM

Same time as Baghdad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,216,040 Capital

2,150,000

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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

Baghdad vs Basra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Basra wins on cost – living expenses run 54% lower than in Baghdad. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Basra the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 30% lower in Basra. 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: $513 in Baghdad versus $409 in Basra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Basra runs roughly 20% less than in Baghdad. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $145 in Baghdad versus $109 in Basra. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $652 in Basra versus $1,001 in Baghdad, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Basra but tight or insufficient in Baghdad. The gap between the two cities makes Basra the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Basra gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Baghdad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.