Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Basra and Al Fallujah

For one person, living is cheaper in Basra: $664 a month against $826 in Al Fallujah, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Al Fallujah outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

32

Cost of Living Index in Basra
Learn more

Basra Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Al Fallujah
Learn more

Al Fallujah Living Index

Jump to prices

Basra

🇮🇶 Iraq

$664

/mo nomad

Al Fallujah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$826

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Basra and in Al Fallujah

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Basra and in Al Fallujah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $664 in Basra versus $826 in Al Fallujah.

Basra $664
Al Fallujah $826

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,194 in Basra versus $1,210 in Al Fallujah.

Basra $1,194
Al Fallujah $1,210

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,725 in Basra versus $1,594 in Al Fallujah.

Basra $1,725
Al Fallujah $1,594

Living in Basra costs roughly 20% less than in Al Fallujah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Basra 51% lower, Al Fallujah 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.88 IQD 5,859

$4.56 IQD 6,893

-14.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.91 IQD 40.7K

$26.33 IQD 39.8K

2.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.70 IQD 10.1K

$6.75 IQD 10.2K

-0.74%

Cappuccino

$2.29 IQD 3,462

$2.82 IQD 4,264

-18.79%

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

$0.38 IQD 568

$0.36 IQD 539

5.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 IQD 458

$0.20 IQD 302

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 IQD 4,951

$3.26 IQD 4,921

0.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 IQD 5,541

$3.26 IQD 4,927

12.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 IQD 1,502

$0.97 IQD 1,466

2.06%

White Bread (500g)

$0.61 IQD 920

$0.71 IQD 1,077

-14.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 IQD 1,833

$1.31 IQD 1,974

-7.63%

Eggs

$1.60 IQD 2,417

$1.61 IQD 2,433

-0.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.32 IQD 9,552

$3.44 IQD 5,192

83.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.40 IQD 8,161

$4.02 IQD 6,079

34.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.12 IQD 18.3K

$12.45 IQD 18.8K

-2.65%

Apples (1kg)

$0.84 IQD 1,265

$1.00 IQD 1,512

-16.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 IQD 1,784

$0.92 IQD 1,385

28.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.85 IQD 1,285

$0.95 IQD 1,440

-10.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 IQD 834

$0.68 IQD 1,032

-19.12%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 IQD 960

$0.56 IQD 842

14.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 IQD 813

$0.61 IQD 918

-11.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 IQD 1,211

$0.55 IQD 833

45.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.34 IQD 512

$0.61 IQD 926

-44.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.80 IQD 2,725

$1.63 IQD 2,467

10.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.21 IQD 16.9K

$11.59 IQD 17.5K

-3.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 IQD 2,383

$1.93 IQD 2,909

-18.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 IQD 2,755

$1.95 IQD 2,944

-6.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 IQD 789

$0.36 IQD 537

44.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.41 IQD 24.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 IQD 2,923

$1.94 IQD 2,934

-0.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 IQD 2,948

$1.30 IQD 1,970

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.34 IQD 9,576

$6.68 IQD 10.1K

-5.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.56 IQD 841

$0.54 IQD 823

3.70%

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

$11.4K IQD 17.3M

$16.8K IQD 25.4M

-32.05%

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

$19.6K IQD 29.7M

$16.6K IQD 25.0M

18.61%

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

$43.92 IQD 66.4K

$192 IQD 290.1K

-77.12%

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

$22.28 IQD 33.7K

$19.75 IQD 29.8K

12.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.60 IQD 50.8K

$38.06 IQD 57.5K

-11.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.84 IQD 48.1K

$40.52 IQD 61.2K

-21.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.99 IQD 18.1K

Cinema Ticket

$6.56 IQD 9,906

$10.09 IQD 15.2K

-34.99%

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

$109 IQD 165.2K

$144 IQD 217.9K

-24.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,237 IQD 4.9M

$3,196 IQD 4.8M

1.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.57 IQD 65.8K

$25.16 IQD 38.0K

73.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.35 IQD 26.2K

$33.28 IQD 50.3K

-47.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.7 IQD 103.8K

$60.6 IQD 91.5K

13.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.89 IQD 54.2K

$42.23 IQD 63.8K

-15.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$405 IQD 611.7K

$236 IQD 356.9K

71.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$138 IQD 208.3K

$154 IQD 232.6K

-10.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$369 IQD 558.1K

$342 IQD 517.3K

7.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$548 IQD 828.2K

$298 IQD 450.3K

83.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,403 IQD 2.1M

$923 IQD 1.4M

52.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$707 IQD 1.1M

$555 IQD 838.8K

27.32%

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 Basra: October 24, 2026

Last update for Al Fallujah: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Basra

$171 25.8%

Al Fallujah

$163 19.8% 4.7% $8.1

Accommodation & Living

Basra

$138 20.8%

Al Fallujah

$154 18.6% 11.6% $16

Eating Out

Basra

$105 15.8%

Al Fallujah

$116 14% 10.1% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Basra

$100 15%

Al Fallujah

$250 30.3% 150% $150

Clothing & Footwear

Basra

$74 11.2%

Al Fallujah

$73 8.8% 2.6% $1.9

Sport & Entertainment

Basra

$45 6.8%

Al Fallujah

$61 7.4% 35% $16

Getting Around

Basra

$30 4.6%

Al Fallujah

$9.9 * 1.2% 67.3% $20

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 $405 in Basra and $236 in Al Fallujah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $27 in Basra vs $26 in Al Fallujah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $171 vs $163 per month, with Al Fallujah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Basra

🇮🇶 Al Fallujah

🕒 Local time

23:26 11:26 PM

Same time as Basra

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,150,000

326,471

💱 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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Basra Al Fallujah 490 km

From you

Basra
Al Fallujah

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

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

Basra wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Al Fallujah. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Basra the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $995 in Basra and $1,238 in Al Fallujah 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: $405 in Basra versus $236 in Al Fallujah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $109 in Basra versus $144 in Al Fallujah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

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

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.