Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Basra and Al Hillah

For one person, living is cheaper in Basra: $664 a month against $693 in Al Hillah, rent and utilities included – about $350 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Al Hillah outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

32

Cost of Living Index in Basra
Learn more

Basra Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Al Hillah
Learn more

Al Hillah Living Index

Jump to prices

Basra

🇮🇶 Iraq

$664

/mo nomad

Al Hillah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$693

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Hillah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $664 per month in Basra vs $693 in Al Hillah, rent included.

Basra $664
Al Hillah $693

A couple spends around $1,194 per month in Basra vs $1,067 in Al Hillah, rent included.

Basra $1,194
Al Hillah $1,067

A family of three spends $1,725 per month in Basra vs $1,442 in Al Hillah, rent included.

Basra $1,725
Al Hillah $1,442

Basra is about 4% cheaper than Al Hillah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Basra and Al Hillah are more affordable than the global median – Basra 51% lower, Al Hillah 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.88 IQD 5,859

$4.69 IQD 7,083

-17.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.91 IQD 40.7K

$26.52 IQD 40.1K

1.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.70 IQD 10.1K

$5.51 IQD 8,326

21.60%

Cappuccino

$2.29 IQD 3,462

$2.69 IQD 4,068

-14.87%

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

$0.38 IQD 568

$0.34 IQD 519

11.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 IQD 458

$0.20 IQD 309

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 IQD 4,951

$2.73 IQD 4,121

20.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 IQD 5,541

$3.35 IQD 5,063

9.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 IQD 1,502

$0.97 IQD 1,463

2.06%

White Bread (500g)

$0.61 IQD 920

$0.64 IQD 963

-4.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 IQD 1,833

$1.38 IQD 2,080

-12.32%

Eggs

$1.60 IQD 2,417

$1.54 IQD 2,330

3.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.32 IQD 9,552

$3.36 IQD 5,083

88.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.40 IQD 8,161

$4.01 IQD 6,065

34.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.12 IQD 18.3K

$12.29 IQD 18.6K

-1.38%

Apples (1kg)

$0.84 IQD 1,265

$0.96 IQD 1,450

-12.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 IQD 1,784

$0.95 IQD 1,443

24.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.85 IQD 1,285

$0.90 IQD 1,367

-5.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 IQD 834

$0.68 IQD 1,032

-19.12%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 IQD 960

$0.58 IQD 883

10.34%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 IQD 813

$0.60 IQD 912

-10.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 IQD 1,211

$0.52 IQD 786

53.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.34 IQD 512

$0.52 IQD 780

-34.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.80 IQD 2,725

$1.66 IQD 2,515

8.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.21 IQD 16.9K

$11.71 IQD 17.7K

-4.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 IQD 2,383

$1.90 IQD 2,876

-16.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 IQD 2,755

$1.96 IQD 2,966

-7.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 IQD 789

$0.34 IQD 518

52.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.41 IQD 24.8K

$55.0 IQD 83.1K

-70.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 IQD 2,923

$1.96 IQD 2,968

-1.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 IQD 2,948

$1.28 IQD 1,939

52.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.34 IQD 9,576

$2.98 IQD 4,506

112.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.56 IQD 841

$0.50 IQD 757

12.00%

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

$11.4K IQD 17.3M

$14.8K IQD 22.4M

-22.96%

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

$19.6K IQD 29.7M

$16.6K IQD 25.1M

18.31%

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

$43.92 IQD 66.4K

$65.1 IQD 98.3K

-32.50%

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

$22.28 IQD 33.7K

$13.34 IQD 20.2K

67.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.60 IQD 50.8K

$33.35 IQD 50.4K

0.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.84 IQD 48.1K

$19.62 IQD 29.7K

62.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.99 IQD 18.1K

$16.36 IQD 24.7K

-26.71%

Cinema Ticket

$6.56 IQD 9,906

$6.44 IQD 9,724

1.86%

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

$109 IQD 165.2K

$81.2 IQD 122.6K

34.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,237 IQD 4.9M

$664 IQD 1.0M

387.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.57 IQD 65.8K

$18.98 IQD 28.7K

129.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.35 IQD 26.2K

$21.34 IQD 32.2K

-18.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.7 IQD 103.8K

$57.8 IQD 87.4K

18.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.89 IQD 54.2K

$42.36 IQD 64.0K

-15.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$405 IQD 611.7K

$245 IQD 369.5K

65.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$138 IQD 208.3K

$151 IQD 228.6K

-8.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$369 IQD 558.1K

$436 IQD 659.1K

-15.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$548 IQD 828.2K

$258 IQD 389.8K

112.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,403 IQD 2.1M

$1,477 IQD 2.2M

-4.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$707 IQD 1.1M

$483 IQD 729.4K

46.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 IQD 1.0M

$436 IQD 659.3K

52.80%

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 Hillah: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Basra

$171 25.8%

Al Hillah

$160 23.2% 6.3% $11

Accommodation & Living

Basra

$138 20.8%

Al Hillah

$151 21.8% 9.8% $13

Eating Out

Basra

$105 15.8%

Al Hillah

$109 15.7% 3.6% $3.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Basra

$100 15%

Al Hillah

$112 16.1% 12% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Basra

$74 11.2%

Al Hillah

$63 9.1% 15.1% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Basra

$45 6.8%

Al Hillah

$32 4.7% 27.7% $12

Getting Around

Basra

$30 4.6%

Al Hillah

$65 9.4% 115% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $405 in Basra versus $245 in Al Hillah. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 53% higher in Basra, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27 in Basra versus $27 in Al Hillah. Groceries tell a different story – $171 in Basra vs $160 in Al Hillah – so Al Hillah wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Basra

🇮🇶 Al Hillah

🕒 Local time

05:50 5:50 AM

Same time as Basra

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,150,000

1,729,666

💱 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 Hillah 390 km

From you

Basra
Al Hillah

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 Hillah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Al Hillah is pricier by about 4%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $995 per month in Basra and $1,039 in Al Hillah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Al Hillah, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $245 there versus $405 in Basra.

Public transport costs about 70% less in Basra. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in Al Hillah – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $664 in Basra and $693 in Al Hillah, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.