Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Basra and Al Kut

For one person, living costs are similar in Basra and in Al Kut: $664 and $660 a month, rent and utilities included.

32

Cost of Living Index in Basra
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Basra Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Al Kut
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Al Kut Living Index

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Basra

🇮🇶 Iraq

$664

/mo nomad

Al Kut

🇮🇶 Iraq

$660

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $664 per month in Basra vs $660 in Al Kut, rent included.

Basra $664
Al Kut $660

A couple spends around $1,194 per month in Basra vs $1,016 in Al Kut, rent included.

Basra $1,194
Al Kut $1,016

A family of three spends $1,725 per month in Basra vs $1,372 in Al Kut, rent included.

Basra $1,725
Al Kut $1,372

Basra and Al Kut have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Basra and Al Kut are more affordable than the global median – Basra 51% lower, Al Kut 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.88 IQD 5,859

$4.05 IQD 6,122

-4.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.91 IQD 40.7K

$18.78 IQD 28.4K

43.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.70 IQD 10.1K

$6.05 IQD 9,139

10.74%

Cappuccino

$2.29 IQD 3,462

$2.51 IQD 3,795

-8.76%

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

$0.38 IQD 568

$0.39 IQD 583

-2.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 IQD 458

$0.23 IQD 342

30.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 IQD 4,951

$2.84 IQD 4,294

15.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 IQD 5,541

$2.67 IQD 4,030

37.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 IQD 1,502

$1.02 IQD 1,543

-2.94%

White Bread (500g)

$0.61 IQD 920

$0.73 IQD 1,097

-16.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 IQD 1,833

$1.49 IQD 2,246

-18.79%

Eggs

$1.60 IQD 2,417

$1.60 IQD 2,411

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.32 IQD 9,552

$3.85 IQD 5,821

64.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.40 IQD 8,161

$3.58 IQD 5,410

50.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.12 IQD 18.3K

$11.64 IQD 17.6K

4.12%

Apples (1kg)

$0.84 IQD 1,265

$0.91 IQD 1,376

-7.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 IQD 1,784

$1.00 IQD 1,511

18.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.85 IQD 1,285

$0.85 IQD 1,289

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 IQD 834

$0.63 IQD 951

-12.70%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 IQD 960

$0.55 IQD 837

16.36%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 IQD 813

$0.57 IQD 864

-5.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 IQD 1,211

$0.56 IQD 849

42.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.34 IQD 512

$0.51 IQD 768

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.80 IQD 2,725

$1.71 IQD 2,577

5.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.21 IQD 16.9K

$9.61 IQD 14.5K

16.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 IQD 2,383

$1.36 IQD 2,055

16.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 IQD 2,755

$1.93 IQD 2,918

-5.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 IQD 789

$0.33 IQD 493

57.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.41 IQD 24.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 IQD 2,923

$1.88 IQD 2,848

2.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 IQD 2,948

$1.14 IQD 1,720

71.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.34 IQD 9,576

$5.53 IQD 8,349

14.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.56 IQD 841

$0.50 IQD 754

12.00%

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

$11.4K IQD 17.3M

$14.1K IQD 21.3M

-18.79%

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

$19.6K IQD 29.7M

$15.4K IQD 23.3M

27.58%

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

$43.92 IQD 66.4K

$86.2 IQD 130.3K

-49.05%

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

$22.28 IQD 33.7K

$13.28 IQD 20.1K

67.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.60 IQD 50.8K

$29.34 IQD 44.3K

14.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.84 IQD 48.1K

$36.82 IQD 55.6K

-13.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.99 IQD 18.1K

Cinema Ticket

$6.56 IQD 9,906

$9.35 IQD 14.1K

-29.84%

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

$109 IQD 165.2K

$138 IQD 208.6K

-20.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,237 IQD 4.9M

$2,820 IQD 4.3M

14.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.57 IQD 65.8K

$20.90 IQD 31.6K

108.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.35 IQD 26.2K

$23.07 IQD 34.9K

-24.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.7 IQD 103.8K

$58.9 IQD 88.9K

16.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.89 IQD 54.2K

$37.09 IQD 56.0K

-3.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$405 IQD 611.7K

$183 IQD 275.9K

121.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$138 IQD 208.3K

$149 IQD 224.5K

-7.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$369 IQD 558.1K

$370 IQD 559.1K

-0.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$548 IQD 828.2K

$320 IQD 483.8K

71.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,403 IQD 2.1M

$846 IQD 1.3M

65.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$707 IQD 1.1M

$502 IQD 758.8K

40.74%

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 Kut: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Basra

$171 25.8%

Al Kut

$152 23.1% 11% $19

Accommodation & Living

Basra

$138 20.8%

Al Kut

$149 22.5% 7.8% $11

Eating Out

Basra

$105 15.8%

Al Kut

$103 15.6% 2.3% $2.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Basra

$100 15%

Al Kut

$129 19.5% 29.1% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Basra

$74 11.2%

Al Kut

$63 9.5% 15.5% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Basra

$45 6.8%

Al Kut

$56 8.4% 23.5% $11

Getting Around

Basra

$30 4.6%

Al Kut

$8.9 * 1.4% 70.6% $21

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $405 in Basra versus $183 in Al Kut. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27 in Basra versus $19 in Al Kut. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $171 vs $152 – making Al Kut the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Basra

🇮🇶 Al Kut

🕒 Local time

01:04 1:04 AM

Same time as Basra

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,150,000

422,793

💱 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

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Basra Al Kut 290 km

From you

Basra
Al Kut

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 Kut: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $995 per month in Basra and $990 in Al Kut. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Al Kut, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $183 there versus $405 in Basra.

Kindergarten costs $109 per month in Basra and $138 in Al Kut. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Basra, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $664 in Basra and $660 in Al Kut, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.