Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Basra and Al-mawsil

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-mawsil: $598 a month against $664 in Basra, rent and utilities included – about $790 less a year. The total is higher in Basra despite lower rent and utilities.

32

Cost of Living Index in Basra
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Basra Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Al-mawsil
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Al-mawsil Living Index

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Basra

🇮🇶 Iraq

$664

/mo nomad

Al-mawsil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$598

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Basra and in Al-mawsil

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $664 in Basra versus $598 in Al-mawsil.

Basra $664
Al-mawsil $598

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,194 in Basra versus $903 in Al-mawsil.

Basra $1,194
Al-mawsil $903

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,725 in Basra versus $1,207 in Al-mawsil.

Basra $1,725
Al-mawsil $1,207

Living in Basra is roughly 11% more expensive than in Al-mawsil, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Basra 51% lower, Al-mawsil 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.88 IQD 5,859

$4.07 IQD 6,148

-4.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.91 IQD 40.7K

$10.40 IQD 15.7K

158.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.70 IQD 10.1K

$5.01 IQD 7,571

33.73%

Cappuccino

$2.29 IQD 3,462

$0.64 IQD 974

257.81%

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

$0.38 IQD 568

$0.35 IQD 522

8.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 IQD 458

$0.18 IQD 279

66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 IQD 4,951

$0.87 IQD 1,311

277.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 IQD 5,541

$1.36 IQD 2,051

169.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 IQD 1,502

$0.64 IQD 970

54.69%

White Bread (500g)

$0.61 IQD 920

$0.65 IQD 978

-6.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 IQD 1,833

$0.55 IQD 830

120.00%

Eggs

$1.60 IQD 2,417

$0.95 IQD 1,440

68.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.32 IQD 9,552

$7.19 IQD 10.9K

-12.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.40 IQD 8,161

$2.88 IQD 4,353

87.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.12 IQD 18.3K

$8.14 IQD 12.3K

48.89%

Apples (1kg)

$0.84 IQD 1,265

$0.64 IQD 963

31.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 IQD 1,784

$0.64 IQD 972

84.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.85 IQD 1,285

$0.48 IQD 728

77.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 IQD 834

$0.22 IQD 331

150.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 IQD 960

$0.25 IQD 375

156.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 IQD 813

$0.31 IQD 474

74.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 IQD 1,211

$0.60 IQD 911

33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.34 IQD 512

$0.49 IQD 740

-30.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.80 IQD 2,725

$1.61 IQD 2,439

11.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.21 IQD 16.9K

$10.94 IQD 16.5K

2.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 IQD 2,383

$1.45 IQD 2,195

8.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 IQD 2,755

$1.80 IQD 2,714

1.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 IQD 789

$0.31 IQD 475

67.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.41 IQD 24.8K

$26.19 IQD 39.6K

-37.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 IQD 2,923

$1.61 IQD 2,438

19.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 IQD 2,948

$1.60 IQD 2,420

21.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.34 IQD 9,576

$3.98 IQD 6,021

59.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.56 IQD 841

$0.31 IQD 472

80.65%

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

$11.4K IQD 17.3M

$13.0K IQD 19.7M

-12.24%

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

$19.6K IQD 29.7M

$15.3K IQD 23.2M

27.99%

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

$43.92 IQD 66.4K

$93.7 IQD 141.5K

-53.11%

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

$22.28 IQD 33.7K

$12.00 IQD 18.1K

85.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.60 IQD 50.8K

$22.95 IQD 34.7K

46.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.84 IQD 48.1K

$37.48 IQD 56.6K

-15.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.99 IQD 18.1K

$6.48 IQD 9,784

85.03%

Cinema Ticket

$6.56 IQD 9,906

$6.42 IQD 9,708

2.18%

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

$109 IQD 165.2K

$301 IQD 455.1K

-63.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,237 IQD 4.9M

$604 IQD 912.4K

436.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.57 IQD 65.8K

$16.49 IQD 24.9K

164.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.35 IQD 26.2K

$12.99 IQD 19.6K

33.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.7 IQD 103.8K

$60.0 IQD 90.6K

14.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.89 IQD 54.2K

$15.65 IQD 23.6K

129.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$405 IQD 611.7K

$211 IQD 318.8K

91.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$138 IQD 208.3K

$139 IQD 209.6K

-0.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$369 IQD 558.1K

$369 IQD 557.1K

0.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$548 IQD 828.2K

$309 IQD 466.9K

77.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,403 IQD 2.1M

$851 IQD 1.3M

64.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$707 IQD 1.1M

$435 IQD 657.4K

62.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 IQD 1.0M

$521 IQD 787.2K

27.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.12

2.53

62.85%

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

Last update for Basra: October 24, 2026

Last update for Al-mawsil: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Basra

$171 25.8%

Al-mawsil

$132 22% 23.1% $39

Accommodation & Living

Basra

$138 20.8%

Al-mawsil

$139 23.2% 0.6% $0.9

Eating Out

Basra

$105 15.8%

Al-mawsil

$64 10.8% 38.6% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Basra

$100 15%

Al-mawsil

$129 21.5% 28.9% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Basra

$74 11.2%

Al-mawsil

$47 7.9% 36.5% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Basra

$45 6.8%

Al-mawsil

$50 8.4% 12% $5.4

Getting Around

Basra

$30 4.6%

Al-mawsil

$37 6.2% 22.8% $6.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $405 in Basra and $211 in Al-mawsil. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basra pays 28% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $27 in Basra vs $10 in Al-mawsil for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $171 vs $132 per month, with Al-mawsil cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Basra

🇮🇶 Al-mawsil

🕒 Local time

23:14 11:14 PM

Same time as Basra

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,150,000

1,683,000

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Basra Al-mawsil 780 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Basra
Al-mawsil

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-mawsil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al-mawsil is about 10% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 28% higher in Basra, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $405 in Basra versus $211 in Al-mawsil. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $109 in Basra versus $301 in Al-mawsil. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Basra. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Al-mawsil gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

It comes down to priorities – Al-mawsil wins on affordability, Basra on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.