Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Basra and As Samawah

For one person, living costs are similar in Basra and in As Samawah: $662 and $651 a month, rent and utilities included.

32

Cost of Living Index in Basra
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Basra Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in As Samawah
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As Samawah Living Index

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Basra

🇮🇶 Iraq

$662

/mo nomad

As Samawah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$651

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Basra and in As Samawah

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $662 in Basra versus $651 in As Samawah.

Basra $662
As Samawah $651

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,191 in Basra versus $1,052 in As Samawah.

Basra $1,191
As Samawah $1,052

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,719 in Basra versus $1,452 in As Samawah.

Basra $1,719
As Samawah $1,452

Monthly costs are close between Basra and As Samawah; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Basra 51% lower, As Samawah 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.02 IQD 6,082

$4.66 IQD 7,041

-13.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.47 IQD 40.0K

$26.87 IQD 40.6K

-1.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.62 IQD 10.0K

$6.63 IQD 10.0K

-0.15%

Cappuccino

$2.17 IQD 3,285

$2.82 IQD 4,266

-23.05%

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

$0.37 IQD 554

$0.35 IQD 522

5.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 IQD 417

$0.19 IQD 281

47.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 IQD 4,916

$3.36 IQD 5,079

-3.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 IQD 5,393

$3.24 IQD 4,889

10.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 IQD 1,389

$0.90 IQD 1,367

2.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 IQD 902

$0.63 IQD 951

-4.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 IQD 1,842

$1.31 IQD 1,978

-6.87%

Eggs

$1.62 IQD 2,448

$1.61 IQD 2,436

0.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.41 IQD 9,681

$1.34 IQD 2,019

378.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.58 IQD 8,429

$4.02 IQD 6,070

38.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.22 IQD 18.5K

$11.86 IQD 17.9K

3.04%

Apples (1kg)

$0.84 IQD 1,267

$0.96 IQD 1,455

-12.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 IQD 1,753

$0.92 IQD 1,383

26.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.89 IQD 1,342

$0.83 IQD 1,256

7.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.60 IQD 910

$0.40 IQD 606

50.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 IQD 1,044

$0.52 IQD 784

32.69%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 IQD 846

$0.56 IQD 851

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.82 IQD 1,236

$0.59 IQD 892

38.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.36 IQD 547

$0.58 IQD 878

-37.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.85 IQD 2,790

$1.69 IQD 2,548

9.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.16 IQD 16.9K

$6.66 IQD 10.1K

67.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 IQD 2,365

$1.97 IQD 2,973

-20.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 IQD 2,717

$1.89 IQD 2,854

-4.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 IQD 762

$0.34 IQD 517

47.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.56 IQD 25.0K

$19.98 IQD 30.2K

-17.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 IQD 3,056

$1.96 IQD 2,968

3.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 IQD 3,023

$1.28 IQD 1,940

56.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.34 IQD 9,581

$2.61 IQD 3,937

142.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.55 IQD 838

$0.57 IQD 866

-3.51%

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

$11.7K IQD 17.7M

$16.7K IQD 25.3M

-30.02%

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

$19.9K IQD 30.1M

$16.6K IQD 25.1M

19.85%

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

$43.26 IQD 65.4K

$69.4 IQD 104.9K

-37.66%

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

$21.81 IQD 33.0K

$16.69 IQD 25.2K

30.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.04 IQD 51.4K

$16.78 IQD 25.3K

102.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.25 IQD 47.2K

$36.45 IQD 55.1K

-14.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.28 IQD 18.6K

$16.68 IQD 25.2K

-26.38%

Cinema Ticket

$6.69 IQD 10.1K

$7.81 IQD 11.8K

-14.34%

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

$107 IQD 161.7K

$49.72 IQD 75.1K

115.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,309 IQD 5.0M

$1,297 IQD 2.0M

155.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.15 IQD 65.2K

$25.54 IQD 38.6K

68.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.34 IQD 26.2K

$33.33 IQD 50.4K

-47.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.0 IQD 101.2K

$58.9 IQD 89.0K

13.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.13 IQD 54.6K

$41.08 IQD 62.1K

-12.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$405 IQD 612.0K

$209 IQD 316.2K

93.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$138 IQD 208.2K

$137 IQD 207.7K

0.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$370 IQD 559.6K

$168 IQD 254.1K

120.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$545 IQD 823.8K

$309 IQD 467.1K

76.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,398 IQD 2.1M

$867 IQD 1.3M

61.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$704 IQD 1.1M

$496 IQD 750.1K

41.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$672 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: November 2, 2026

Last update for As Samawah: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Basra

$173 26%

As Samawah

$141 21.7% 18.1% $31

Accommodation & Living

Basra

$138 20.8%

As Samawah

$137 21.1% 0.2% $0.3

Eating Out

Basra

$104 15.7%

As Samawah

$116 17.9% 11.8% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Basra

$99 15%

As Samawah

$103 15.8% 3.8% $3.8

Clothing & Footwear

Basra

$74 11.1%

As Samawah

$71 11% 2.9% $2.2

Sport & Entertainment

Basra

$45 6.7%

As Samawah

$52 8% 16.6% $7.4

Getting Around

Basra

$31 4.6%

As Samawah

$30 4.6% 2.8% $0.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $405 in Basra and $209 in As Samawah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $26 in Basra vs $27 in As Samawah. Groceries flip the comparison at $173 vs $141, with As Samawah cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Basra

🇮🇶 As Samawah

🕒 Local time

01:26 1:26 AM

Same time as Basra

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,150,000

250,000

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Basra As Samawah 260 km

From you

Basra
As Samawah

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 As Samawah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

You’d need roughly $994 in Basra and $977 in As Samawah 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 $209 in As Samawah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $107 in Basra versus $50 in As Samawah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

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

For families, As Samawah is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Basra, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.