Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Basra and Az Zubayr

For one person, living costs are similar in Basra and in Az Zubayr: $664 and $656 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 Az Zubayr
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Az Zubayr Living Index

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Basra

🇮🇶 Iraq

$664

/mo nomad

Az Zubayr

🇮🇶 Iraq

$656

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Basra and in Az Zubayr

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $664 in Basra versus $656 in Az Zubayr.

Basra $664
Az Zubayr $656

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,194 in Basra versus $1,021 in Az Zubayr.

Basra $1,194
Az Zubayr $1,021

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,725 in Basra versus $1,387 in Az Zubayr.

Basra $1,725
Az Zubayr $1,387

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Basra 51% lower, Az Zubayr 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.88 IQD 5,859

$4.37 IQD 6,602

-11.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.91 IQD 40.7K

$19.52 IQD 29.5K

37.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.70 IQD 10.1K

$5.58 IQD 8,436

20.07%

Cappuccino

$2.29 IQD 3,462

$2.65 IQD 4,001

-13.58%

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

$0.38 IQD 568

$0.33 IQD 497

15.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 IQD 458

$0.20 IQD 297

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 IQD 4,951

$3.38 IQD 5,107

-2.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 IQD 5,541

$2.28 IQD 3,447

60.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 IQD 1,502

$1.00 IQD 1,513

-1.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.61 IQD 920

$0.76 IQD 1,152

-19.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 IQD 1,833

$1.59 IQD 2,399

-23.90%

Eggs

$1.60 IQD 2,417

$1.46 IQD 2,203

9.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.32 IQD 9,552

$4.38 IQD 6,621

44.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.40 IQD 8,161

$3.43 IQD 5,189

57.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.12 IQD 18.3K

$12.09 IQD 18.3K

0.25%

Apples (1kg)

$0.84 IQD 1,265

$1.07 IQD 1,623

-21.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 IQD 1,784

$0.99 IQD 1,502

19.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.85 IQD 1,285

$1.03 IQD 1,561

-17.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 IQD 834

$0.66 IQD 994

-16.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 IQD 960

$0.57 IQD 855

12.28%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 IQD 813

$0.67 IQD 1,012

-19.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 IQD 1,211

$0.56 IQD 852

42.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.34 IQD 512

$0.44 IQD 671

-22.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.80 IQD 2,725

$1.47 IQD 2,225

22.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.21 IQD 16.9K

$11.27 IQD 17.0K

-0.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 IQD 2,383

$1.42 IQD 2,149

11.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 IQD 2,755

$1.62 IQD 2,450

12.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 IQD 789

$0.32 IQD 479

62.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.41 IQD 24.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 IQD 2,923

$1.68 IQD 2,543

14.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 IQD 2,948

$1.12 IQD 1,698

74.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.34 IQD 9,576

$5.39 IQD 8,146

17.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.56 IQD 841

$0.53 IQD 803

5.66%

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

$11.4K IQD 17.3M

$15.9K IQD 24.0M

-27.96%

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

$19.6K IQD 29.7M

$16.5K IQD 24.9M

19.25%

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

$43.92 IQD 66.4K

$94.9 IQD 143.4K

-53.71%

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

$22.28 IQD 33.7K

$11.70 IQD 17.7K

90.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.60 IQD 50.8K

$27.28 IQD 41.2K

23.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.84 IQD 48.1K

$39.31 IQD 59.4K

-19.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.99 IQD 18.1K

Cinema Ticket

$6.56 IQD 9,906

$7.83 IQD 11.8K

-16.22%

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

$109 IQD 165.2K

$137 IQD 206.7K

-20.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,237 IQD 4.9M

$2,772 IQD 4.2M

16.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.57 IQD 65.8K

$18.27 IQD 27.6K

138.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.35 IQD 26.2K

$21.75 IQD 32.9K

-20.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.7 IQD 103.8K

$53.7 IQD 81.2K

27.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.89 IQD 54.2K

$39.29 IQD 59.4K

-8.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$405 IQD 611.7K

$200 IQD 302.7K

102.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$138 IQD 208.3K

$133 IQD 200.3K

4.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$369 IQD 558.1K

$418 IQD 631.5K

-11.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$548 IQD 828.2K

$315 IQD 476.0K

73.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,403 IQD 2.1M

$833 IQD 1.3M

68.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$707 IQD 1.1M

$479 IQD 723.6K

47.59%

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 Az Zubayr: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Basra

$171 25.8%

Az Zubayr

$159 24.2% 7.3% $13

Accommodation & Living

Basra

$138 20.8%

Az Zubayr

$133 20.2% 3.9% $5.3

Eating Out

Basra

$105 15.8%

Az Zubayr

$107 16.3% 1.9% $2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Basra

$100 15%

Az Zubayr

$134 20.4% 34.1% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Basra

$74 11.2%

Az Zubayr

$60 9.1% 19.6% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Basra

$45 6.8%

Az Zubayr

$55 8.4% 22.3% $10

Getting Around

Basra

$30 4.6%

Az Zubayr

$8.6 * 1.3% 71.6% $22

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 $200 in Az Zubayr. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $27 in Basra vs $20 in Az Zubayr for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $171 vs $159 per month, with Az Zubayr cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Basra

🇮🇶 Az Zubayr

🕒 Local time

01:15 1:15 AM

Same time as Basra

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,150,000

370,000

💱 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

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Basra Az Zubayr 15 km

From you

Basra
Az Zubayr

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 Az Zubayr: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

You’d need roughly $995 in Basra and $983 in Az Zubayr 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 $200 in Az Zubayr. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $109 in Basra versus $137 in Az Zubayr. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Basra. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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