Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Basra and Baghdad

For one person, living is cheaper in Basra: $664 a month against $1,048 in Baghdad, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Basra
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Basra Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Baghdad
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Baghdad Living Index

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Basra

🇮🇶 Iraq

$664

/mo nomad

Baghdad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$1,048

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Basra and in Baghdad

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $664 in Basra versus $1,048 in Baghdad.

Basra $664
Baghdad $1,048

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,194 in Basra versus $1,508 in Baghdad.

Basra $1,194
Baghdad $1,508

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,725 in Basra versus $1,968 in Baghdad.

Basra $1,725
Baghdad $1,968

Living in Basra costs roughly 37% less than in Baghdad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Basra 51% lower, Baghdad 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.88 IQD 5,859

$4.54 IQD 6,866

-14.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.91 IQD 40.7K

$26.64 IQD 40.3K

1.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.70 IQD 10.1K

$6.47 IQD 9,781

3.55%

Cappuccino

$2.29 IQD 3,462

$2.68 IQD 4,054

-14.55%

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

$0.38 IQD 568

$0.39 IQD 584

-2.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 IQD 458

$0.20 IQD 302

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 IQD 4,951

$3.31 IQD 5,009

-0.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 IQD 5,541

$3.22 IQD 4,866

13.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 IQD 1,502

$0.92 IQD 1,390

7.61%

White Bread (500g)

$0.61 IQD 920

$0.71 IQD 1,078

-14.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 IQD 1,833

$1.32 IQD 1,999

-8.33%

Eggs

$1.60 IQD 2,417

$1.71 IQD 2,577

-6.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.32 IQD 9,552

$3.30 IQD 4,989

91.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.40 IQD 8,161

$4.15 IQD 6,269

30.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.12 IQD 18.3K

$12.24 IQD 18.5K

-0.98%

Apples (1kg)

$0.84 IQD 1,265

$1.00 IQD 1,513

-16.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 IQD 1,784

$0.98 IQD 1,487

20.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.85 IQD 1,285

$0.95 IQD 1,440

-10.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 IQD 834

$0.68 IQD 1,021

-19.12%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 IQD 960

$0.58 IQD 877

10.34%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 IQD 813

$0.57 IQD 854

-5.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 IQD 1,211

$0.60 IQD 903

33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.34 IQD 512

$0.61 IQD 927

-44.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.80 IQD 2,725

$1.67 IQD 2,531

7.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.21 IQD 16.9K

$11.64 IQD 17.6K

-3.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 IQD 2,383

$1.99 IQD 3,005

-20.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 IQD 2,755

$1.96 IQD 2,962

-7.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 IQD 789

$0.32 IQD 480

62.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.41 IQD 24.8K

$20.04 IQD 30.3K

-18.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 IQD 2,923

$2.02 IQD 3,045

-4.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 IQD 2,948

$1.30 IQD 1,964

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.34 IQD 9,576

$6.67 IQD 10.1K

-4.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.56 IQD 841

$0.58 IQD 870

-3.45%

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

$11.4K IQD 17.3M

$16.5K IQD 25.0M

-30.87%

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

$19.6K IQD 29.7M

$16.7K IQD 25.2M

17.59%

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

$43.92 IQD 66.4K

$188 IQD 284.5K

-76.68%

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

$22.28 IQD 33.7K

$19.25 IQD 29.1K

15.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.60 IQD 50.8K

$37.51 IQD 56.7K

-10.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.84 IQD 48.1K

$39.97 IQD 60.4K

-20.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.99 IQD 18.1K

$18.38 IQD 27.8K

-34.77%

Cinema Ticket

$6.56 IQD 9,906

$9.70 IQD 14.7K

-32.37%

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

$109 IQD 165.2K

$145 IQD 219.6K

-24.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,237 IQD 4.9M

$3,297 IQD 5.0M

-1.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.57 IQD 65.8K

$25.60 IQD 38.7K

70.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.35 IQD 26.2K

$33.32 IQD 50.3K

-47.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.7 IQD 103.8K

$60.2 IQD 90.9K

14.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.89 IQD 54.2K

$41.85 IQD 63.2K

-14.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$405 IQD 611.7K

$537 IQD 811.6K

-24.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$138 IQD 208.3K

$364 IQD 550.5K

-62.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$369 IQD 558.1K

$963 IQD 1.5M

-61.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$548 IQD 828.2K

$624 IQD 943.1K

-12.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,403 IQD 2.1M

$4,276 IQD 6.5M

-67.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$707 IQD 1.1M

$1,379 IQD 2.1M

-48.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 IQD 1.0M

$518 IQD 782.8K

28.68%

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 Baghdad: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Basra

$171 25.8%

Baghdad

$164 15.6% 4.4% $7.6

Accommodation & Living

Basra

$138 20.8%

Baghdad

$364 34.8% 164% $226

Eating Out

Basra

$105 15.8%

Baghdad

$113 10.8% 7.9% $8.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Basra

$100 15%

Baghdad

$245 23.4% 146% $145

Clothing & Footwear

Basra

$74 11.2%

Baghdad

$72 6.9% 2.8% $2

Sport & Entertainment

Basra

$45 6.8%

Baghdad

$59 5.7% 32.1% $14

Getting Around

Basra

$30 4.6%

Baghdad

$30 2.9% 1.2% $0.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $405 in Basra and $537 in Baghdad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basra pays 29% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $27 in Basra vs $27 in Baghdad. Groceries flip the comparison at $171 vs $164, with Baghdad cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Basra

🇮🇶 Baghdad

🕒 Local time

23:12 11:12 PM

Same time as Basra

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,150,000

7,216,040 Capital

💱 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

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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 Baghdad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Basra wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in Baghdad. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Basra the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 29% 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 $537 in Baghdad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Baghdad pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $664 per month in Basra versus $1,048 in Baghdad – Basra is about 37% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.