Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Basra and Belgrade

For one person, living is cheaper in Basra: $750 a month against $1,538 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Basra
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Basra Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Belgrade
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Belgrade Living Index

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Basra

🇮🇶 Iraq

$750

/mo nomad

Belgrade

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,538

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Basra and in Belgrade

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $750 in Basra versus $1,538 in Belgrade.

Basra $750
Belgrade $1,538

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,357 in Basra versus $2,321 in Belgrade.

Basra $1,357
Belgrade $2,321

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,964 in Basra versus $3,105 in Belgrade.

Basra $1,964
Belgrade $3,105

Living in Basra costs roughly 51% less than in Belgrade, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Basra is 44% below, Belgrade is 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.46 IQD 6,745

$13.33 RSD 1,389

-66.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.01 IQD 45.3K

$58.4 RSD 6,085

-48.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 IQD 11.3K

$13.58 RSD 1,414

-44.77%

Cappuccino

$2.64 IQD 3,982

$3.13 RSD 326

-15.65%

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

$0.43 IQD 650

$2.77 RSD 288

-84.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 IQD 483

$2.27 RSD 237

-85.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 IQD 5,603

$3.75 RSD 390

-1.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 IQD 6,450

$4.38 RSD 456

-2.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 IQD 1,679

$1.40 RSD 146

-20.71%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 IQD 1,034

$1.17 RSD 122

-41.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 IQD 2,120

$2.71 RSD 282

-48.34%

Eggs

$1.81 IQD 2,732

$2.78 RSD 289

-34.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.57 IQD 11.4K

$11.36 RSD 1,184

-33.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.27 IQD 9,479

$7.01 RSD 731

-10.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 IQD 21.1K

$15.72 RSD 1,638

-11.01%

Apples (1kg)

$1.03 IQD 1,551

$1.66 RSD 173

-37.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 IQD 1,981

$1.81 RSD 188

-27.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 IQD 1,553

$1.83 RSD 190

-43.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 IQD 973

$3.13 RSD 326

-79.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 IQD 1,094

$0.88 RSD 91.3

-18.18%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 IQD 1,009

$0.67 RSD 70.3

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 IQD 1,404

$0.81 RSD 84.4

14.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 IQD 624

$0.68 RSD 70.9

-39.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.12 IQD 3,204

$4.78 RSD 498

-55.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.11 IQD 18.3K

$8.54 RSD 889

41.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 IQD 2,453

$0.94 RSD 97.7

72.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 IQD 2,960

$1.44 RSD 150

36.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 IQD 830

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.42 IQD 29.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 IQD 3,384

$3.09 RSD 322

-27.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.33 IQD 3,518

$1.02 RSD 107

128.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.46 IQD 11.3K

$17.18 RSD 1,789

-56.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.61 IQD 917

$1.87 RSD 195

-67.38%

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

$13.2K IQD 20.0M

$30.7K RSD 3.2M

-56.95%

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

$22.5K IQD 34.0M

$24.3K RSD 2.5M

-7.28%

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

$50.3 IQD 76.1K

$218 RSD 22.7K

-76.87%

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

$25.65 IQD 38.8K

$25.24 RSD 2,629

1.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.51 IQD 58.2K

$35.35 RSD 3,683

8.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.03 IQD 54.4K

$41.77 RSD 4,351

-13.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.80 IQD 20.9K

$22.80 RSD 2,375

-39.47%

Cinema Ticket

$7.61 IQD 11.5K

$8.47 RSD 882

-10.15%

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

$128 IQD 192.9K

$426 RSD 44.4K

-70.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,814 IQD 5.8M

$11.4K RSD 1.2M

-66.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.10 IQD 74.2K

$111 RSD 11.6K

-55.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.77 IQD 31.4K

$45.99 RSD 4,791

-54.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.6 IQD 117.3K

$119 RSD 12.4K

-34.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.13 IQD 63.7K

$154 RSD 16.0K

-72.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$462 IQD 698.8K

$821 RSD 85.6K

-43.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$151 IQD 227.9K

$561 RSD 58.4K

-73.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$848 IQD 1.3M

$1,511 RSD 157.4K

-43.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 IQD 941.2K

$942 RSD 98.1K

-33.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,615 IQD 2.4M

$5,312 RSD 553.4K

-69.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$800 IQD 1.2M

$3,165 RSD 329.7K

-74.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 IQD 1.1M

$1,228 RSD 127.9K

-38.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.33

4.61

-27.77%

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

Last update for Basra: October 5, 2026

Last update for Belgrade: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Basra

$196 26%

Belgrade

$246 15.6% 25.8% $51

Accommodation & Living

Basra

$151 20%

Belgrade

$561 35.5% 272% $410

Eating Out

Basra

$120 15.9%

Belgrade

$233 14.7% 94% $113

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Basra

$115 15.2%

Belgrade

$278 17.6% 143% $164

Clothing & Footwear

Basra

$85 11.3%

Belgrade

$194 12.3% 127% $108

Sport & Entertainment

Basra

$51 6.8%

Belgrade

$59 3.7% 14.5% $7.5

Getting Around

Basra

$35 4.7%

Belgrade

$8.2 * 0.5% 76.9% $27

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 $462 in Basra and $821 in Belgrade. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Belgrade pays 64% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $30.00 in Basra vs $58.0 in Belgrade for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $196 vs $246 per month, with Basra cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Basra

🇷🇸 Belgrade

🕒 Local time

08:18 8:18 AM

07:18 7:18 AM

1 h behind Basra

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,150,000

1,197,714 Capital

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

Serbian Dinar RSD din

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR

1,000 RSD = 9.6 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.56 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RSD, USD, EUR to IQD – Iraqi Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇶 Iraqi Dinar (ع.د)

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,695 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR).

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 104 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.6 USD). 1 EUR = 117 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.56 EUR).

USD to IQD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Basra Belgrade 2,860 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Basra
Belgrade

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 Belgrade: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Basra and Belgrade differ by about 105% in total monthly costs ($750 vs $1,538 including rent). Basra is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 64% lower in Belgrade. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $462 in Basra versus $821 in Belgrade. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $128 in Basra versus $426 in Belgrade. 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 $30.00 versus $58.0 in Belgrade. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $750 in Basra versus $1,538 in Belgrade, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Basra but tight or insufficient in Belgrade. The gap between the two cities makes Basra the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Basra and Belgrade are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Basra gentler on the wallet – expenses run 105% less than in Belgrade. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.