Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Basra and Duhok

For one person, living is cheaper in Duhok: $608 a month against $656 in Basra, rent and utilities included – about $580 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 Duhok
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Duhok Living Index

Jump to prices

Basra

🇮🇶 Iraq

$656

/mo nomad

Duhok

🇮🇶 Iraq

$608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Basra and in Duhok

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $656 in Basra versus $608 in Duhok.

Basra $656
Duhok $608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,184 in Basra versus $978 in Duhok.

Basra $1,184
Duhok $978

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,713 in Basra versus $1,349 in Duhok.

Basra $1,713
Duhok $1,349

Living in Basra is roughly 8% more expensive than in Duhok, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Basra 52% lower, Duhok 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.00 IQD 6,043

$3.38 IQD 5,111

18.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.57 IQD 40.1K

$16.59 IQD 25.1K

60.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.71 IQD 10.1K

$7.40 IQD 11.2K

-9.32%

Cappuccino

$2.25 IQD 3,405

$2.43 IQD 3,665

-7.41%

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

$0.38 IQD 572

$0.32 IQD 481

18.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 IQD 455

$0.19 IQD 294

57.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 IQD 4,933

$1.69 IQD 2,550

92.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 IQD 5,461

$1.94 IQD 2,932

86.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 IQD 1,501

$1.11 IQD 1,680

-10.81%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 IQD 905

$0.67 IQD 1,016

-10.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 IQD 1,919

$1.48 IQD 2,232

-14.19%

Eggs

$1.55 IQD 2,346

$1.58 IQD 2,391

-1.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.54 IQD 9,882

$4.87 IQD 7,359

34.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.57 IQD 8,424

$2.96 IQD 4,478

88.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.07 IQD 18.2K

$10.95 IQD 16.6K

10.23%

Apples (1kg)

$0.90 IQD 1,366

$0.99 IQD 1,489

-9.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 IQD 1,773

$0.97 IQD 1,461

20.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.83 IQD 1,256

$0.75 IQD 1,136

10.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.61 IQD 916

$0.63 IQD 959

-3.17%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 IQD 1,019

$0.61 IQD 919

9.84%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 IQD 813

$0.62 IQD 940

-12.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 IQD 1,145

$0.61 IQD 926

24.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.36 IQD 550

$0.52 IQD 787

-30.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.78 IQD 2,693

$1.73 IQD 2,609

2.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.66 IQD 16.1K

$10.97 IQD 16.6K

-2.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 IQD 2,232

$1.40 IQD 2,121

5.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 IQD 2,610

$1.79 IQD 2,700

-3.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 IQD 734

$0.30 IQD 459

63.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.57 IQD 25.0K

$15.64 IQD 23.6K

5.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.01 IQD 3,042

$1.60 IQD 2,420

25.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 IQD 3,059

$1.29 IQD 1,945

56.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.45 IQD 9,741

$5.52 IQD 8,343

16.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.56 IQD 850

$0.54 IQD 819

3.70%

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

$11.5K IQD 17.4M

$16.6K IQD 25.1M

-30.68%

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

$19.9K IQD 30.1M

$17.1K IQD 25.9M

16.38%

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

$44.45 IQD 67.2K

$87.3 IQD 131.8K

-49.05%

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

$21.94 IQD 33.1K

$8.86 IQD 13.4K

147.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.88 IQD 51.2K

$23.83 IQD 36.0K

42.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.22 IQD 47.2K

$50.1 IQD 75.7K

-37.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.14 IQD 18.3K

$26.55 IQD 40.1K

-54.27%

Cinema Ticket

$6.53 IQD 9,867

$7.52 IQD 11.4K

-13.16%

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

$109 IQD 164.9K

$106 IQD 160.6K

2.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,340 IQD 5.0M

$2,727 IQD 4.1M

22.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.59 IQD 64.4K

$10.02 IQD 15.1K

325.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.63 IQD 26.6K

$20.32 IQD 30.7K

-13.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.9 IQD 101.1K

$30.27 IQD 45.7K

120.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.71 IQD 54.0K

$19.60 IQD 29.6K

82.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$413 IQD 624.6K

$157 IQD 237.0K

163.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$131 IQD 197.8K

$116 IQD 174.7K

13.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$741 IQD 1.1M

$329 IQD 496.7K

125.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$537 IQD 811.7K

$324 IQD 489.1K

65.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,392 IQD 2.1M

$445 IQD 671.8K

213.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$712 IQD 1.1M

$362 IQD 547.1K

96.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 IQD 1.0M

$415 IQD 627.4K

60.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.33

2.53

31.62%

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

Last update for Basra: October 20, 2026

Last update for Duhok: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Basra

$171 26.1%

Duhok

$154 25.3% 10.4% $18

Accommodation & Living

Basra

$131 20%

Duhok

$116 19% 11.7% $15

Eating Out

Basra

$105 16.1%

Duhok

$93 15.3% 12% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Basra

$100 15.3%

Duhok

$120 19.7% 19.6% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Basra

$73 11.2%

Duhok

$36 5.9% 50.7% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Basra

$44 6.8%

Duhok

$65 10.7% 47.2% $21

Getting Around

Basra

$31 4.7%

Duhok

$25 4.1% 18.8% $5.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $413 in Basra and $157 in Duhok. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basra pays 60% 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: $27.00 in Basra vs $17.00 in Duhok for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $171 vs $154 per month, with Duhok cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Basra

🇮🇶 Duhok

🕒 Local time

01:14 1:14 AM

Same time as Basra

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,150,000

340,900

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Basra Duhok 840 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Basra
Duhok

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 Duhok: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Basra and Duhok differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($656 vs $608 including rent). Duhok is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 60% 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: $413 in Basra versus $157 in Duhok. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Basra. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Duhok – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $27.00 in Basra. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Duhok 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.

Safety-wise, Basra and Duhok 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 Duhok gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Basra. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.