Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Basra and Kalar

For one person, living is cheaper in Kalar: $500 a month against $664 in Basra, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Basra
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Basra Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Kalar
Learn more

Kalar Living Index

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Basra

🇮🇶 Iraq

$664

/mo nomad

Kalar

🇮🇶 Iraq

$500

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Basra and in Kalar

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $664 in Basra versus $500 in Kalar.

Basra $664
Kalar $500

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,194 in Basra versus $745 in Kalar.

Basra $1,194
Kalar $745

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,725 in Basra versus $991 in Kalar.

Basra $1,725
Kalar $991

Living in Basra is roughly 33% more expensive than in Kalar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Basra 51% lower, Kalar 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.88 IQD 5,859

$4.18 IQD 6,314

-7.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.91 IQD 40.7K

$10.53 IQD 15.9K

155.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.70 IQD 10.1K

$3.07 IQD 4,646

118.24%

Cappuccino

$2.29 IQD 3,462

$0.85 IQD 1,283

169.41%

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

$0.38 IQD 568

$0.45 IQD 683

-15.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 IQD 458

$0.14 IQD 215

114.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 IQD 4,951

$5.49 IQD 8,290

-40.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 IQD 5,541

$3.93 IQD 5,939

-6.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 IQD 1,502

$0.92 IQD 1,388

7.61%

White Bread (500g)

$0.61 IQD 920

$0.72 IQD 1,091

-15.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 IQD 1,833

$1.29 IQD 1,946

-6.20%

Eggs

$1.60 IQD 2,417

$1.12 IQD 1,698

42.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.32 IQD 9,552

$2.90 IQD 4,376

117.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.40 IQD 8,161

$2.00 IQD 3,020

170.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.12 IQD 18.3K

$10.87 IQD 16.4K

11.50%

Apples (1kg)

$0.84 IQD 1,265

$0.81 IQD 1,219

3.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 IQD 1,784

$0.97 IQD 1,462

21.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.85 IQD 1,285

$0.85 IQD 1,286

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 IQD 834

$0.70 IQD 1,053

-21.43%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 IQD 960

$0.58 IQD 873

10.34%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 IQD 813

$0.63 IQD 948

-14.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 IQD 1,211

$0.60 IQD 908

33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.34 IQD 512

$0.39 IQD 586

-12.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.80 IQD 2,725

$2.09 IQD 3,165

-13.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.21 IQD 16.9K

$10.72 IQD 16.2K

4.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 IQD 2,383

$1.46 IQD 2,213

8.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 IQD 2,755

$1.86 IQD 2,815

-2.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 IQD 789

$0.49 IQD 740

6.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.41 IQD 24.8K

$26.14 IQD 39.5K

-37.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 IQD 2,923

$1.67 IQD 2,526

15.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 IQD 2,948

$1.55 IQD 2,347

25.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.34 IQD 9,576

$3.34 IQD 5,039

89.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.56 IQD 841

$0.54 IQD 815

3.70%

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

$11.4K IQD 17.3M

$14.6K IQD 22.1M

-21.85%

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

$19.6K IQD 29.7M

$16.4K IQD 24.8M

19.58%

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

$43.92 IQD 66.4K

$46.19 IQD 69.8K

-4.91%

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

$22.28 IQD 33.7K

$11.71 IQD 17.7K

90.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.60 IQD 50.8K

$20.88 IQD 31.6K

60.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.84 IQD 48.1K

$16.77 IQD 25.3K

89.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.99 IQD 18.1K

$32.49 IQD 49.1K

-63.10%

Cinema Ticket

$6.56 IQD 9,906

$6.74 IQD 10.2K

-2.67%

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

$109 IQD 165.2K

$43.60 IQD 65.9K

150.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,237 IQD 4.9M

$1,306 IQD 2.0M

147.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.57 IQD 65.8K

$10.86 IQD 16.4K

301.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.35 IQD 26.2K

$12.02 IQD 18.2K

44.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.7 IQD 103.8K

$22.98 IQD 34.7K

198.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.89 IQD 54.2K

$28.22 IQD 42.6K

27.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$405 IQD 611.7K

$151 IQD 228.0K

168.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$138 IQD 208.3K

$92.5 IQD 139.8K

48.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$369 IQD 558.1K

$246 IQD 371.6K

50.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$548 IQD 828.2K

$126 IQD 189.7K

336.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,403 IQD 2.1M

$874 IQD 1.3M

60.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$707 IQD 1.1M

$392 IQD 591.7K

80.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 IQD 1.0M

$300 IQD 453.4K

122.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.12

2.53

62.85%

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

Last update for Basra: October 24, 2026

Last update for Kalar: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Basra

$171 25.8%

Kalar

$137 27.4% 20.2% $35

Accommodation & Living

Basra

$138 20.8%

Kalar

$93 18.5% 32.9% $45

Eating Out

Basra

$105 15.8%

Kalar

$91 18.1% 13.8% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Basra

$100 15%

Kalar

$79 15.8% 21.1% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Basra

$74 11.2%

Kalar

$33 6.7% 55.2% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Basra

$45 6.8%

Kalar

$30 6.1% 32.7% $15

Getting Around

Basra

$30 4.6%

Kalar

$38 7.5% 24.3% $7.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $405 in Basra and $151 in Kalar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basra pays about 2.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $27 in Basra vs $11 in Kalar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $171 vs $137 per month, with Kalar cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Basra

🇮🇶 Kalar

🕒 Local time

21:21 9:21 PM

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 = 5.93 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Basra Kalar 520 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Basra
Kalar

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 Kalar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $664 in Basra and $500 in Kalar, so Kalar is about 25% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Basra is about 2.2 times higher, 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 $151 in Kalar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Basra. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Kalar – a meal for two runs $11 versus $27 in Basra. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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

For families, Kalar 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.

It comes down to priorities – Kalar wins on affordability, Basra on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.