Cost of Living Comparison Between Basra and Karbala Cost of Living Comparison Between Basra and Karbala

😐 Solo nomad: Basra is 21.8% more expensive than Karbala without rent, and 39.5% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Basra is 42.8% more expensive than Karbala without rent, and 49.9% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Basra
Karbala
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.76 IQD 4,917
$5.01 IQD 6,556
-24.95%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.77 IQD 32.4K
$15.61 IQD 20.4K
58.68%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.9 IQD 9,033
$5.34 IQD 6,988
29.21%
Cappuccino
$2.03 IQD 2,653
$1.58 IQD 2,071
28.48%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.47 IQD 612
$0.36 IQD 476
30.56%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.32 IQD 419
$0.3 IQD 395
6.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.77 IQD 4,929
$1.93 IQD 2,521
95.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5 IQD 6,540
$2.83 IQD 3,706
76.68%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Basra
Karbala
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.18 IQD 1,551
$1.19 IQD 1,562
-0.84%
White Bread (500g)
$0.71 IQD 928
$0.7 IQD 914
1.43%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.48 IQD 1,940
$1.43 IQD 1,867
3.50%
Eggs
$1.85 IQD 2,424
$1.75 IQD 2,290
5.71%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.02 IQD 10.5K
$5.2 IQD 6,811
54.23%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.04 IQD 9,211
$4.85 IQD 6,348
45.15%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.26 IQD 17.4K
$9.7 IQD 12.7K
36.70%
Apples (1kg)
$1.01 IQD 1,316
$0.97 IQD 1,265
4.12%
Banana (1kg)
$1.41 IQD 1,847
$1.03 IQD 1,346
36.89%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.02 IQD 1,331
$0.91 IQD 1,187
12.09%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.59 IQD 778
$0.66 IQD 863
-10.61%
Potato (1kg)
$0.67 IQD 878
$0.63 IQD 821
6.35%
Onion (1kg)
$0.57 IQD 746
$0.54 IQD 712
5.56%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.83 IQD 1,084
$0.6 IQD 792
38.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.42 IQD 546
$0.6 IQD 783
-30.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.93 IQD 2,523
$1.94 IQD 2,537
-0.52%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.19 IQD 17.3K
$13.19 IQD 17.3K
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.08 IQD 4,031
$1.02 IQD 1,334
201.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.92 IQD 5,135
$2.19 IQD 2,869
79.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Basra
Karbala
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.39 IQD 513
$0.37 IQD 482
5.41%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$23.25 IQD 30.4K
$30.86 IQD 40.4K
-24.66%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.25 IQD 2,945
$2.27 IQD 2,966
-0.88%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.25 IQD 2,940
$1.5 IQD 1,958
50.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.01 IQD 9,171
$7.68 IQD 10K
-8.72%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.55 IQD 725
$0.48 IQD 634
14.58%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$13.5K IQD 17.7M
$11.4K IQD 14.9M
19.09%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.6K IQD 29.5M
$14.5K IQD 19M
55.61%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Basra
Karbala
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$57.3 IQD 75K
$70.3 IQD 92K
-18.53%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.35 IQD 33.2K
$24.7 IQD 32.3K
2.63%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$38.66 IQD 50.6K
$48.37 IQD 63.3K
-20.07%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Basra
Karbala
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.81 IQD 48.2K
$22.76 IQD 29.8K
61.73%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.48 IQD 20.3K
$16.95 IQD 22.2K
-8.67%
Cinema Ticket
$7.81 IQD 10.2K
$8.9 IQD 11.7K
-12.25%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Basra
Karbala
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$98.3 IQD 128.6K
$126 IQD 165.2K
-22.16%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,847 IQD 5M
$785 IQD 1M
389.84%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Basra
Karbala
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$42.81 IQD 56K
$17.44 IQD 22.8K
145.47%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$20.35 IQD 26.6K
$14.06 IQD 18.4K
44.74%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$70.4 IQD 92.2K
$30.32 IQD 39.7K
132.32%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$41.12 IQD 53.8K
$32.09 IQD 42K
28.14%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Basra
Karbala
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$456 IQD 597K
$254 IQD 332K
79.83%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$342 IQD 447.8K
$148 IQD 193.2K
131.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$914 IQD 1.2M
$345 IQD 452.1K
164.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$663 IQD 867.7K
$242 IQD 317.3K
173.48%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,599 IQD 2.1M
$1,155 IQD 1.5M
38.40%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$791 IQD 1M
$339 IQD 443.7K
133.48%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Basra
Karbala
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$758 IQD 991.8K
$504 IQD 659.7K
50.33%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.67
5.67
-

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

Last update for Basra: October 28, 2025

Last update for Karbala: October 29, 2025

Similar cities

Join the CityCost newsletter – low traffic, no spam, and easy to unsubscribe. Your email stays private.