Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Basra and Kirkuk

For one person, living is cheaper in Kirkuk: $545 a month against $664 in Basra, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 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
26

Cost of Living Index in Kirkuk
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Kirkuk Living Index

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Basra

🇮🇶 Iraq

$664

/mo nomad

Kirkuk

🇮🇶 Iraq

$545

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Basra and in Kirkuk

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $664 in Basra versus $545 in Kirkuk.

Basra $664
Kirkuk $545

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,194 in Basra versus $871 in Kirkuk.

Basra $1,194
Kirkuk $871

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,725 in Basra versus $1,197 in Kirkuk.

Basra $1,725
Kirkuk $1,197

Living in Basra is roughly 22% more expensive than in Kirkuk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Basra 51% lower, Kirkuk 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.88 IQD 5,859

$3.55 IQD 5,360

9.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.91 IQD 40.7K

$23.20 IQD 35.1K

15.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.70 IQD 10.1K

$5.25 IQD 7,928

27.62%

Cappuccino

$2.29 IQD 3,462

$2.35 IQD 3,558

-2.55%

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

$0.38 IQD 568

$0.38 IQD 576

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 IQD 458

$0.19 IQD 283

57.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 IQD 4,951

$2.71 IQD 4,102

21.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 IQD 5,541

$3.32 IQD 5,010

10.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 IQD 1,502

$0.97 IQD 1,471

2.06%

White Bread (500g)

$0.61 IQD 920

$0.57 IQD 858

7.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 IQD 1,833

$1.37 IQD 2,068

-11.68%

Eggs

$1.60 IQD 2,417

$1.27 IQD 1,913

25.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.32 IQD 9,552

$3.37 IQD 5,090

87.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.40 IQD 8,161

$3.22 IQD 4,871

67.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.12 IQD 18.3K

$11.21 IQD 16.9K

8.12%

Apples (1kg)

$0.84 IQD 1,265

$0.74 IQD 1,121

13.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 IQD 1,784

$0.79 IQD 1,196

49.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.85 IQD 1,285

$0.86 IQD 1,294

-1.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 IQD 834

$0.64 IQD 964

-14.06%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 IQD 960

$0.49 IQD 736

30.61%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 IQD 813

$0.48 IQD 722

12.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 IQD 1,211

$0.56 IQD 844

42.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.34 IQD 512

$0.35 IQD 523

-2.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.80 IQD 2,725

$1.67 IQD 2,521

7.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.21 IQD 16.9K

$11.67 IQD 17.6K

-3.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 IQD 2,383

$1.28 IQD 1,937

23.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 IQD 2,755

$1.64 IQD 2,472

10.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 IQD 789

$0.35 IQD 522

48.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.41 IQD 24.8K

$19.84 IQD 30.0K

-17.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 IQD 2,923

$1.93 IQD 2,914

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 IQD 2,948

$1.28 IQD 1,940

52.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.34 IQD 9,576

$6.62 IQD 10.0K

-4.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.56 IQD 841

$0.48 IQD 726

16.67%

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

$11.4K IQD 17.3M

$16.2K IQD 24.5M

-29.54%

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

$19.6K IQD 29.7M

$16.4K IQD 24.8M

19.84%

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

$43.92 IQD 66.4K

$51.8 IQD 78.3K

-15.28%

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

$22.28 IQD 33.7K

$19.86 IQD 30.0K

12.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.60 IQD 50.8K

$38.46 IQD 58.1K

-12.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.84 IQD 48.1K

$9.62 IQD 14.5K

230.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.99 IQD 18.1K

Cinema Ticket

$6.56 IQD 9,906

$9.83 IQD 14.8K

-33.27%

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

$109 IQD 165.2K

$147 IQD 222.9K

-25.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,237 IQD 4.9M

$3,309 IQD 5.0M

-2.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.57 IQD 65.8K

$25.85 IQD 39.1K

68.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.35 IQD 26.2K

$16.19 IQD 24.5K

7.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.7 IQD 103.8K

$58.8 IQD 88.8K

16.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.89 IQD 54.2K

$29.49 IQD 44.6K

21.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$405 IQD 611.7K

$167 IQD 252.8K

141.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$138 IQD 208.3K

$80.1 IQD 121.1K

72.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$369 IQD 558.1K

$195 IQD 294.5K

89.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$548 IQD 828.2K

$198 IQD 298.5K

177.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,403 IQD 2.1M

$501 IQD 757.5K

179.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$707 IQD 1.1M

$262 IQD 395.8K

169.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 IQD 1.0M

$387 IQD 584.6K

72.32%

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 Kirkuk: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Basra

$171 25.8%

Kirkuk

$143 26.2% 16.7% $29

Accommodation & Living

Basra

$138 20.8%

Kirkuk

$80 14.7% 41.9% $58

Eating Out

Basra

$105 15.8%

Kirkuk

$95 17.4% 9.7% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Basra

$100 15%

Kirkuk

$110 20.2% 10.4% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Basra

$74 11.2%

Kirkuk

$59 10.8% 21.3% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Basra

$45 6.8%

Kirkuk

$29 5.4% 34.9% $16

Getting Around

Basra

$30 4.6%

Kirkuk

$30 5.4% 2.1% $0.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $405 in Basra and $167 in Kirkuk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basra pays 72% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $27 in Basra vs $23 in Kirkuk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $171 vs $143 per month, with Kirkuk cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Basra

🇮🇶 Kirkuk

🕒 Local time

21:21 9:21 PM

Same time as Basra

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,150,000

850,787

💱 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

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Between locations

Basra Kirkuk 640 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Basra
Kirkuk

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 Kirkuk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $664 in Basra and $545 in Kirkuk, so Kirkuk is about 18% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 72% 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 $167 in Kirkuk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Basra. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Kirkuk – a meal for two runs $23 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 Kirkuk gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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