Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Basra and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Basra: $652 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $18,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Basra
Learn more

Basra Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
Learn more

Lisbon Living Index

Jump to prices

Basra

🇮🇶 Iraq

$652

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Basra and in Lisbon

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $652 in Basra versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

Basra $652
Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,179 in Basra versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

Basra $1,179
Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,706 in Basra versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

Basra $1,706
Lisbon $4,319

Living in Basra costs roughly 71% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Basra is 52% below, Lisbon is 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.06 IQD 6,134

$16.50 €14.67

-75.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.00 IQD 39.3K

$61.3 €54.5

-57.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.42 IQD 9,706

$11.27 €10.03

-43.03%

Cappuccino

$2.21 IQD 3,342

$3.06 €2.72

-27.78%

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

$0.36 IQD 551

$2.26 €2.01

-84.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 IQD 455

$1.73 €1.54

-82.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 IQD 4,849

$3.39 €3.02

-5.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 IQD 5,394

$3.40 €3.02

5.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 IQD 1,460

$1.12 €1.00

-13.39%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 IQD 841

$1.86 €1.65

-69.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 IQD 1,895

$1.53 €1.36

-18.30%

Eggs

$1.62 IQD 2,442

$3.96 €3.53

-59.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.28 IQD 9,486

$12.76 €11.35

-50.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.33 IQD 8,061

$7.90 €7.02

-32.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.12 IQD 18.3K

$16.97 €15.09

-28.58%

Apples (1kg)

$0.90 IQD 1,356

$2.27 €2.02

-60.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 IQD 1,787

$1.75 €1.55

-32.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.84 IQD 1,266

$1.85 €1.64

-54.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.60 IQD 904

$2.57 €2.28

-76.65%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 IQD 1,044

$1.86 €1.65

-62.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.53 IQD 802

$2.02 €1.80

-73.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 IQD 1,160

$1.44 €1.28

-46.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.36 IQD 546

$0.82 €0.73

-56.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.79 IQD 2,705

$6.56 €5.83

-72.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.93 IQD 16.5K

$5.62 €5.00

94.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 IQD 2,204

$1.28 €1.14

14.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 IQD 2,617

$2.07 €1.84

-16.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 IQD 756

$2.35 €2.09

-78.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.76 IQD 25.3K

$44.18 €39.30

-62.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.95 IQD 2,946

$3.99 €3.55

-51.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 IQD 2,930

$1.09 €0.97

77.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.35 IQD 9,594

$16.64 €14.81

-61.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.56 IQD 849

$2.28 €2.03

-75.44%

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

$11.7K IQD 17.7M

$33.7K €30.0K

-65.15%

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

$19.5K IQD 29.5M

$39.3K €35.0K

-50.33%

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

$44.55 IQD 67.3K

$167 €149

-73.40%

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

$22.24 IQD 33.6K

$18.80 €16.72

18.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.88 IQD 51.2K

$33.09 €29.43

2.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.91 IQD 46.7K

$46.01 €40.93

-32.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.94 IQD 18.0K

$19.19 €17.07

-37.78%

Cinema Ticket

$6.55 IQD 9,898

$9.84 €8.75

-33.43%

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

$109 IQD 164.7K

$677 €602

-83.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,250 IQD 4.9M

$16.9K €15.1K

-80.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.34 IQD 65.5K

$101 €90.1

-57.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.27 IQD 26.1K

$45.76 €40.70

-62.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.0 IQD 101.2K

$100.0 €88.9

-33.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.95 IQD 54.3K

$123 €109

-70.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$409 IQD 617.4K

$1,614 €1,436

-74.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$129 IQD 195.6K

$1,197 €1,065

-89.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$748 IQD 1.1M

$2,862 €2,545

-73.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$539 IQD 814.7K

$1,990 €1,770

-72.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,363 IQD 2.1M

$7,577 €6,740

-82.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$688 IQD 1.0M

$4,307 €3,831

-84.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$648 IQD 979.0K

$1,588 €1,412

-59.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.33

3.85

-13.51%

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

Last update for Basra: October 11, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Basra

$170 26%

Lisbon

$269 12.1% 58.8% $100

Accommodation & Living

Basra

$129 19.9%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9% 825% $1.1K

Eating Out

Basra

$104 16%

Lisbon

$242 10.9% 133% $138

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Basra

$101 15.4%

Lisbon

$219 9.9% 118% $119

Clothing & Footwear

Basra

$74 11.3%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 126% $93

Sport & Entertainment

Basra

$44 6.8%

Lisbon

$66 3% 49.3% $22

Getting Around

Basra

$30 4.7%

Lisbon

$63 2.8% 107% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $409 in Basra and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 145% 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: $26.00 in Basra vs $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $170 vs $269 per month, with Basra cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Basra

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

00:56 12:56 AM

22:56 10:56 PM

2 h behind Basra

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,150,000

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to IQD – Iraqi Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇶 Iraqi Dinar (ع.د)

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to IQD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Basra Lisbon 5,210 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Basra
Lisbon

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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Basra and Lisbon differ by about 241% in total monthly costs ($652 vs $2,223 including rent). Basra is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 145% lower in Lisbon. 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: $409 in Basra versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Basra – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $61.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $652 in Basra versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Basra but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. 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 Lisbon 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 241% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.