Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Basra and Mashhad, Iraq

For one person, living is cheaper in Basra: $662 a month against $756 in Mashhad, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Mashhad outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

32

Cost of Living Index in Basra
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Basra Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Mashhad
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Mashhad Living Index

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Basra

🇮🇶 Iraq

$662

/mo nomad

Mashhad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$756

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Basra and in Mashhad

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $662 in Basra versus $756 in Mashhad.

Basra $662
Mashhad $756

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,191 in Basra versus $1,119 in Mashhad.

Basra $1,191
Mashhad $1,119

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,719 in Basra versus $1,481 in Mashhad.

Basra $1,719
Mashhad $1,481

Living in Basra costs roughly 12% less than in Mashhad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Basra 51% lower, Mashhad 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.02 IQD 6,082

$4.49 IQD 6,781

-10.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.47 IQD 40.0K

$26.73 IQD 40.4K

-0.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.62 IQD 10.0K

$6.73 IQD 10.2K

-1.63%

Cappuccino

$2.17 IQD 3,285

$2.71 IQD 4,100

-19.93%

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

$0.37 IQD 554

$0.36 IQD 542

2.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 IQD 417

$0.20 IQD 302

40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 IQD 4,916

$3.37 IQD 5,090

-3.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 IQD 5,393

$3.39 IQD 5,126

5.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 IQD 1,389

$0.91 IQD 1,368

1.10%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 IQD 902

$0.73 IQD 1,106

-17.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 IQD 1,842

$1.32 IQD 1,997

-7.58%

Eggs

$1.62 IQD 2,448

$0.82 IQD 1,242

97.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.41 IQD 9,681

$3.41 IQD 5,157

87.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.58 IQD 8,429

$1.98 IQD 2,985

181.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.22 IQD 18.5K

$2.95 IQD 4,463

314.24%

Apples (1kg)

$0.84 IQD 1,267

$1.03 IQD 1,556

-18.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 IQD 1,753

$0.91 IQD 1,377

27.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.89 IQD 1,342

$0.87 IQD 1,321

2.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.60 IQD 910

$0.64 IQD 971

-6.25%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 IQD 1,044

$0.59 IQD 898

16.95%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 IQD 846

$0.56 IQD 840

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.82 IQD 1,236

$0.31 IQD 474

164.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.36 IQD 547

$0.21 IQD 321

71.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.85 IQD 2,790

$0.77 IQD 1,168

140.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.16 IQD 16.9K

$11.82 IQD 17.9K

-5.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 IQD 2,365

$1.92 IQD 2,898

-18.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 IQD 2,717

$1.87 IQD 2,832

-3.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 IQD 762

$0.34 IQD 520

47.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.56 IQD 25.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 IQD 3,056

$1.96 IQD 2,965

3.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 IQD 3,023

$1.31 IQD 1,972

52.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.34 IQD 9,581

$6.42 IQD 9,699

-1.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.55 IQD 838

$0.54 IQD 810

1.85%

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

$11.7K IQD 17.7M

$16.8K IQD 25.4M

-30.25%

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

$19.9K IQD 30.1M

$16.5K IQD 25.0M

20.61%

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

$43.26 IQD 65.4K

$191 IQD 288.5K

-77.34%

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

$21.81 IQD 33.0K

$19.44 IQD 29.4K

12.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.04 IQD 51.4K

$38.59 IQD 58.3K

-11.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.25 IQD 47.2K

$36.79 IQD 55.6K

-15.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.28 IQD 18.6K

Cinema Ticket

$6.69 IQD 10.1K

$9.69 IQD 14.6K

-30.96%

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

$107 IQD 161.7K

$143 IQD 215.6K

-25.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,309 IQD 5.0M

$3,191 IQD 4.8M

3.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.15 IQD 65.2K

$25.57 IQD 38.6K

68.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.34 IQD 26.2K

$34.03 IQD 51.4K

-49.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.0 IQD 101.2K

$58.7 IQD 88.8K

14.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.13 IQD 54.6K

$42.44 IQD 64.1K

-14.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$405 IQD 612.0K

$212 IQD 319.9K

91.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$138 IQD 208.2K

$139 IQD 210.6K

-1.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$370 IQD 559.6K

$378 IQD 571.7K

-2.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$545 IQD 823.8K

$319 IQD 482.6K

70.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,398 IQD 2.1M

$862 IQD 1.3M

62.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$704 IQD 1.1M

$491 IQD 742.5K

43.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$672 IQD 1.0M

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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Mashhad: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Basra

$173 26%

Mashhad

$115 15.2% 33.4% $58

Accommodation & Living

Basra

$138 20.8%

Mashhad

$139 18.4% 1.2% $1.6

Eating Out

Basra

$104 15.7%

Mashhad

$115 15.1% 10% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Basra

$99 15%

Mashhad

$249 32.9% 151% $150

Clothing & Footwear

Basra

$74 11.1%

Mashhad

$72 9.6% 1.7% $1.3

Sport & Entertainment

Basra

$45 6.7%

Mashhad

$56 7.4% 25.8% $12

Getting Around

Basra

$31 4.6%

Mashhad

$9.9 * 1.3% 67.7% $21

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $405 in Basra and $212 in Mashhad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $26 in Basra vs $27 in Mashhad. Groceries flip the comparison at $173 vs $115, with Mashhad cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Basra

🇮🇶 Mashhad

🕒 Local time

06:48 6:48 AM

Same time as Basra

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,150,000

13,000

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.92 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.92 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Basra Mashhad 710 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Basra
Mashhad

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 Mashhad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $662 in Basra and $756 in Mashhad, so Basra is about 12% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $994 in Basra and $1,134 in Mashhad to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $405 in Basra versus $212 in Mashhad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $107 in Basra versus $143 in Mashhad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Basra – a meal for two runs $26 versus $27 in Mashhad. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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