Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Basra and Tikrit

For one person, living is cheaper in Tikrit: $646 a month against $664 in Basra, rent and utilities included – about $220 less a year. The total is higher in Basra despite lower rent and utilities.

32

Cost of Living Index in Basra
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Basra Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Tikrit
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Tikrit Living Index

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Basra

🇮🇶 Iraq

$664

/mo nomad

Tikrit

🇮🇶 Iraq

$646

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Basra and in Tikrit

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $664 in Basra versus $646 in Tikrit.

Basra $664
Tikrit $646

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,194 in Basra versus $997 in Tikrit.

Basra $1,194
Tikrit $997

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,725 in Basra versus $1,349 in Tikrit.

Basra $1,725
Tikrit $1,349

Living in Basra is roughly 3% more expensive than in Tikrit, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Basra 51% lower, Tikrit 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.88 IQD 5,859

$4.21 IQD 6,365

-7.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.91 IQD 40.7K

$20.27 IQD 30.6K

32.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.70 IQD 10.1K

$6.52 IQD 9,850

2.76%

Cappuccino

$2.29 IQD 3,462

$2.66 IQD 4,019

-13.91%

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

$0.38 IQD 568

$0.34 IQD 511

11.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 IQD 458

$0.23 IQD 352

30.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 IQD 4,951

$3.15 IQD 4,755

4.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 IQD 5,541

$2.49 IQD 3,762

47.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 IQD 1,502

$1.14 IQD 1,719

-13.16%

White Bread (500g)

$0.61 IQD 920

$0.60 IQD 905

1.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 IQD 1,833

$1.32 IQD 1,992

-8.33%

Eggs

$1.60 IQD 2,417

$1.56 IQD 2,353

2.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.32 IQD 9,552

$4.21 IQD 6,361

50.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.40 IQD 8,161

$3.67 IQD 5,544

47.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.12 IQD 18.3K

$10.24 IQD 15.5K

18.36%

Apples (1kg)

$0.84 IQD 1,265

$0.98 IQD 1,479

-14.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 IQD 1,784

$1.05 IQD 1,588

12.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.85 IQD 1,285

$0.86 IQD 1,306

-1.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 IQD 834

$0.62 IQD 935

-11.29%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 IQD 960

$0.65 IQD 987

-1.54%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 IQD 813

$0.53 IQD 803

1.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 IQD 1,211

$0.56 IQD 844

42.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.34 IQD 512

$0.55 IQD 831

-38.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.80 IQD 2,725

$1.64 IQD 2,485

9.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.21 IQD 16.9K

$10.59 IQD 16.0K

5.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 IQD 2,383

$1.59 IQD 2,404

-0.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 IQD 2,755

$1.59 IQD 2,403

14.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 IQD 789

$0.37 IQD 552

40.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.41 IQD 24.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 IQD 2,923

$1.87 IQD 2,830

3.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 IQD 2,948

$1.26 IQD 1,901

54.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.34 IQD 9,576

$4.98 IQD 7,523

27.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.56 IQD 841

$0.54 IQD 819

3.70%

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

$11.4K IQD 17.3M

$15.6K IQD 23.6M

-26.92%

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

$19.6K IQD 29.7M

$18.1K IQD 27.3M

8.78%

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

$43.92 IQD 66.4K

$89.4 IQD 135.0K

-50.86%

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

$22.28 IQD 33.7K

$14.36 IQD 21.7K

55.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.60 IQD 50.8K

$29.25 IQD 44.2K

14.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.84 IQD 48.1K

$31.36 IQD 47.4K

1.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.99 IQD 18.1K

Cinema Ticket

$6.56 IQD 9,906

$10.09 IQD 15.2K

-34.99%

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

$109 IQD 165.2K

$129 IQD 194.8K

-15.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,237 IQD 4.9M

$2,947 IQD 4.5M

9.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.57 IQD 65.8K

$21.87 IQD 33.0K

99.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.35 IQD 26.2K

$20.35 IQD 30.7K

-14.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.7 IQD 103.8K

$51.3 IQD 77.5K

33.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.89 IQD 54.2K

$38.33 IQD 57.9K

-6.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$405 IQD 611.7K

$183 IQD 276.0K

121.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$138 IQD 208.3K

$131 IQD 198.5K

4.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$369 IQD 558.1K

$398 IQD 601.7K

-7.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$548 IQD 828.2K

$292 IQD 441.4K

87.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,403 IQD 2.1M

$958 IQD 1.4M

46.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$707 IQD 1.1M

$543 IQD 820.3K

30.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 IQD 1.0M

$302 IQD 457.0K

120.43%

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 Tikrit: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Basra

$171 25.8%

Tikrit

$152 23.6% 11% $19

Accommodation & Living

Basra

$138 20.8%

Tikrit

$131 20.4% 4.7% $6.5

Eating Out

Basra

$105 15.8%

Tikrit

$108 16.8% 3% $3.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Basra

$100 15%

Tikrit

$133 20.6% 33.2% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Basra

$74 11.2%

Tikrit

$59 9.2% 20.3% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Basra

$45 6.8%

Tikrit

$52 8% 14.6% $6.6

Getting Around

Basra

$30 4.6%

Tikrit

$9.6 * 1.5% 68.1% $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 $183 in Tikrit. 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 $20 in Tikrit for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $171 vs $152 per month, with Tikrit cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Basra

🇮🇶 Tikrit

🕒 Local time

11:01 11:01 AM

Same time as Basra

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,150,000

260,000

💱 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 Tikrit 600 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Basra
Tikrit

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 Tikrit: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $664 in Basra and $646 in Tikrit, so Tikrit is about 3% 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 $183 in Tikrit. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $109 in Basra versus $129 in Tikrit. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tikrit – a meal for two runs $20 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 Tikrit gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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