Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mosul and Basra

For one person, living is cheaper in Mosul: $573 a month against $664 in Basra, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

28

Cost of Living Index in Mosul
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Mosul Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Basra
Learn more

Basra Living Index

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Mosul

🇮🇶 Iraq

$573

/mo nomad

Basra

🇮🇶 Iraq

$664

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mosul and in Basra

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mosul and in Basra actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $573 in Mosul versus $664 in Basra.

Mosul $573
Basra $664

Estimated couple costs with rent: $906 in Mosul versus $1,194 in Basra.

Mosul $906
Basra $1,194

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,239 in Mosul versus $1,725 in Basra.

Mosul $1,239
Basra $1,725

Living in Mosul costs roughly 14% less than in Basra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mosul 58% lower, Basra 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.07 IQD 6,154

$3.88 IQD 5,859

4.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.30 IQD 24.6K

$26.91 IQD 40.7K

-39.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.21 IQD 7,870

$6.70 IQD 10.1K

-22.24%

Cappuccino

$1.44 IQD 2,171

$2.29 IQD 3,462

-37.12%

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

$0.37 IQD 552

$0.38 IQD 568

-2.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 IQD 241

$0.30 IQD 458

-46.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.35 IQD 2,045

$3.28 IQD 4,951

-58.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 IQD 1,965

$3.67 IQD 5,541

-64.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.72 IQD 1,086

$0.99 IQD 1,502

-27.27%

White Bread (500g)

$0.63 IQD 955

$0.61 IQD 920

3.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 IQD 1,645

$1.21 IQD 1,833

-9.92%

Eggs

$1.35 IQD 2,045

$1.60 IQD 2,417

-15.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.05 IQD 4,611

$6.32 IQD 9,552

-51.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 IQD 5,481

$5.40 IQD 8,161

-32.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.20 IQD 15.4K

$12.12 IQD 18.3K

-15.84%

Apples (1kg)

$0.60 IQD 900

$0.84 IQD 1,265

-28.57%

Banana (1kg)

$0.89 IQD 1,347

$1.18 IQD 1,784

-24.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.61 IQD 915

$0.85 IQD 1,285

-28.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.43 IQD 650

$0.55 IQD 834

-21.82%

Potato (1kg)

$0.41 IQD 617

$0.64 IQD 960

-35.94%

Onion (1kg)

$0.41 IQD 621

$0.54 IQD 813

-24.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.36 IQD 544

$0.80 IQD 1,211

-55.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 IQD 785

$0.34 IQD 512

52.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.67 IQD 2,528

$1.80 IQD 2,725

-7.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.47 IQD 9,779

$11.21 IQD 16.9K

-42.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 IQD 2,222

$1.58 IQD 2,383

-6.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 IQD 2,516

$1.82 IQD 2,755

-8.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 IQD 518

$0.52 IQD 789

-34.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 IQD 113.4K

$16.41 IQD 24.8K

357.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 IQD 1,954

$1.93 IQD 2,923

-33.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 IQD 2,051

$1.95 IQD 2,948

-30.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 IQD 6,032

$6.34 IQD 9,576

-37.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.44 IQD 661

$0.56 IQD 841

-21.43%

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

$15.0K IQD 22.7M

$11.4K IQD 17.3M

31.15%

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

$17.3K IQD 26.2M

$19.6K IQD 29.7M

-11.78%

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

$76.1 IQD 115.0K

$43.92 IQD 66.4K

73.27%

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

$12.24 IQD 18.5K

$22.28 IQD 33.7K

-45.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.78 IQD 35.9K

$33.60 IQD 50.8K

-29.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.66 IQD 31.2K

$31.84 IQD 48.1K

-35.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.72 IQD 34.3K

$11.99 IQD 18.1K

89.49%

Cinema Ticket

$8.09 IQD 12.2K

$6.56 IQD 9,906

23.32%

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

$172 IQD 259.6K

$109 IQD 165.2K

57.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,729 IQD 4.1M

$3,237 IQD 4.9M

-15.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.79 IQD 16.3K

$43.57 IQD 65.8K

-75.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.25 IQD 24.6K

$17.35 IQD 26.2K

-6.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.17 IQD 35.0K

$68.7 IQD 103.8K

-66.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$22.08 IQD 33.4K

$35.89 IQD 54.2K

-38.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$142 IQD 215.2K

$405 IQD 611.7K

-64.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$103 IQD 155.9K

$138 IQD 208.3K

-25.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$247 IQD 373.8K

$369 IQD 558.1K

-33.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$252 IQD 380.7K

$548 IQD 828.2K

-54.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$730 IQD 1.1M

$1,403 IQD 2.1M

-47.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$502 IQD 758.5K

$707 IQD 1.1M

-28.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$420 IQD 634.2K

$667 IQD 1.0M

-37.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.53

4.12

-38.59%

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

Last update for Mosul: October 25, 2026

Last update for Basra: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Mosul

$127 22.2%

Basra

$171 25.8% 34.4% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mosul

$112 19.6%

Basra

$100 15% 11% $12

Accommodation & Living

Mosul

$103 18%

Basra

$138 20.8% 33.7% $35

Getting Around

Mosul

$84 14.7%

Basra

$30 4.6% 64.3% $54

Eating Out

Mosul

$77 13.4%

Basra

$105 15.8% 36.6% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Mosul

$37 6.4%

Basra

$45 6.8% 22% $8.1

Clothing & Footwear

Mosul

$33 5.7%

Basra

$74 11.2% 129% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $142 in Mosul and $405 in Basra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basra pays 59% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $16 in Mosul vs $27 in Basra for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $127 vs $171 per month, with Mosul cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Mosul

🇮🇶 Basra

🕒 Local time

14:20 2:20 PM

Same time as Mosul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,683,000

2,150,000

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.95 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.95 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Mosul Basra 780 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Mosul
Basra

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

Mosul vs Basra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mosul and Basra differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($573 vs $664 including rent). Mosul is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 37% lower in Mosul. 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: $142 in Mosul versus $405 in Basra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Basra. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Mosul – a meal for two runs $16 versus $27 in Basra. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Mosul gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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