Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rayong and Basra

For one person, living is cheaper in Basra: $664 a month against $940 in Rayong, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Rayong, Thailand
Basra, Iraq
Rayong
🇹🇭 Thailand
$940
/mo nomad
Basra
🇮🇶 Iraq
$664
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rayong 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 Rayong and in Basra actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $940 in Rayong versus $664 in Basra.

  • Rayong $940
  • Basra $664

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,192 in Rayong versus $1,194 in Basra.

  • Rayong $1,192
  • Basra $1,194

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,444 in Rayong versus $1,725 in Basra.

  • Rayong $1,444
  • Basra $1,725

Living in Rayong is roughly 42% more expensive than in Basra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rayong 31% lower, Basra 51% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Rayong
Basra
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.99 ฿101
$3.88 IQD 5,859
-22.94%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$17.80 ฿601
$26.91 IQD 40.7K
-33.85%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.53 ฿254
$6.70 IQD 10.1K
12.39%
Cappuccino
$1.68 ฿56.7
$2.29 IQD 3,462
-26.64%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.43
$0.38 IQD 568
36.84%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.28 ฿9.49
$0.30 IQD 458
-6.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.74 ฿58.9
$3.28 IQD 4,951
-46.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.01 ฿102
$3.67 IQD 5,541
-17.98%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Rayong
Basra
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.90 ฿64.3
$0.99 IQD 1,502
91.92%
White Bread (500g)
$1.32 ฿44.47
$0.61 IQD 920
116.39%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.40 ฿47.31
$1.21 IQD 1,833
15.70%
Eggs
$2.48 ฿83.8
$1.60 IQD 2,417
55.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.25 ฿582
$6.32 IQD 9,552
172.94%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.86 ฿96.4
$5.40 IQD 8,161
-47.04%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.00 ฿439
$12.12 IQD 18.3K
7.26%
Apples (1kg)
$3.29 ฿111
$0.84 IQD 1,265
291.67%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 ฿58.6
$1.18 IQD 1,784
46.61%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.26 ฿76.5
$0.85 IQD 1,285
165.88%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.88 ฿63.6
$0.55 IQD 834
241.82%
Potato (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.1
$0.64 IQD 960
164.06%
Onion (1kg)
$1.48 ฿49.95
$0.54 IQD 813
174.07%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.28 ฿43.09
$0.80 IQD 1,211
60.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.48 ฿16.15
$0.34 IQD 512
41.18%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.76 ฿161
$1.80 IQD 2,725
164.44%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.72 ฿497
$11.21 IQD 16.9K
31.31%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.77 ฿59.8
$1.58 IQD 2,383
12.03%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.26 ฿110
$1.82 IQD 2,755
79.12%
🚌 Getting Around
Rayong
Basra
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.52 IQD 789
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$16.41 IQD 24.8K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.06 ฿35.92
$1.93 IQD 2,923
-45.08%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.20 ฿40.50
$1.95 IQD 2,948
-38.46%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.09 ฿206
$6.34 IQD 9,576
-3.94%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.40 ฿47.17
$0.56 IQD 841
150.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.6K ฿1.0M
$11.4K IQD 17.3M
167.95%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.5K ฿893.2K
$19.6K IQD 29.7M
34.68%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rayong
Basra
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$44.92 ฿1,517
$43.92 IQD 66.4K
2.28%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.62 ฿494
$22.28 IQD 33.7K
-34.38%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$11.77 ฿397
$33.60 IQD 50.8K
-64.97%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Rayong
Basra
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,270
$31.84 IQD 48.1K
111.12%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.41 ฿588
$11.99 IQD 18.1K
45.20%
Cinema Ticket
$6.63 ฿224
$6.56 IQD 9,906
1.07%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Rayong
Basra
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$788 ฿26.6K
$109 IQD 165.2K
620.43%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.5K ฿556.9K
$3,237 IQD 4.9M
409.49%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Rayong
Basra
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$69.4 ฿2,343
$43.57 IQD 65.8K
59.24%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.09 ฿1,455
$17.35 IQD 26.2K
148.36%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.1 ฿3,313
$68.7 IQD 103.8K
42.79%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 ฿3,479
$35.89 IQD 54.2K
187.04%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Rayong
Basra
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$421 ฿14.2K
$405 IQD 611.7K
4.10%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$293 ฿9,911
$138 IQD 208.3K
112.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$369 IQD 558.1K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$548 IQD 828.2K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$1,403 IQD 2.1M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,999 ฿67.5K
$707 IQD 1.1M
182.87%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Rayong
Basra
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$460 ฿15.5K
$667 IQD 1.0M
-31.06%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.25
4.12
27.43%

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

Last update for Rayong: October 25, 2026

Last update for Basra: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Rayong
$293
Basra
$138 53% $156
Groceries & Markets
Rayong
$262
Basra
$171 34.6% $91
Clothing & Footwear
Rayong
$141
Basra
$74 47.2% $67
Eating Out
Rayong
$85
Basra
$105 24.2% $20
Sport & Entertainment
Rayong
$80
Basra
$45 44.1% $36
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rayong
$71
Basra
$100 39.9% $28
Getting Around
Rayong
$7.1 *
Basra
$30 328% $23

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 $421 in Rayong and $405 in Basra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basra pays 45% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $18 in Rayong vs $27 in Basra. Groceries flip the comparison at $262 vs $171, with Basra cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Rayong
🇮🇶 Basra
🕒 Local time
20:01 8:01 PM
16:01 4:01 PM
4 h behind Rayong
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
63,565
2,150,000
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د
Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,682 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.95 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Rayong Basra 5,810 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Rayong
  • 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
Rayong vs Basra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Rayong and in Basra?
Rayong and Basra differ by about 42% in total monthly costs ($940 vs $664 including rent). Basra is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 31% lower in Rayong. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Rayong and in Basra?
Rent for a central apartment: $421 in Rayong versus $405 in Basra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Rayong and Basra?
Childcare runs $788 in Rayong versus $109 in Basra. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Rayong – a meal for two runs $18 versus $27 in Basra. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How far does $1,200 go in Rayong compared to Basra?
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.
How does quality of life compare between Rayong and Basra?
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.

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