Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sulaymaniyah and Basra

For one person, living costs are similar in Sulaymaniyah and in Basra: $668 and $652 a month, rent and utilities included.

32

Cost of Living Index in Sulaymaniyah
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Sulaymaniyah Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Basra
Learn more

Basra Living Index

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Sulaymaniyah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$668

/mo nomad

Basra

🇮🇶 Iraq

$652

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $668 in Sulaymaniyah versus $652 in Basra.

Sulaymaniyah $668
Basra $652

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,038 in Sulaymaniyah versus $1,179 in Basra.

Sulaymaniyah $1,038
Basra $1,179

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,407 in Sulaymaniyah versus $1,706 in Basra.

Sulaymaniyah $1,407
Basra $1,706

Living in Sulaymaniyah is roughly 2% more expensive than in Basra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sulaymaniyah 51% lower, Basra 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 IQD 6,664

$4.06 IQD 6,134

8.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.08 IQD 30.3K

$26.00 IQD 39.3K

-22.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.02 IQD 9,090

$6.42 IQD 9,706

-6.23%

Cappuccino

$2.38 IQD 3,595

$2.21 IQD 3,342

7.69%

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

$0.42 IQD 639

$0.36 IQD 551

16.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 IQD 332

$0.30 IQD 455

-26.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 IQD 4,910

$3.21 IQD 4,849

1.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 IQD 2,968

$3.57 IQD 5,394

-45.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 IQD 1,659

$0.97 IQD 1,460

13.40%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 IQD 1,300

$0.56 IQD 841

53.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 IQD 2,494

$1.25 IQD 1,895

32.00%

Eggs

$1.48 IQD 2,232

$1.62 IQD 2,442

-8.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.46 IQD 6,743

$6.28 IQD 9,486

-28.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.53 IQD 5,334

$5.33 IQD 8,061

-33.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.97 IQD 19.6K

$12.12 IQD 18.3K

7.01%

Apples (1kg)

$1.14 IQD 1,730

$0.90 IQD 1,356

26.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 IQD 1,619

$1.18 IQD 1,787

-9.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.01 IQD 1,524

$0.84 IQD 1,266

20.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.58 IQD 878

$0.60 IQD 904

-3.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.49 IQD 739

$0.69 IQD 1,044

-28.99%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 IQD 892

$0.53 IQD 802

11.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 IQD 950

$0.77 IQD 1,160

-18.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 IQD 682

$0.36 IQD 546

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.00 IQD 3,021

$1.79 IQD 2,705

11.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.99 IQD 15.1K

$10.93 IQD 16.5K

-8.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 IQD 2,527

$1.46 IQD 2,204

14.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 IQD 1,899

$1.73 IQD 2,617

-27.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 IQD 769

$0.50 IQD 756

2.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 IQD 29.8K

$16.76 IQD 25.3K

17.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.95 IQD 2,952

$1.95 IQD 2,946

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 IQD 2,925

$1.94 IQD 2,930

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 IQD 6,957

$6.35 IQD 9,594

-27.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.57 IQD 857

$0.56 IQD 849

1.79%

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

$17.6K IQD 26.6M

$11.7K IQD 17.7M

50.06%

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

$16.6K IQD 25.1M

$19.5K IQD 29.5M

-14.92%

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

$87.2 IQD 131.7K

$44.55 IQD 67.3K

95.65%

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

$10.17 IQD 15.4K

$22.24 IQD 33.6K

-54.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.75 IQD 35.9K

$33.88 IQD 51.2K

-29.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.59 IQD 52.3K

$30.91 IQD 46.7K

11.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.49 IQD 26.4K

$11.94 IQD 18.0K

46.48%

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 IQD 10.1K

$6.55 IQD 9,898

1.68%

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

$150 IQD 227.3K

$109 IQD 164.7K

37.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,553 IQD 3.9M

$3,250 IQD 4.9M

-21.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.58 IQD 25.0K

$43.34 IQD 65.5K

-61.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.70 IQD 32.8K

$17.27 IQD 26.1K

25.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$37.04 IQD 56.0K

$67.0 IQD 101.2K

-44.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.18 IQD 50.1K

$35.95 IQD 54.3K

-7.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$187 IQD 283.1K

$409 IQD 617.4K

-54.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$149 IQD 225.8K

$129 IQD 195.6K

15.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$410 IQD 619.7K

$748 IQD 1.1M

-45.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 IQD 472.8K

$539 IQD 814.7K

-41.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$688 IQD 1.0M

$1,363 IQD 2.1M

-49.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$530 IQD 800.5K

$688 IQD 1.0M

-23.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$487 IQD 735.7K

$648 IQD 979.0K

-24.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.77

3.33

73.27%

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

Last update for Sulaymaniyah: October 10, 2026

Last update for Basra: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sulaymaniyah

$163 24.4%

Basra

$170 26% 4.4% $7.1

Accommodation & Living

Sulaymaniyah

$149 22.4%

Basra

$129 19.9% 13.4% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sulaymaniyah

$121 18.1%

Basra

$101 15.4% 16.9% $20

Eating Out

Sulaymaniyah

$105 15.7%

Basra

$104 16% 0.5% $0.5

Clothing & Footwear

Sulaymaniyah

$49 7.3%

Basra

$74 11.3% 50.7% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Sulaymaniyah

$48 7.2%

Basra

$44 6.8% 8.1% $3.9

Getting Around

Sulaymaniyah

$33 5%

Basra

$30 4.7% 9% $3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $187 in Sulaymaniyah and $409 in Basra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basra pays 33% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $20.00 in Sulaymaniyah vs $26.00 in Basra for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $163 vs $170 per month, with Sulaymaniyah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Sulaymaniyah

🇮🇶 Basra

🕒 Local time

22:01 10:01 PM

Same time as Sulaymaniyah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

823,199

2,150,000

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Sulaymaniyah Basra 600 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Sulaymaniyah
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

Sulaymaniyah vs Basra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sulaymaniyah and Basra differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($668 vs $652 including rent). Basra is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 33% lower in Basra. 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: $187 in Sulaymaniyah versus $409 in Basra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Sulaymaniyah pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Basra – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $20.00 in Sulaymaniyah. 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.

Safety-wise, Sulaymaniyah and Basra 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 2% less than in Sulaymaniyah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.