Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zakho and Basra

For one person, living is cheaper in Basra: $664 a month against $725 in Zakho, rent and utilities included – about $730 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Zakho outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

35

Cost of Living Index in Zakho
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Zakho Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Basra
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Basra Living Index

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Zakho

🇮🇶 Iraq

$725

/mo nomad

Basra

🇮🇶 Iraq

$664

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $725 in Zakho versus $664 in Basra.

Zakho $725
Basra $664

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,158 in Zakho versus $1,194 in Basra.

Zakho $1,158
Basra $1,194

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,591 in Zakho versus $1,725 in Basra.

Zakho $1,591
Basra $1,725

Living in Zakho is roughly 9% more expensive than in Basra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Zakho 47% lower, Basra 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.18 IQD 6,310

$3.88 IQD 5,859

7.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.97 IQD 55.9K

$26.91 IQD 40.7K

37.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.14 IQD 10.8K

$6.70 IQD 10.1K

6.57%

Cappuccino

$3.21 IQD 4,856

$2.29 IQD 3,462

40.17%

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

$0.83 IQD 1,256

$0.38 IQD 568

118.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 IQD 506

$0.30 IQD 458

10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.65 IQD 8,535

$3.28 IQD 4,951

72.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 IQD 5,960

$3.67 IQD 5,541

7.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 IQD 1,669

$0.99 IQD 1,502

11.11%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 IQD 1,023

$0.61 IQD 920

11.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 IQD 2,271

$1.21 IQD 1,833

23.97%

Eggs

$1.58 IQD 2,382

$1.60 IQD 2,417

-1.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.88 IQD 10.4K

$6.32 IQD 9,552

8.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.26 IQD 6,440

$5.40 IQD 8,161

-21.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 IQD 19.2K

$12.12 IQD 18.3K

4.70%

Apples (1kg)

$0.98 IQD 1,484

$0.84 IQD 1,265

16.67%

Banana (1kg)

$0.94 IQD 1,414

$1.18 IQD 1,784

-20.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 IQD 1,536

$0.85 IQD 1,285

20.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.65 IQD 986

$0.55 IQD 834

18.18%

Potato (1kg)

$0.61 IQD 920

$0.64 IQD 960

-4.69%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 IQD 895

$0.54 IQD 813

9.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 IQD 926

$0.80 IQD 1,211

-23.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 IQD 775

$0.34 IQD 512

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.18 IQD 3,300

$1.80 IQD 2,725

21.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.80 IQD 16.3K

$11.21 IQD 16.9K

-3.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 IQD 2,213

$1.58 IQD 2,383

-7.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 IQD 2,737

$1.82 IQD 2,755

-0.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 IQD 439

$0.52 IQD 789

-44.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.41 IQD 24.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 IQD 2,546

$1.93 IQD 2,923

-12.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 IQD 2,440

$1.95 IQD 2,948

-17.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.65 IQD 8,531

$6.34 IQD 9,576

-10.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 IQD 886

$0.56 IQD 841

5.36%

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

$16.5K IQD 24.9M

$11.4K IQD 17.3M

44.04%

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

$17.1K IQD 25.8M

$19.6K IQD 29.7M

-13.02%

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

$115 IQD 173.5K

$43.92 IQD 66.4K

161.43%

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

$12.27 IQD 18.5K

$22.28 IQD 33.7K

-44.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.28 IQD 36.7K

$33.60 IQD 50.8K

-27.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.56 IQD 59.8K

$31.84 IQD 48.1K

24.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.99 IQD 18.1K

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 IQD 14.7K

$6.56 IQD 9,906

48.63%

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

$298 IQD 450.7K

$109 IQD 165.2K

172.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,742 IQD 4.1M

$3,237 IQD 4.9M

-15.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.56 IQD 40.1K

$43.57 IQD 65.8K

-39.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.78 IQD 29.9K

$17.35 IQD 26.2K

14.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$49.59 IQD 74.9K

$68.7 IQD 103.8K

-27.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.81 IQD 60.1K

$35.89 IQD 54.2K

10.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$207 IQD 313.3K

$405 IQD 611.7K

-48.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$136 IQD 205.0K

$138 IQD 208.3K

-1.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$370 IQD 558.5K

$369 IQD 558.1K

0.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$319 IQD 482.7K

$548 IQD 828.2K

-41.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$888 IQD 1.3M

$1,403 IQD 2.1M

-36.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$551 IQD 833.0K

$707 IQD 1.1M

-22.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$660 IQD 997.8K

$667 IQD 1.0M

-0.95%

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 Zakho: 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

Zakho

$172 23.8%

Basra

$171 25.8% 0.5% $0.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zakho

$151 20.9%

Basra

$100 15% 34.1% $52

Accommodation & Living

Zakho

$136 18.7%

Basra

$138 20.8% 1.6% $2.2

Eating Out

Zakho

$134 18.5%

Basra

$105 15.8% 21.7% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Zakho

$61 8.4%

Basra

$74 11.2% 21.9% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Zakho

$59 8.2%

Basra

$45 6.8% 23.9% $14

Getting Around

Zakho

$11 * 1.5%

Basra

$30 4.6% 177% $19

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 $207 in Zakho and $405 in Basra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $37 in Zakho vs $27 in Basra for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $172 vs $171 per month, with Basra cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Zakho

🇮🇶 Basra

🕒 Local time

07:19 7:19 AM

Same time as Zakho

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

197,163

2,150,000

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Zakho Basra 880 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Zakho
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

Zakho vs Basra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $725 in Zakho and $664 in Basra, so Basra is about 8% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $1,087 in Zakho and $995 in Basra 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: $207 in Zakho versus $405 in Basra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $298 in Zakho versus $109 in Basra. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $725 per month in Zakho versus $664 in Basra – Basra is about 8% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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.