Global CityIntelligence

Iraq / Middle East

Basra, Iraq City Intelligence

Basra is an indexed city in Iraq (Middle East), with a metropolitan population of about ~1.3M. This profile brings together deterministic city-intelligence indicators for Basra spanning cost of living, climate, safety and quality of life, economy and jobs, education, and healthcare. Basra is a middle east city of about ~1.3M in Iraq. On the composite city-intelligence score, Basra sits at an early stage relative to the indexed set (49/100).

Last updated
2026-05-16
Data year
2025
Population
~1.3M
View of Basra, Iraq

Image credit: Image: Staff Sgt. Michael L. Casteel / Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain

Composite profile

Overall score

49/100

Use the Basra profile to compare affordability, livability, and economic indicators against other indexed cities in Iraq and across Middle East, and to explore nearby nature and weekend destinations.

Overall49/100
Affordability69/100
Air quality49/100
Energy58/100

Overall city intelligence

Constrained

49/100

Composite directional score across affordability, air quality, clean energy, and resilience.

Data confidence

Directional

Directional indicators pending integration of verified city-level data.

Verified utility layers

See country hub

Emergency, healthcare, and transport verification status appears on the country hub.

Basra data table

The table is part of the initial server-rendered HTML and mirrors the key city score cards.

Basra city intelligence data table
MetricValueContext
Overall score49/100Composite score across major city intelligence modules.
Cost of Living69/100Basra's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies.
Air Quality49/100Basra's air-quality profile is a directional indicator framed against WHO and regional benchmarks; verified city-level measurements appear in the dedicated air-quality dataset section once integrated.
Energy58/100Basra's energy-readiness profile is a directional indicator that combines national policy framing with city-level adaptation context.
Safety47/100Basra's safety profile is a directional indicator; verified country-level emergency profiles attach via the country hub where available.
Internet Speed54/100Basra's connectivity profile is a directional indicator combining national digital-readiness context with widely cited speed-test references.
Climate Risk44/100Basra's climate-risk profile is a directional indicator combining regional hazard categories with national adaptation capacity.
Resilience44/100Climate adaptation and infrastructure continuity context.

Safety

Deterministic safety estimates from our index — planning signals derived from country priors and city data, not official crime statistics.

Safety

Overall safety56/100
Low crime57/100
Personal safety58/100
Night safety51/100
Road safety59/100

Basra has a moderate safety estimate (56/100); standard urban precautions are advised, particularly after dark.

Quality of Life

A composite quality-of-life estimate and its component indicators.

Quality of Life

Quality of life65/100
Healthcare63/100
Education68/100
Green space86/100
Cleanliness58/100
Infrastructure68/100
Mobility60/100

Basra has a moderate quality-of-life estimate (65/100), with notable strengths in green space.

Family Friendliness

How the city scores for raising a family, with the indicators that drive it.

Family Friendliness

Family friendliness66/100
Education68/100
Green space86/100
Overall safety56/100

Basra scores moderate for family living (66/100), helped by parks and green space.

Digital Nomad Suitability

Suitability for remote workers, based on connectivity, mobility, and livability.

Digital Nomad Suitability

Digital nomad suitability64/100
Walkability77/100
Cycling55/100
Infrastructure68/100

Basra is moderate for remote workers (64/100), based on connectivity, affordability and walkability and day-to-day amenities.

Retirement Suitability

Suitability for retirement, weighing healthcare, affordability, climate, and environment.

Retirement Suitability

Retirement suitability63/100
Healthcare63/100
Cleanliness58/100
Outdoor lifestyle47/100

Basra is moderate for retirement (63/100), appealing for affordability.

Emergency and public safety in Basra

Local public safety guidance for Basra, with the country-level emergency contacts that apply when calling for police, fire, or ambulance.

Unverified

For the universal emergency contacts that apply in Basra, including police, fire, and ambulance, see the Iraq emergency profile, which currently lists no verified national contacts.

Methodology and the wider source registry are documented on the scoring methodology and data sources pages.

Healthcare and hospitals in Basra

Healthcare context for Basra, with national-level information from Iraq where city-specific data is not yet verified. This is informational only and does not provide medical advice.

Unverified

For the national healthcare and public-health context that applies in Basra, see the Iraq healthcare profile, which currently lists no verified national healthcare information.

Related sections: emergency and public safety, scoring methodology, and data sources.

Transport and mobility in Basra

Local mobility context for Basra, with national-level context from Iraq where city-specific data is not yet verified. This is informational only.

Unverified

For national transport authorities and operators that apply in Basra, see the Iraq transport profile, which currently lists no verified national transport information.

Related sections: emergency and public safety, healthcare and hospitals, cities directory, countries directory, scoring methodology, data sources.

Air quality dataset

Source-attributed air-quality dataset for Basra. Verified measurements are surfaced when published from accepted official datasets; transparent fallback is shown otherwise.

Air quality dataset for Basra

Verified data unavailableLast updated 2026-05-16 / data year 2025

Verified air-quality measurements are not yet published for this location

Source-attributed values for Basra will appear here after the platform integrates verified measurements from accepted official publishers. Until then, structured air-quality module context remains available on the dedicated module page.

Basra air-quality dataset coverage
MetricValueData yearStatus
Air qualityVerified air-quality measurements are not yet published for this location.

Data provenance

Source attribution
  • Global City Intelligence — air-quality dataset

    Verified data unavailable
    Publisher
    Global City Intelligence
    Last verified
    2026-05-16

    The air-quality dataset begins empty by design. Verified city-level measurements appear here only after they are sourced from accepted publishers (WHO, EEA, US EPA, OpenAQ, OECD, or official national/city environmental agencies).

Quick answers

Quick, evidence-based answers about Basra drawn from this profile's indexed cost, climate, safety, economy, education, healthcare and nearby-nature data. Figures are deterministic estimates for orientation — verify specifics with official sources.

Quick answers about Basra

Is Basra worth visiting?

Yes — strong quality of life (65/100), with nearby nature such as Dez National park, Aghili Canyon.

Is Basra good for families?

Strong (66/100) on safety, schools and green space.

Is Basra affordable?

More affordable than average; about 1,100,000 IQD/month for one person (estimate).

When is the best time to visit Basra?

Late spring to early autumn; warmest in Jul, coldest in Jan.

What are Basra's main industries?

Mainly tourism, logistics, hospitality.

What is the climate in Basra?

A desert climate, averaging about 23.8°C.

Does Basra have universities?

Higher education is good (58/100).

What is healthcare like in Basra?

Healthcare access is good (56/100).

Is Basra good for retirement?

Retirement suitability is good (62/100).

What nature is near Basra?

Within ~170 km: Dez National park, Aghili Canyon.

Explore Basra modules

City pages link to module and ranking pages so crawlers can move through the topic cluster naturally.

Cost of Living in Basra

Basra's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies.

Air Quality in Basra

Basra's air-quality profile is a directional indicator framed against WHO and regional benchmarks; verified city-level measurements appear in the dedicated air-quality dataset section once integrated.

Energy in Basra

Basra's energy-readiness profile is a directional indicator that combines national policy framing with city-level adaptation context.

Safety in Basra

Basra's safety profile is a directional indicator; verified country-level emergency profiles attach via the country hub where available.

Internet Speed in Basra

Basra's connectivity profile is a directional indicator combining national digital-readiness context with widely cited speed-test references.

Climate Risk in Basra

Basra's climate-risk profile is a directional indicator combining regional hazard categories with national adaptation capacity.

City rankings

Compare this city against other indexed cities in crawlable ranking tables.

Cost of living in Basra

Cost of living estimates for Basra — monthly budgets, rent, food, and transport in the local currency, plus an affordability score for comparison. Planning estimates derived from country baselines, not live prices.

Climate in Basra

Climate profile for Basra — Desert climate, annual average 23.8°C, comfort score 58/100. Month-by-month temperatures, rainfall, sunshine, and the best months to visit. Deterministic planning estimates, not a forecast.

Economy and jobs in Basra

Economy and jobs profile for Basra — regional center, economy score 55/100, key industries including tourism, logistics, hospitality. Employment, salary, startup, remote-work, and career indicators. Deterministic planning estimates.

Universities and education in Basra

Education profile for Basra — regional education center, education score 56/100, 5 representative universities, plus research, student life, and international-student indicators. Deterministic dataset, not institutional rankings.

Healthcare and retirement in Basra

Healthcare and retirement profile for Basra — mixed healthcare profile, healthcare score 56/100, retirement score 62/100. Medical access, specialist and emergency care, affordability, and retirement suitability. Deterministic planning estimates.

Visual guide to Basra

Source-attributed visual context for Basra using verified Wikimedia imagery from the existing media catalog, alongside structured city intelligence and planning links. Not a tourism guide or attractions ranking.

Weekend trip planning guide for Basra

Weekend trip planning checklist for Basra — links into arrival planning, Summer 2026 travel context, visual orientation, budget tools, transport, public safety, and healthcare context. Not an itinerary, events calendar, hotel-price guide, restaurant guide, or tourism ranking.

Nearby weekend places from Basra

Source-backed nearby place records for local-first weekend planning, with verification status, official source links, Wikidata identity, and visual context.

Estimate a monthly budget for Basra

Estimate a monthly budget for Basra using your own housing, food, transport, healthcare, and lifestyle inputs. Planning estimator only — not an official cost-of-living measurement.

Plan a trip budget for Basra

Plan a trip budget for Basra using your own accommodation, food, local transport, activities, travel, healthcare buffer, and emergency buffer inputs. Planning estimator only — not an official travel cost estimate.

Nearby cities from Basra

Where else nearby you could spend a day or a weekend from Basra. Links are derived from geographic proximity, shared region, shared natural-recreation areas, transport corridors, and country borders — not popularity or tourism rankings.

Ahvaz, Iran

Cross-border · about 122 km from Basra. Explore Ahvaz's city intelligence profile.

Kuwait City, Kuwait

Cross-border · about 128 km from Basra. Explore Kuwait City's city intelligence profile.

Najaf, Iraq

Same region · about 370 km from Basra. Explore Najaf's city intelligence profile.

Karbala, Iraq

Same region · about 427 km from Basra. Explore Karbala's city intelligence profile.

Kermanshah, Iran

Cross-border · about 428 km from Basra. Explore Kermanshah's city intelligence profile.

Jubail, Saudi Arabia

Cross-border · about 431 km from Basra. Explore Jubail's city intelligence profile.

Arak, Iran

Cross-border · about 436 km from Basra. Explore Arak's city intelligence profile.

Isfahan, Iran

Cross-border · about 436 km from Basra. Explore Isfahan's city intelligence profile.

Baghdad, Iraq

Same region · about 450 km from Basra. Explore Baghdad's city intelligence profile.

Related collections

Regional discovery collections that include Basra — named natural regions grouping nearby nature, parks, lakes, coasts, and mountains for local-first day and weekend planning.

Themed collections

Theme-first discovery collections that include Basra — grouped by outdoor interest (mountains, lakes, coasts, forests, national parks) rather than geography.

Basra FAQ

Common questions about living in, visiting, working in, studying in and retiring to Basra, answered from the indexed cost-of-living, climate, safety, economy, education, healthcare and nearby-nature data on this profile.

Frequently asked questions about Basra

Is Basra worth visiting?

Basra has a moderate quality-of-life estimate (65/100), with notable strengths in green space. Visitors can also reach nature such as Dez National park, Aghili Canyon and Karun-2 Lake within weekend range.

What is it like to live in Basra?

Basra has a moderate quality-of-life estimate (65/100), with notable strengths in green space. It indexes 65/100 for overall quality of life.

How much does it cost to live in Basra?

A single resident of Basra spends roughly 1,100,000 IQD per month, with a one-bedroom rent near 584,000 IQD. Overall the city is more affordable than average for Iraq. These are modelled estimates, not live quotes — verify locally.

What should I know about moving to Basra?

Plan for below-average living costs and check current rents before relocating. Basra is moderate for remote workers (64/100), based on connectivity, affordability and walkability and day-to-day amenities.

What is the job market like in Basra?

Basra's labour market is moderate, with opportunities concentrated in tourism and hospitality, technology and education and research. Basra has a regional economy with strengths in tourism, logistics and hospitality.

Is Basra good for digital nomads and remote work?

Basra offers solid infrastructure and amenities for remote professionals, with a remote-work score of 58/100.

What are the education options in Basra?

Basra is a regional education center with a mix of universities and research activity in our dataset, spanning fields such as Engineering, Computer Science and Economics.

Is Basra a good place to study?

Basra offers a strong student environment, supported by walkable neighborhoods and relatively affordable living.

What is healthcare like in Basra?

Basra has a mixed healthcare profile, supported by hospitals, specialist services, and public-health infrastructure, with a healthcare score of 56/100. Residents have solid access to healthcare across primary, specialist, and emergency care.

Is Basra a good place to retire?

Basra offers a combination of healthcare access, safety, and amenities that may appeal to retirees, with a retirement score of 62/100. Residents benefit from parks and green space and walkable streets and day-to-day services.

What is the climate like in Basra?

Basra has a desert climate, averaging about 23.8°C annually with roughly 149 mm of rain. The hottest month is Jul and the coldest Jan. The driest is typically Jul.

Is Basra a safe place to live?

Basra has a moderate safety estimate (56/100); standard urban precautions are advised, particularly after dark.

How easy is it to get around Basra?

Basra indexes a walkability score of 77 and a cycling score of 55 out of 100. Check the local operator for live transit routes and fares.

What nature and outdoor places are near Basra?

Nature destinations within about 170 km of Basra include Dez National park, Aghili Canyon and Karun-2 Lake. Each is linked with its official source on the profile.

Is Basra good for families?

Basra scores moderate for family living (66/100), helped by parks and green space.

What outdoor activities are there around Basra?

Basra rates 47/100 for outdoor lifestyle and 86/100 for green space. Nearby nature such as Dez National park, Aghili Canyon and Karun-2 Lake supports day hikes, water activities and weekend trips.

Interpretation

Use the Basra profile to compare affordability, livability, and economic indicators against other indexed cities in Iraq and across Middle East, and to explore nearby nature and weekend destinations. Its standout dimensions are cost of living (69/100) and energy (58/100). The area most worth watching is climate risk (44/100), where the model registers practical gaps. Data year 2025; last updated 2026-05-16. Drawn from 4 institutional references.

Country context is available on the Iraq country page. Related rankings include Overall Intelligence, Quality of Life, Remote Work. See where Basra appears in global rankings or read the scoring methodology.

Structured indicators on this page are directional and intended for orientation. Verified datasets are being integrated; official sources should be used for critical decisions.

Sources

4 institutional references inform this view, listed below with reliability notes. Structured indicators on this page are directional and intended for orientation; verified datasets are being integrated and official sources should be used for critical decisions.