Cost of Living Comparison Between Baghdad and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Baghdad and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,148 in Baghdad versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,708 in Baghdad versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,269 in Baghdad versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Baghdad costs roughly 8% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baghdad 16% lower, Phuket 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.81 IQD 6,302

$4.56 ฿152

5.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.76 IQD 44.2K

$32.62 ฿1,086

3.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.68 IQD 10.1K

$8.90 ฿296

-13.71%

Cappuccino

$3.07 IQD 4,018

$2.80 ฿93.4

9.64%

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

$0.40 IQD 520

$0.88 ฿29.31

-54.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 IQD 342

$0.49 ฿16.29

-46.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.89 IQD 5,091

$2.39 ฿79.5

62.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 IQD 4,906

$3.71 ฿124

1.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 IQD 1,424

$1.79 ฿59.5

-39.11%

White Bread (500g)

$0.83 IQD 1,091

$1.44 ฿48.00

-42.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 IQD 2,005

$1.58 ฿52.8

-3.16%

Eggs

$1.89 IQD 2,473

$2.13 ฿70.8

-11.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.80 IQD 4,971

$19.92 ฿663

-80.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.58 IQD 5,992

$3.43 ฿114

33.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.59 IQD 19.1K

$11.33 ฿377

28.77%

Apples (1kg)

$1.14 IQD 1,492

$2.95 ฿98.2

-61.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 IQD 1,399

$1.72 ฿57.3

-37.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.06 IQD 1,391

$2.32 ฿77.4

-54.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.74 IQD 971

$2.08 ฿69.3

-64.42%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 IQD 860

$1.47 ฿48.96

-55.10%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 IQD 843

$1.36 ฿45.22

-52.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 IQD 827

$1.10 ฿36.59

-42.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 IQD 920

$0.57 ฿19.13

22.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.83 IQD 2,400

$4.27 ฿142

-57.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.65 IQD 17.9K

$18.42 ฿613

-25.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 IQD 2,890

$1.87 ฿62.3

18.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 IQD 2,861

$2.92 ฿97.3

-25.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 IQD 854

$2.22 ฿73.9

-70.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.62 IQD 29.6K

$22.90 ฿762

-1.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.32 IQD 3,037

$3.03 ฿101

-23.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 IQD 2,025

$1.07 ฿35.77

44.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.79 IQD 10.2K

$3.93 ฿131

98.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.61 IQD 801

$1.49 ฿49.68

-59.06%

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

$19.0K IQD 24.9M

$27.1K ฿903.4K

-29.80%

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

$19.2K IQD 25.1M

$27.5K ฿914.1K

-30.22%

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

$213 IQD 278.8K

$103 ฿3,423

107.14%

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

$20.99 IQD 27.5K

$10.99 ฿366

90.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.26 IQD 55.3K

$17.51 ฿583

141.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.87 IQD 61.4K

$53.5 ฿1,783

-12.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.00 IQD 28.8K

$11.20 ฿373

96.43%

Cinema Ticket

$10.57 IQD 13.8K

$7.48 ฿249

41.31%

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

$165 IQD 216.6K

$557 ฿18.5K

-70.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,462 IQD 4.5M

$11.9K ฿394.7K

-70.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.18 IQD 39.5K

$64.1 ฿2,134

-52.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.06 IQD 49.8K

$29.07 ฿968

30.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.9 IQD 95.5K

$96.0 ฿3,195

-24.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.63 IQD 62.4K

$90.3 ฿3,008

-47.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$575 IQD 753.1K

$730 ฿24.3K

-21.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$350 IQD 457.9K

$500 ฿16.6K

-30.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$959 IQD 1.3M

$2,090 ฿69.6K

-54.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$687 IQD 899.8K

$1,209 ฿40.3K

-43.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,743 IQD 6.2M

$3,596 ฿119.7K

31.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,576 IQD 2.1M

$2,512 ฿83.7K

-37.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$604 IQD 791.2K

$503 ฿16.8K

20.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.12

5.57

-26.03%

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

Last update for Baghdad: August 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $575 in Baghdad and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Baghdad pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34.00 in Baghdad vs $33.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $188 vs $273, with Baghdad cheaper for home cooking.

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

Baghdad vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baghdad wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Baghdad the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 20% higher in Baghdad, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $575 in Baghdad versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Baghdad runs roughly 1% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $165 in Baghdad versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,148 in Baghdad versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Baghdad but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Baghdad the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Baghdad delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,148 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Baghdad hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Baghdad and Phuket 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 Baghdad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.