Cost of Living Comparison Between Basra and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Basra and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $962 in Basra versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,458 in Basra versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,955 in Basra versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Basra costs roughly 23% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Basra 30% lower, Phuket 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.60 IQD 6,028

$4.56 ฿151

0.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.03 IQD 39.3K

$32.62 ฿1,082

-7.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 IQD 9,827

$8.90 ฿295

-15.73%

Cappuccino

$2.56 IQD 3,351

$2.80 ฿93.0

-8.57%

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

$0.46 IQD 604

$0.88 ฿29.19

-47.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 IQD 454

$0.49 ฿16.23

-28.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.85 IQD 5,048

$2.39 ฿79.2

61.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 IQD 5,640

$3.71 ฿123

16.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 IQD 1,460

$1.79 ฿59.3

-37.99%

White Bread (500g)

$0.64 IQD 844

$1.44 ฿47.81

-55.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 IQD 1,836

$1.58 ฿52.6

-11.39%

Eggs

$1.87 IQD 2,452

$2.13 ฿70.5

-12.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.57 IQD 9,914

$19.92 ฿661

-62.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.38 IQD 8,353

$3.43 ฿114

86.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.01 IQD 18.3K

$11.33 ฿376

23.65%

Apples (1kg)

$1.03 IQD 1,343

$2.95 ฿97.8

-65.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 IQD 1,802

$1.72 ฿57.1

-19.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 IQD 1,292

$2.32 ฿77.1

-57.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.69 IQD 904

$2.08 ฿69.0

-66.83%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 IQD 1,033

$1.47 ฿48.77

-46.26%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 IQD 824

$1.36 ฿45.05

-53.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 IQD 1,146

$1.10 ฿36.45

-20.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 IQD 539

$0.57 ฿19.06

-28.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.12 IQD 2,779

$4.27 ฿142

-50.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.75 IQD 8,839

$18.42 ฿611

-63.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.10 IQD 4,058

$1.87 ฿62.1

65.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 IQD 5,020

$2.92 ฿96.9

31.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 IQD 716

$2.22 ฿73.6

-75.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.45 IQD 25.5K

$22.90 ฿759

-15.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 IQD 2,910

$3.03 ฿101

-26.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.34 IQD 3,059

$1.07 ฿35.63

118.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.44 IQD 9,746

$3.93 ฿130

89.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.55 IQD 722

$1.49 ฿49.49

-63.09%

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

$13.2K IQD 17.3M

$27.1K ฿899.8K

-51.40%

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

$23.0K IQD 30.2M

$27.5K ฿910.6K

-16.06%

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

$49.68 IQD 65.1K

$103 ฿3,410

-51.67%

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

$25.37 IQD 33.2K

$10.99 ฿365

130.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.02 IQD 51.1K

$17.51 ฿581

122.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.29 IQD 47.5K

$53.5 ฿1,776

-32.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.74 IQD 18.0K

$11.20 ฿371

22.68%

Cinema Ticket

$7.70 IQD 10.1K

$7.48 ฿248

2.94%

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

$127 IQD 165.9K

$557 ฿18.5K

-77.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,845 IQD 5.0M

$11.9K ฿393.2K

-67.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.73 IQD 65.1K

$64.1 ฿2,125

-22.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.19 IQD 26.4K

$29.07 ฿964

-30.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.4 IQD 104.0K

$96.0 ฿3,183

-17.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.95 IQD 54.9K

$90.3 ฿2,997

-53.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$469 IQD 614.4K

$730 ฿24.2K

-35.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$339 IQD 443.5K

$500 ฿16.6K

-32.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$860 IQD 1.1M

$2,090 ฿69.3K

-58.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 IQD 822.0K

$1,209 ฿40.1K

-48.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,564 IQD 2.0M

$3,596 ฿119.3K

-56.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$800 IQD 1.0M

$2,512 ฿83.3K

-68.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$769 IQD 1.0M

$503 ฿16.7K

52.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.67

5.57

1.80%

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

Last update for Basra: August 29, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $469 in Basra and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basra pays 53% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $30.00 in Basra vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $197 vs $273 per month, with Basra cheaper across the board.

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

Basra vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Basra and Phuket differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($962 vs $1,253 including rent). Basra is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 53% higher in Basra, 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: $469 in Basra versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Basra – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $33.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $962 in Basra versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Basra but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Basra the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Basra 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 Basra gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.