Measurement units Temperature, distance and clock format
Last update: Oct 2026
Cost of Living Comparison Between Duhok and Phuket
For one person, living is cheaper in Duhok: $608 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Duhok and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $608 in Duhok versus $1,208 in Phuket.
Duhok $608
Phuket $1,208
Estimated couple costs with rent: $978 in Duhok versus $2,027 in Phuket.
Duhok $978
Phuket $2,027
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,349 in Duhok versus $2,845 in Phuket.
Duhok $1,349
Phuket $2,845
🌍
Living in Duhok costs roughly 50% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
Both cities sit below the global median: Duhok55% lower, Phuket11% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Duhok
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.38IQD 5,111
$4.40฿147
-23.18%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$16.59IQD 25.1K
$32.26฿1,078
-48.57%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$7.40IQD 11.2K
$8.76฿293
-15.53%
Cappuccino
$2.43IQD 3,665
$2.83฿94.5
-14.13%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.32IQD 481
$0.90฿30.14
-64.44%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.19IQD 294
$0.47฿15.56
-59.57%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.69IQD 2,550
$2.55฿85.2
-33.73%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.94IQD 2,932
$3.83฿128
-49.35%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Duhok
Phuket
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.11IQD 1,680
$1.73฿57.7
-35.84%
White Bread(500g)
$0.67IQD 1,016
$1.47฿49.11
-54.42%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.48IQD 2,232
$1.51฿50.6
-1.99%
Eggs
$1.58IQD 2,391
$2.17฿72.7
-27.19%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$4.87IQD 7,359
$19.70฿658
-75.28%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$2.96IQD 4,478
$3.34฿112
-11.38%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$10.95IQD 16.6K
$11.16฿373
-1.88%
Apples(1kg)
$0.99IQD 1,489
$2.85฿95.1
-65.26%
Banana(1kg)
$0.97IQD 1,461
$1.70฿56.9
-42.94%
Oranges(1kg)
$0.75IQD 1,136
$2.19฿73.3
-65.75%
Tomato(1kg)
$0.63IQD 959
$2.05฿68.4
-69.27%
Potato(1kg)
$0.61IQD 919
$1.45฿48.57
-57.93%
Onion(1kg)
$0.62IQD 940
$1.38฿46.16
-55.07%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.61IQD 926
$1.07฿35.69
-42.99%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52IQD 787
$0.51฿16.91
1.96%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$1.73IQD 2,609
$4.26฿142
-59.39%
Wine(Bottle)
$10.97IQD 16.6K
$18.58฿621
-40.96%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.40IQD 2,121
$1.78฿59.7
-21.35%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.79IQD 2,700
$2.85฿95.2
-37.19%
🚌 Getting Around
Duhok
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.30IQD 459
$2.26฿75.6
-86.73%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$15.64IQD 23.6K
$22.10฿738
-29.23%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.60IQD 2,420
$3.01฿101
-46.84%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.29IQD 1,945
$1.06฿35.34
21.70%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$5.52IQD 8,343
$3.86฿129
43.01%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$0.54IQD 819
$1.45฿48.45
-62.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$16.6KIQD 25.1M
$26.3K฿879.9K
-36.89%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$17.1KIQD 25.9M
$26.9K฿900.4K
-36.50%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Duhok
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$87.3IQD 131.8K
$96.4฿3,221
-9.47%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.86IQD 13.4K
$11.04฿369
-19.75%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.83IQD 36.0K
$17.14฿573
39.03%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Duhok
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$50.1IQD 75.7K
$52.2฿1,744
-3.93%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.55IQD 40.1K
$11.16฿373
137.90%
Cinema Ticket
$7.52IQD 11.4K
$7.81฿261
-3.71%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Duhok
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$106IQD 160.6K
$556฿18.6K
-80.89%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$2,727IQD 4.1M
$11.6K฿387.0K
-76.45%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Duhok
Phuket
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$10.02IQD 15.1K
$64.2฿2,146
-84.39%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$20.32IQD 30.7K
$28.69฿959
-29.17%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$30.27IQD 45.7K
$95.4฿3,187
-68.26%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$19.60IQD 29.6K
$88.0฿2,940
-77.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Duhok
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$157IQD 237.0K
$737฿24.6K
-78.72%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$116IQD 174.7K
$462฿15.5K
-74.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$329IQD 496.7K
$2,095฿70.0K
-84.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$324IQD 489.1K
$1,201฿40.1K
-73.04%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$445IQD 671.8K
$3,488฿116.6K
-87.25%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$362IQD 547.1K
$2,523฿84.3K
-85.65%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Duhok
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$415IQD 627.4K
$501฿16.7K
-17.08%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
2.53
5.57
-54.58%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Duhok: October 18, 2026
Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🛒Groceries & Markets
Duhok
$154 25.3%
Phuket
$269 22.2% ↑ 74.9%$115
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Duhok
$120 19.7%
Phuket
$125 10.3% ↑ 3.9%$4.6
🏠Accommodation & Living
Duhok
$116 19%
Phuket
$462 38.3% ↑ 300%$347
🍽Eating Out
Duhok
$93 15.3%
Phuket
$121 10% ↑ 30.7%$28
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Duhok
$65 10.7%
Phuket
$68 5.6% ↑ 4%$2.6
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Duhok
$36 5.9%
Phuket
$124 10.3% ↑ 244%$88
🚌Getting Around
Duhok
$25 4.1%
Phuket
$39 3.3% ↑ 58.5%$15
🛒Groceries & Markets
Duhok
$345 25.6%
Phuket
$606 21.3% ↑ 75.5%$261
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Duhok
$129 9.6%
Phuket
$136 4.8% ↑ 5.3%$6.8
🏠Accommodation & Living
Duhok
$324 24%
Phuket
$1.2K 42.2% ↑ 271%$877
🍽Eating Out
Duhok
$263 19.5%
Phuket
$396 13.9% ↑ 50.3%$133
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Duhok
$157 11.6%
Phuket
$147 5.2% ↓ 6.5%$10
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Duhok
$80 6%
Phuket
$276 9.7% ↑ 244%$196
🚌Getting Around
Duhok
$50 3.7%
Phuket
$83 2.9% ↑ 65.5%$33
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $157 in Duhok and $737 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Phuket pays 21% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.
🛒Dining out: $17.00 in Duhok vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $154 vs $269 per month, with Duhok cheaper across the board.
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
Duhok vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Duhok and in Phuket?
Duhok and Phuket differ by about 99% in total monthly costs ($608 vs $1,208 including rent). Duhok is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 21% lower in Phuket. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Duhok and in Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $157 in Duhok versus $737 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Duhok and Phuket?
Childcare runs $106 in Duhok versus $556 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 75% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $608 in Duhok versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Duhok but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Duhok the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Duhok and Phuket?
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.
Is Duhok or Phuket safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Duhok 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.
Where should expats move: Duhok or Phuket?
Expats usually find Duhok gentler on the wallet – expenses run 99% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.