Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Erbil and Phuket

Name: Phuket
Address: Phuket, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Erbil: $958 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Erbil
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Erbil Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Erbil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$958

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Erbil and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Erbil and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $958 per month in Erbil vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

Erbil $958
Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $1,427 per month in Erbil vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

Erbil $1,427
Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $1,896 per month in Erbil vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

Erbil $1,896
Phuket $3,154

Erbil is about 25% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Erbil and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Erbil 30% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.42 IQD 9,704

$4.47 ฿151

43.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.55 IQD 55.2K

$32.41 ฿1,094

12.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.41 IQD 11.2K

$8.81 ฿297

-15.89%

Cappuccino

$3.24 IQD 4,889

$2.83 ฿95.4

14.49%

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

$0.89 IQD 1,341

$0.87 ฿29.42

2.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 IQD 505

$0.49 ฿16.66

-32.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.75 IQD 8,681

$2.56 ฿86.3

124.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 IQD 5,921

$3.68 ฿124

6.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 IQD 1,611

$1.66 ฿56.0

-35.54%

White Bread (500g)

$0.67 IQD 1,019

$1.46 ฿49.32

-54.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 IQD 2,303

$1.50 ฿50.5

1.33%

Eggs

$1.60 IQD 2,413

$2.09 ฿70.5

-23.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.00 IQD 10.6K

$19.07 ฿643

-63.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.38 IQD 6,614

$3.30 ฿111

32.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.67 IQD 19.1K

$10.91 ฿368

16.13%

Apples (1kg)

$0.94 IQD 1,415

$2.93 ฿98.9

-67.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 IQD 1,528

$1.69 ฿57.0

-40.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 IQD 1,544

$2.25 ฿75.8

-54.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.70 IQD 1,064

$2.08 ฿70.1

-66.35%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 IQD 982

$1.51 ฿51.0

-56.95%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 IQD 952

$1.38 ฿46.54

-54.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 IQD 968

$1.07 ฿35.97

-40.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 IQD 781

$0.52 ฿17.51

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.19 IQD 3,303

$4.20 ฿142

-47.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.83 IQD 16.4K

$18.79 ฿634

-42.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 IQD 2,191

$1.82 ฿61.5

-20.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 IQD 2,712

$2.84 ฿95.9

-36.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 IQD 736

$1.45 ฿49.00

-66.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.29 IQD 59.4K

$56.7 ฿1,912

-30.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 IQD 2,519

$3.02 ฿102

-44.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 IQD 2,418

$1.02 ฿34.34

56.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 IQD 8,728

$3.69 ฿125

56.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.57 IQD 867

$1.47 ฿49.78

-61.22%

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

$16.8K IQD 25.4M

$26.8K ฿903.7K

-37.28%

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

$17.1K IQD 25.9M

$26.7K ฿900.8K

-35.81%

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

$111 IQD 168.1K

$96.4 ฿3,252

15.45%

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

$12.24 IQD 18.5K

$11.26 ฿380

8.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.61 IQD 37.2K

$16.85 ฿569

46.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.0 IQD 86.1K

$67.2 ฿2,269

-15.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.48 IQD 20.4K

$10.73 ฿362

25.63%

Cinema Ticket

$9.63 IQD 14.6K

$7.50 ฿253

28.40%

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

$294 IQD 443.8K

$476 ฿16.1K

-38.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,726 IQD 4.1M

$11.3K ฿380.1K

-75.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.71 IQD 40.4K

$62.4 ฿2,105

-57.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.49 IQD 58.2K

$28.41 ฿959

35.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.1 IQD 92.3K

$94.3 ฿3,182

-35.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.9 IQD 90.5K

$85.8 ฿2,896

-30.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$426 IQD 643.6K

$716 ฿24.2K

-40.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$271 IQD 410.0K

$491 ฿16.6K

-44.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$699 IQD 1.1M

$1,927 ฿65.0K

-63.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$404 IQD 610.4K

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-71.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,017 IQD 1.5M

$4,175 ฿140.9K

-75.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$615 IQD 929.8K

$3,045 ฿102.8K

-79.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$519 IQD 783.7K

$502 ฿17.0K

3.26%

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 Erbil: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Erbil

$271 28.3%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 80.9% $220

Groceries & Markets

Erbil

$174 18.1%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 53.3% $93

Eating Out

Erbil

$154 16.1%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 20.9% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Erbil

$148 15.5%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 15.9% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Erbil

$84 8.8%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 45.5% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Erbil

$76 8%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 7.9% $6

Getting Around

Erbil

$51 5.3%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 38.6% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $426 in Erbil versus $716 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 3% higher in Erbil, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Erbil versus $32 in Phuket. Groceries tell a different story – $174 in Erbil vs $266 in Phuket – so Erbil wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Erbil

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

10:00 10:00 AM

14:00 2:00 PM

4 h ahead of Erbil

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,713,461

79,308

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to IQD – Iraqi Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇶 Iraqi Dinar (ع.د)

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,687 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to IQD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Erbil Phuket 6,320 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Erbil
Phuket

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

Erbil vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 33%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,437 per month in Erbil and $1,917 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Erbil, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $426 there versus $716 in Phuket.

Groceries cost about 53% more in Phuket, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Erbil and $32 in Phuket. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Erbil – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.