Cost of Living Comparison Between Kirkuk and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Kirkuk and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $607 in Kirkuk versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $958 in Kirkuk versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,309 in Kirkuk versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Kirkuk costs roughly 52% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kirkuk 54% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.79 IQD 4,960

$4.48 ฿150

-15.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.08 IQD 34.1K

$45.59 ฿1,521

-42.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.83 IQD 7,629

$8.76 ฿292

-33.45%

Cappuccino

$2.34 IQD 3,067

$2.97 ฿99.0

-21.21%

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

$0.37 IQD 480

$0.69 ฿22.90

-46.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.19 IQD 246

$0.39 ฿13.04

-51.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.41 IQD 4,470

$2.53 ฿84.4

34.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 IQD 3,726

$3.75 ฿125

-24.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 IQD 1,549

$2.15 ฿71.6

-45.12%

White Bread (500g)

$0.61 IQD 793

$1.82 ฿60.6

-66.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 IQD 2,156

$2.18 ฿72.9

-24.31%

Eggs

$1.48 IQD 1,936

$2.25 ฿75.0

-34.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.48 IQD 5,871

$20.00 ฿667

-77.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.79 IQD 3,652

$3.63 ฿121

-23.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.85 IQD 14.2K

$13.56 ฿452

-19.99%

Apples (1kg)

$0.97 IQD 1,273

$3.24 ฿108

-70.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 IQD 1,323

$1.64 ฿54.6

-38.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 IQD 1,346

$2.33 ฿77.8

-55.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.61 IQD 794

$2.07 ฿69.1

-70.53%

Potato (1kg)

$0.50 IQD 658

$1.55 ฿51.6

-67.74%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 IQD 707

$1.46 ฿48.54

-63.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 IQD 812

$0.98 ฿32.86

-36.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 IQD 405

$0.48 ฿16.09

-35.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.88 IQD 2,464

$4.35 ฿145

-56.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.56 IQD 17.8K

$18.57 ฿620

-26.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 IQD 2,335

$1.86 ฿61.9

-4.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 IQD 2,755

$2.65 ฿88.6

-20.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 IQD 732

$1.42 ฿47.28

-60.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.90 IQD 40.5K

$11.57 ฿386

167.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 IQD 3,870

$3.17 ฿106

-6.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.15 IQD 1,512

$1.03 ฿34.41

11.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.44 IQD 9,744

$13.89 ฿463

-46.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.50 IQD 660

$1.34 ฿44.84

-62.69%

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

$20.0K IQD 26.2M

$27.8K ฿927.1K

-28.07%

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

$19.6K IQD 25.6M

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-41.33%

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

$53.5 IQD 70.1K

$123 ฿4,105

-56.52%

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

$22.95 IQD 30.0K

$13.77 ฿459

66.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.62 IQD 50.6K

$18.33 ฿611

110.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.45 IQD 18.9K

$60.7 ฿2,025

-76.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.99 IQD 22.3K

$17.16 ฿573

-0.99%

Cinema Ticket

$7.46 IQD 9,774

$8.87 ฿296

-15.90%

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

$57.6 IQD 75.4K

$688 ฿22.9K

-91.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$778 IQD 1.0M

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-95.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.62 IQD 37.5K

$59.3 ฿1,978

-51.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.11 IQD 40.7K

$34.69 ฿1,157

-10.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$22.70 IQD 29.7K

$115 ฿3,843

-80.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$15.14 IQD 19.8K

$83.8 ฿2,794

-81.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$76.3 IQD 99.9K

$621 ฿20.7K

-87.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$109 IQD 143.3K

$446 ฿14.9K

-75.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$116 IQD 152.4K

$2,034 ฿67.8K

-94.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$254 IQD 332.4K

$1,496 ฿49.9K

-83.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$880 IQD 1.2M

$3,455 ฿115.3K

-74.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$399 IQD 522.1K

$2,531 ฿84.4K

-84.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$635 IQD 831.5K

$494 ฿16.5K

28.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.67

5.33

6.38%

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

Last update for Kirkuk: July 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $76.3 in Kirkuk and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kirkuk pays 29% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $26.00 in Kirkuk vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $157 vs $291 per month, with Kirkuk 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

Kirkuk vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kirkuk is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 108% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 29% higher in Kirkuk, 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: $76.3 in Kirkuk versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $57.6 in Kirkuk versus $688 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 85% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $607 in Kirkuk versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kirkuk but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Kirkuk the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kirkuk is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Kirkuk 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 Kirkuk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 108% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.