Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kirkuk and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Kirkuk: $540 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

26

Cost of Living Index in Kirkuk
Learn more

Kirkuk Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

Jump to prices

Kirkuk

🇮🇶 Iraq

$540

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kirkuk 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 Kirkuk and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $540 in Kirkuk versus $1,207 in Phuket.

Kirkuk $540
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $868 in Kirkuk versus $2,037 in Phuket.

Kirkuk $868
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,197 in Kirkuk versus $2,867 in Phuket.

Kirkuk $1,197
Phuket $2,867

Living in Kirkuk costs roughly 55% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kirkuk 60% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.58 IQD 5,403

$4.58 ฿153

-21.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.24 IQD 35.1K

$32.48 ฿1,086

-28.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.40 IQD 8,162

$8.55 ฿286

-36.84%

Cappuccino

$2.46 IQD 3,716

$2.72 ฿91.0

-9.56%

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

$0.36 IQD 537

$0.94 ฿31.25

-61.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 IQD 238

$0.49 ฿16.39

-67.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 IQD 3,963

$2.59 ฿86.6

1.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 IQD 5,087

$3.83 ฿128

-12.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 IQD 1,433

$1.74 ฿58.1

-45.40%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 IQD 911

$1.43 ฿47.82

-58.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 IQD 1,984

$1.53 ฿51.0

-14.38%

Eggs

$1.27 IQD 1,915

$2.17 ฿72.7

-41.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.42 IQD 5,160

$19.15 ฿640

-82.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.13 IQD 4,735

$3.30 ฿110

-5.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.18 IQD 16.9K

$11.14 ฿372

0.36%

Apples (1kg)

$0.79 IQD 1,198

$2.95 ฿98.5

-73.22%

Banana (1kg)

$0.83 IQD 1,254

$1.68 ฿56.1

-50.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.80 IQD 1,209

$2.30 ฿76.8

-65.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.60 IQD 906

$2.13 ฿71.3

-71.83%

Potato (1kg)

$0.48 IQD 730

$1.53 ฿51.1

-68.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.48 IQD 730

$1.36 ฿45.55

-64.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 IQD 854

$1.12 ฿37.44

-49.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.32 IQD 477

$0.55 ฿18.24

-41.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.61 IQD 2,430

$4.26 ฿142

-62.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.55 IQD 17.4K

$18.19 ฿608

-36.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 IQD 1,950

$1.74 ฿58.2

-25.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 IQD 2,434

$2.79 ฿93.3

-42.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 IQD 482

$2.22 ฿74.1

-85.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.32 IQD 30.7K

$22.06 ฿737

-7.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.01 IQD 3,034

$2.91 ฿97.3

-30.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 IQD 2,028

$1.01 ฿33.79

32.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.42 IQD 9,693

$3.83 ฿128

67.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.47 IQD 712

$1.49 ฿49.85

-68.46%

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

$16.7K IQD 25.3M

$26.7K ฿891.6K

-37.24%

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

$16.4K IQD 24.8M

$26.7K ฿892.7K

-38.45%

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

$51.6 IQD 78.0K

$99.4 ฿3,321

-48.05%

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

$17.64 IQD 26.6K

$11.28 ฿377

56.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.97 IQD 55.9K

$17.36 ฿580

112.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.82 IQD 14.8K

$52.3 ฿1,747

-81.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$9.80 IQD 14.8K

$7.57 ฿253

29.46%

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

$143 IQD 215.9K

$558 ฿18.7K

-74.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,984 IQD 4.5M

$11.5K ฿383.9K

-74.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.27 IQD 38.2K

$62.9 ฿2,102

-59.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.32 IQD 24.7K

$28.58 ฿955

-42.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.3 IQD 88.1K

$96.1 ฿3,213

-39.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$29.54 IQD 44.6K

$88.1 ฿2,943

-66.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$162 IQD 245.2K

$729 ฿24.4K

-77.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$78.1 IQD 118.1K

$460 ฿15.4K

-83.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$198 IQD 299.8K

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-90.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$201 IQD 304.3K

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-83.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$490 IQD 740.7K

$3,459 ฿115.6K

-85.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$259 IQD 391.8K

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-89.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$379 IQD 572.3K

$493 ฿16.5K

-23.19%

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 Kirkuk: October 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kirkuk

$142 26.2%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 88.9% $126

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kirkuk

$106 19.7%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 20.5% $22

Eating Out

Kirkuk

$96 17.8%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 26.1% $25

Accommodation & Living

Kirkuk

$78 14.5%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 489% $382

Clothing & Footwear

Kirkuk

$58 10.8%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 113% $66

Getting Around

Kirkuk

$30 5.6%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 28.3% $8.6

Sport & Entertainment

Kirkuk

$29 5.4%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 129% $38

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $162 in Kirkuk and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 30% 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: $23.00 in Kirkuk vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $142 vs $268 per month, with Kirkuk cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Kirkuk

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

10:09 10:09 AM

14:09 2:09 PM

4 h ahead of Kirkuk

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

850,787

79,308

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.88 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,701 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.88 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.63 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to IQD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kirkuk Phuket 6,270 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Kirkuk
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

Kirkuk vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kirkuk is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 123% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 30% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $162 in Kirkuk versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $143 in Kirkuk versus $558 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 89% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $540 in Kirkuk versus $1,207 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 123% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.