Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Al Fallujah Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Al Fallujah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $925 in Al Fallujah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,379 in Al Fallujah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,833 in Al Fallujah.

Living in Phuket is roughly 33% more expensive than Al Fallujah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Al Fallujah 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$5.50 IQD 7,207

-15.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$36.07 IQD 47.3K

29.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$7.71 IQD 10.1K

14.66%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.98 IQD 3,904

0.67%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.39 IQD 514

89.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.16 IQD 214

131.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$3.46 IQD 4,527

-29.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.81 IQD 3,686

28.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.32 IQD 1,730

71.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.77 IQD 1,008

138.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.64 IQD 2,155

36.59%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.80 IQD 2,361

28.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$4.49 IQD 5,879

338.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$4.80 IQD 6,283

-23.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$13.86 IQD 18.2K

-5.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.26 IQD 1,657

169.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.21 IQD 1,581

35.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.01 IQD 1,327

138.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$0.74 IQD 964

174.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.68 IQD 893

129.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.64 IQD 838

134.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.68 IQD 887

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.65 IQD 852

-24.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$2.08 IQD 2,724

113.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$13.34 IQD 17.5K

41.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.82 IQD 2,385

-2.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.15 IQD 2,814

27.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.36 IQD 473

288.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$30.93 IQD 40.5K

-62.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$3.76 IQD 4,928

-17.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.55 IQD 2,028

-35.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$7.45 IQD 9,764

89.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.53 IQD 693

154.72%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$19.9K IQD 26.1M

36.42%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$19.6K IQD 25.6M

68.22%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$180 IQD 235.4K

-30.45%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$25.68 IQD 33.6K

-47.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$40.08 IQD 52.5K

-53.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$36.26 IQD 47.5K

69.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$16.68 IQD 21.8K

0.96%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$7.46 IQD 9,776

23.19%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$164 IQD 215.3K

324.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$3,582 IQD 4.7M

335.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$28.67 IQD 37.6K

101.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$30.29 IQD 39.7K

16.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$65.1 IQD 85.3K

73.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$42.69 IQD 55.9K

102.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$242 IQD 316.9K

154.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$177 IQD 232.3K

151.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$587 IQD 769.4K

248.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$338 IQD 443.2K

341.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.67

-6.00%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Al Fallujah: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $242 in Al Fallujah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $36.00 in Al Fallujah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $189 per month, with Al Fallujah 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

Phuket vs Al Fallujah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al Fallujah wins on cost – living expenses run 33% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Al Fallujah the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,387 in Al Fallujah to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $242 in Al Fallujah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $164 in Al Fallujah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $925 in Al Fallujah versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Al Fallujah but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Al Fallujah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Al Fallujah delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $925 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Al Fallujah hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Al Fallujah 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 Al Fallujah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.