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: $1,223 in Phuket versus $902 in Al Fallujah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $1,382 in Al Fallujah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $1,862 in Al Fallujah.

Living in Phuket is roughly 36% more expensive than in Al Fallujah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Al Fallujah 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿148

$5.28 IQD 6,910

-14.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,528

$36.10 IQD 47.3K

29.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿278

$7.84 IQD 10.3K

8.29%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿101

$2.96 IQD 3,878

4.05%

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

$0.68 ฿22.26

$0.36 IQD 475

88.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.84

$0.20 IQD 264

80.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿79.5

$3.41 IQD 4,466

-28.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿119

$2.83 IQD 3,702

28.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.7

$1.38 IQD 1,804

58.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.5

$0.84 IQD 1,096

115.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿73.1

$1.61 IQD 2,103

38.51%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿73.3

$1.79 IQD 2,340

25.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿642

$4.61 IQD 6,043

325.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿122

$4.81 IQD 6,295

-22.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿441

$14.12 IQD 18.5K

-4.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿110

$1.21 IQD 1,589

177.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$1.16 IQD 1,525

39.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.05 IQD 1,376

129.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿65.2

$0.74 IQD 968

168.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.2

$0.68 IQD 893

125.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.59

$0.66 IQD 868

119.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿33.23

$0.68 IQD 889

48.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.86

$0.62 IQD 817

-22.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$2.04 IQD 2,671

109.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿627

$13.66 IQD 17.9K

39.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.2

$1.80 IQD 2,353

2.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.8

$2.17 IQD 2,839

26.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.44

$0.40 IQD 519

255.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿384

$31.29 IQD 41.0K

-62.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿98.4

$3.74 IQD 4,893

-19.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.28

$1.55 IQD 2,029

-32.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿456

$7.54 IQD 9,875

84.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿42.28

$0.53 IQD 693

143.40%

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

$28.0K ฿918.7K

$20.0K IQD 26.2M

39.98%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$20.1K IQD 26.3M

66.51%

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

$122 ฿3,997

$178 IQD 232.8K

-31.39%

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

$13.93 ฿457

$26.37 IQD 34.5K

-47.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿618

$39.98 IQD 52.3K

-52.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿2,008

$36.48 IQD 47.8K

67.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿552

$16.80 IQD 22.0K

0.24%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿291

$7.54 IQD 9,871

17.90%

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

$691 ฿22.7K

$169 IQD 220.9K

309.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿529.5K

$3,650 IQD 4.8M

342.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,894

$28.15 IQD 36.9K

105.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,160

$30.77 IQD 40.3K

15.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,716

$64.4 IQD 84.4K

75.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,720

$43.82 IQD 57.4K

89.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.9K

$239 IQD 312.8K

153.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.7K

$181 IQD 237.5K

147.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.5K

$575 IQD 752.6K

253.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.9K

$339 IQD 444.5K

339.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿117.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.5K

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: June 13, 2026

Last update for Al Fallujah: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $239 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 $191 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 36% 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 $1,835 in Phuket and $1,353 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: $607 in Phuket versus $239 in Al Fallujah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $169 in Al Fallujah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $902 in Al Fallujah versus $1,223 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 $902 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 36% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.