Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Al-mawsil

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-mawsil: $598 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Al-mawsil
Learn more

Al-mawsil Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Al-mawsil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$598

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Al-mawsil

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $598 in Al-mawsil.

Phuket $1,278
Al-mawsil $598

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $903 in Al-mawsil.

Phuket $2,216
Al-mawsil $903

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,207 in Al-mawsil.

Phuket $3,154
Al-mawsil $1,207

Living in Phuket is roughly 114% more expensive than in Al-mawsil, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Al-mawsil 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$4.07 IQD 6,148

9.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$10.40 IQD 15.7K

211.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$5.01 IQD 7,571

75.85%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$0.64 IQD 974

342.19%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$0.35 IQD 522

148.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$0.18 IQD 279

172.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$0.87 IQD 1,311

194.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$1.36 IQD 2,051

170.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$0.64 IQD 970

159.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$0.65 IQD 978

124.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.55 IQD 830

172.73%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$0.95 IQD 1,440

120.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$7.19 IQD 10.9K

165.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$2.88 IQD 4,353

14.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$8.14 IQD 12.3K

34.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$0.64 IQD 963

357.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$0.64 IQD 972

164.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.48 IQD 728

368.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$0.22 IQD 331

845.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.25 IQD 375

504.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$0.31 IQD 474

345.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$0.60 IQD 911

78.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.49 IQD 740

6.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$1.61 IQD 2,439

160.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$10.94 IQD 16.5K

71.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.45 IQD 2,195

25.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$1.80 IQD 2,714

57.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$0.31 IQD 475

367.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$26.19 IQD 39.6K

116.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.61 IQD 2,438

87.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$1.60 IQD 2,420

-36.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$3.98 IQD 6,021

-7.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$0.31 IQD 472

374.19%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$13.0K IQD 19.7M

105.59%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$15.3K IQD 23.2M

73.95%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$93.7 IQD 141.5K

2.87%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$12.00 IQD 18.1K

-6.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$22.95 IQD 34.7K

-26.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$37.48 IQD 56.6K

79.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$6.48 IQD 9,784

65.59%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$6.42 IQD 9,708

16.82%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$301 IQD 455.1K

58.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$604 IQD 912.4K

1765.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$16.49 IQD 24.9K

278.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$12.99 IQD 19.6K

118.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$60.0 IQD 90.6K

57.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$15.65 IQD 23.6K

448.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$211 IQD 318.8K

239.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$139 IQD 209.6K

253.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$369 IQD 557.1K

422.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$309 IQD 466.9K

363.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$851 IQD 1.3M

390.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$435 IQD 657.4K

599.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$521 IQD 787.2K

-3.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

2.53

120.16%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Al-mawsil: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Al-mawsil

$139 23.2% 71.7% $352

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Al-mawsil

$132 22% 50.5% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Al-mawsil

$129 21.5% 3.3% $4.1

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Al-mawsil

$47 7.9% 61.2% $75

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Al-mawsil

$64 10.8% 47% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Al-mawsil

$50 8.4% 38.8% $32

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Al-mawsil

$37 6.2% 47.5% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $211 in Al-mawsil. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al-mawsil pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $10 in Al-mawsil for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $132 per month, with Al-mawsil cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇮🇶 Al-mawsil

🕒 Local time

06:54 6:54 AM

02:54 2:54 AM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

1,683,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

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

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Al-mawsil 6,400 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Al-mawsil

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

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

Al-mawsil is about 53% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 4% 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: $716 in Phuket versus $211 in Al-mawsil. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $301 in Al-mawsil. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 102% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $598 in Al-mawsil versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Al-mawsil but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Al-mawsil the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Al-mawsil gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.