Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Al-mawsil Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Al-mawsil

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $734 in Al-mawsil.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,085 in Al-mawsil.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,437 in Al-mawsil.

Living in Phuket is roughly 72% more expensive than Al-mawsil, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Al-mawsil 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$7.47 IQD 9,781

-37.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$12.10 IQD 15.8K

274.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$5.87 IQD 7,683

43.61%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$0.75 IQD 977

290.67%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$0.36 IQD 473

91.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.17 IQD 218

117.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$0.91 IQD 1,198

164.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$1.48 IQD 1,944

151.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$0.92 IQD 1,207

142.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$0.75 IQD 976

144.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$1.05 IQD 1,378

106.67%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$1.97 IQD 2,578

12.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$7.27 IQD 9,521

171.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.30 IQD 4,326

10.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$7.12 IQD 9,320

90.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$0.92 IQD 1,203

256.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$0.86 IQD 1,126

87.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$0.77 IQD 1,012

212.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$0.37 IQD 479

462.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$0.41 IQD 543

273.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$0.46 IQD 601

221.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$0.52 IQD 679

90.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.48 IQD 635

6.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$1.90 IQD 2,492

132.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$12.23 IQD 16.0K

58.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.37 IQD 1,799

29.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$1.92 IQD 2,518

41.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.37 IQD 482

270.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$31.22 IQD 40.9K

-63.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$2.18 IQD 2,850

38.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$2.02 IQD 2,646

-50.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$3.35 IQD 4,391

320.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$0.35 IQD 461

288.57%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$15.6K IQD 20.4M

80.69%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$17.7K IQD 23.2M

86.07%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$99.0 IQD 129.6K

22.95%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$17.96 IQD 23.5K

-24.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$26.95 IQD 35.3K

-32.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$23.87 IQD 31.3K

152.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$18.75 IQD 24.6K

-8.59%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$11.49 IQD 15.0K

-24.37%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$198 IQD 258.7K

251.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$701 IQD 917.6K

2138.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$14.06 IQD 18.4K

323.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$17.51 IQD 22.9K

98.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$82.0 IQD 107.4K

39.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$19.05 IQD 24.9K

337.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$241 IQD 316.0K

154.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$177 IQD 231.4K

147.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$585 IQD 765.8K

258.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$349 IQD 457.4K

332.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$607 IQD 795.3K

-16.33%

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 2, 2026

Last update for Al-mawsil: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $241 in Al-mawsil. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al-mawsil pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $12.00 in Al-mawsil for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $148 per month, with Al-mawsil 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-mawsil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al-mawsil is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 72% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Al-mawsil earns 20% less. 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: $613 in Phuket versus $241 in Al-mawsil. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $198 in Al-mawsil. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 97% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $734 in Al-mawsil versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 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.

For families, Al-mawsil 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, Phuket and Al-mawsil 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-mawsil gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.