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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $617 in Al-mawsil.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $827 in Al-mawsil.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,038 in Al-mawsil.

Living in Phuket is roughly 100% more expensive than in Al-mawsil, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Al-mawsil 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$7.55 IQD 9,891

-41.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$12.36 IQD 16.2K

161.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$5.61 IQD 7,344

59.18%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$0.75 IQD 981

286.67%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.37 IQD 484

137.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.19 IQD 252

152.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$0.97 IQD 1,265

142.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$1.51 IQD 1,982

146.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$0.78 IQD 1,015

139.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.73 IQD 959

101.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$0.62 IQD 815

150.00%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$1.13 IQD 1,482

85.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$7.97 IQD 10.4K

145.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$3.48 IQD 4,551

-1.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$9.22 IQD 12.1K

23.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$0.73 IQD 956

308.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$0.74 IQD 965

127.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$0.60 IQD 781

268.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$0.28 IQD 368

671.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$0.32 IQD 425

375.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$0.37 IQD 482

262.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.78 IQD 1,028

44.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.59 IQD 772

-6.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$1.87 IQD 2,444

127.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$12.38 IQD 16.2K

54.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.69 IQD 2,210

5.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.08 IQD 2,720

33.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.39 IQD 514

471.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$30.48 IQD 39.9K

-25.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.85 IQD 2,426

63.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$1.82 IQD 2,382

-43.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$4.54 IQD 5,945

-14.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$0.33 IQD 430

351.52%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$15.3K IQD 20.0M

74.28%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$17.8K IQD 23.3M

52.11%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$109 IQD 142.3K

-5.71%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$13.97 IQD 18.3K

-18.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$26.34 IQD 34.5K

-33.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$23.02 IQD 30.1K

126.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$7.44 IQD 9,736

48.79%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$7.81 IQD 10.2K

-1.54%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$306 IQD 401.0K

83.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$688 IQD 900.4K

1573.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$19.01 IQD 24.9K

231.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$15.44 IQD 20.2K

91.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$70.5 IQD 92.3K

39.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$18.06 IQD 23.6K

390.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$113 IQD 148.3K

551.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$76.3 IQD 100.0K

531.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$301 IQD 393.7K

600.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$608 IQD 795.7K

-18.77%

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: September 15, 2026

Last update for Al-mawsil: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $113 in Al-mawsil. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al-mawsil pays 23% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $12.00 in Al-mawsil for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $152 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 100% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 23% lower in Al-mawsil. 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: $738 in Phuket versus $113 in Al-mawsil. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $306 in Al-mawsil. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 80% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $617 in Al-mawsil versus $1,232 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 100% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.