Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Al-miqdadiyah

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-miqdadiyah: $767 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Al-miqdadiyah, Iraq
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Al-miqdadiyah
🇮🇶 Iraq
$767
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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-miqdadiyah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $767 in Al-miqdadiyah.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Al-miqdadiyah $767

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,190 in Al-miqdadiyah.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Al-miqdadiyah $1,190

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,614 in Al-miqdadiyah.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Al-miqdadiyah $1,614

Living in Phuket is roughly 67% more expensive than in Al-miqdadiyah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Al-miqdadiyah 44% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Al-miqdadiyah
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$4.02 IQD 6,077
11.19%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,094
$36.99 IQD 55.9K
-12.38%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$7.47 IQD 11.3K
17.94%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.5
$3.25 IQD 4,907
-12.92%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.43
$0.82 IQD 1,244
6.10%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.67
$0.33 IQD 503
48.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.4
$5.70 IQD 8,620
-55.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$3.85 IQD 5,822
-4.42%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Al-miqdadiyah
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿56.0
$1.11 IQD 1,671
49.55%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.35
$0.69 IQD 1,037
111.59%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.6
$1.46 IQD 2,204
2.74%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$1.59 IQD 2,401
31.45%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿644
$7.19 IQD 10.9K
165.23%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$4.22 IQD 6,384
-21.80%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$12.98 IQD 19.6K
-15.95%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿99.0
$0.97 IQD 1,463
202.06%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.1
$1.00 IQD 1,506
69.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
$1.02 IQD 1,539
120.59%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.1
$0.71 IQD 1,070
192.96%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$0.65 IQD 983
132.31%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.56
$0.62 IQD 943
122.58%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.99
$0.60 IQD 905
78.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.52
$0.49 IQD 740
6.12%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$2.12 IQD 3,207
98.11%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$10.55 IQD 15.9K
78.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
$1.41 IQD 2,126
29.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.9
$1.85 IQD 2,800
53.51%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Al-miqdadiyah
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿49.03
$0.29 IQD 440
400.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,913
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$1.68 IQD 2,540
79.76%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.36
$1.61 IQD 2,427
-36.65%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
$5.44 IQD 8,223
-32.17%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.81
$0.57 IQD 866
157.89%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿904.3K
$16.8K IQD 25.3M
59.72%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿901.3K
$16.9K IQD 25.6M
57.51%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Al-miqdadiyah
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,254
$114 IQD 172.8K
-15.73%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$12.20 IQD 18.4K
-7.70%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿569
$23.98 IQD 36.2K
-29.73%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Al-miqdadiyah
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,270
$38.74 IQD 58.5K
73.54%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$9.98 IQD 15.1K
-24.85%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Al-miqdadiyah
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$291 IQD 440.3K
63.33%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.4K
$2,756 IQD 4.2M
308.75%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Al-miqdadiyah
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,106
$27.15 IQD 41.0K
129.69%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿959
$38.74 IQD 58.5K
-26.66%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,184
$59.0 IQD 89.1K
59.87%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,898
$59.5 IQD 90.0K
44.13%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Al-miqdadiyah
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.2K
$204 IQD 308.7K
250.38%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$156 IQD 235.3K
215.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.1K
$341 IQD 515.6K
464.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$291 IQD 439.2K
392.22%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿141.0K
$921 IQD 1.4M
353.46%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.8K
$518 IQD 782.9K
487.60%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Al-miqdadiyah
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿17.0K
-
-
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-miqdadiyah: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Al-miqdadiyah
$156 68.3% $335
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Al-miqdadiyah
$173 34.8% $93
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Al-miqdadiyah
$151 20.9% $26
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Al-miqdadiyah
$83 31.9% $39
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Al-miqdadiyah
$134 10.4% $13
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Al-miqdadiyah
$59 28.6% $24
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Al-miqdadiyah
$11 * 84.6% $60

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $204 in Al-miqdadiyah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $37 in Al-miqdadiyah. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $174, with Al-miqdadiyah cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇮🇶 Al-miqdadiyah
🕒 Local time
02:59 2:59 AM
22:59 10:59 PM
4 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
155,968
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د
Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,682 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.95 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Al-miqdadiyah 6,170 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Al-miqdadiyah

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-miqdadiyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Phuket and in Al-miqdadiyah?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $767 in Al-miqdadiyah, so Al-miqdadiyah is about 40% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Phuket compared to Al-miqdadiyah?
You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $1,150 in Al-miqdadiyah 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Phuket and in Al-miqdadiyah?
Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $204 in Al-miqdadiyah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Phuket or Al-miqdadiyah?
All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $767 in Al-miqdadiyah – Al-miqdadiyah is about 40% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $767 in Al-miqdadiyah versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Al-miqdadiyah but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Al-miqdadiyah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Phuket and Al-miqdadiyah?
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.

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