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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,247 in Phuket versus $893 in Al-musayyib.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,276 in Phuket versus $1,334 in Al-musayyib.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,306 in Phuket versus $1,774 in Al-musayyib.

Living in Phuket is roughly 40% more expensive than Al-musayyib, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 7% lower, Al-musayyib 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.59 ฿147

$5.24 IQD 6,867

-12.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.83 ฿1,501

$36.84 IQD 48.2K

27.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿279

$7.55 IQD 9,883

15.23%

Cappuccino

$2.92 ฿93.7

$3.00 IQD 3,928

-2.67%

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

$0.68 ฿21.92

$0.37 IQD 483

83.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿12.70

$0.21 IQD 270

90.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 ฿80.4

$3.45 IQD 4,520

-27.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 ฿122

$2.86 IQD 3,742

32.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ฿69.3

$1.13 IQD 1,479

91.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 ฿60.3

$0.84 IQD 1,096

123.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 ฿69.2

$1.57 IQD 2,059

37.58%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿71.2

$1.50 IQD 1,967

48.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.57 ฿627

$4.39 IQD 5,742

345.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.80 ฿122

$3.94 IQD 5,163

-3.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.41 ฿430

$11.34 IQD 14.9K

18.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 ฿104

$1.12 IQD 1,469

191.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿51.7

$1.13 IQD 1,477

42.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 ฿74.0

$1.00 IQD 1,313

131.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 ฿66.0

$0.56 IQD 731

267.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 ฿51.5

$0.59 IQD 777

172.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 ฿46.26

$0.54 IQD 709

166.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.01

$0.55 IQD 716

87.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.39

$0.37 IQD 481

29.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.50 ฿144

$2.07 IQD 2,710

117.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.18 ฿615

$13.83 IQD 18.1K

38.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿58.4

$1.76 IQD 2,302

3.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 ฿86.2

$2.16 IQD 2,826

24.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 ฿44.16

$0.40 IQD 519

245.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.76 ฿377

$31.34 IQD 41.0K

-62.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿99.6

$3.76 IQD 4,918

-17.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.18

$1.54 IQD 2,012

-35.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.74 ฿441

$7.47 IQD 9,779

83.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.61

$0.57 IQD 746

128.07%

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

$27.4K ฿877.0K

$19.8K IQD 25.9M

38.29%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$19.5K IQD 25.6M

68.93%

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

$125 ฿4,004

$179 IQD 234.4K

-30.26%

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

$13.74 ฿440

$25.66 IQD 33.6K

-46.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.61 ฿597

$39.85 IQD 52.2K

-53.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.6 ฿1,941

$36.77 IQD 48.1K

64.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.15 ฿550

$16.96 IQD 22.2K

1.12%

Cinema Ticket

$9.01 ฿289

$7.79 IQD 10.2K

15.66%

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

$698 ฿22.4K

$166 IQD 217.5K

319.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿516.5K

$3,525 IQD 4.6M

357.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 ฿1,898

$28.04 IQD 36.7K

111.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.86 ฿1,118

$30.67 IQD 40.2K

13.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ฿3,662

$63.7 IQD 83.5K

79.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,751

$43.71 IQD 57.2K

96.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿19.8K

$244 IQD 319.5K

153.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.0K

$178 IQD 232.6K

145.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,075 ฿66.5K

$585 IQD 765.6K

254.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿48.4K

$339 IQD 444.0K

345.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,764 ฿120.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,694 ฿86.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$528 ฿16.9K

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: April 13, 2026

Last update for Al-musayyib: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $244 in Al-musayyib. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47 in Phuket vs $37 in Al-musayyib for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $168 per month, with Al-musayyib 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-musayyib: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Al-musayyib differ by about 40% in total monthly costs ($1,247 vs $893 including rent). Al-musayyib is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,870 in Phuket and $1,340 in Al-musayyib 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: $619 in Phuket versus $244 in Al-musayyib. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $166 in Al-musayyib. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 73% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $893 in Al-musayyib versus $1,247 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Al-musayyib but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Al-musayyib 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.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Al-musayyib 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-musayyib gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.