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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $878 in Al-musayyib.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,356 in Al-musayyib.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,834 in Al-musayyib.

Living in Phuket is roughly 44% more expensive than Al-musayyib, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Al-musayyib 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$5.26 IQD 6,889

-13.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,527

$36.65 IQD 48.0K

27.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿277

$7.51 IQD 9,828

12.78%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿99.1

$3.11 IQD 4,077

-2.57%

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

$0.69 ฿22.57

$0.36 IQD 475

91.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.98

$0.20 IQD 263

85.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.5

$3.45 IQD 4,518

-27.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿120

$2.94 IQD 3,856

24.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.4

$1.14 IQD 1,490

91.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.3

$0.83 IQD 1,093

128.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿72.0

$1.57 IQD 2,061

40.13%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.8

$1.57 IQD 2,059

41.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿655

$4.60 IQD 6,023

334.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿120

$3.87 IQD 5,071

-5.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿434

$11.67 IQD 15.3K

13.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿106

$1.14 IQD 1,486

183.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.6

$1.12 IQD 1,461

51.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.4

$1.05 IQD 1,370

127.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.0

$0.58 IQD 760

258.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿52.1

$0.64 IQD 838

148.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.58

$0.59 IQD 769

150.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.73

$0.60 IQD 784

71.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.93

$0.37 IQD 480

40.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿139

$2.13 IQD 2,786

99.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿615

$13.34 IQD 17.5K

40.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.5

$1.78 IQD 2,326

-1.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿90.3

$2.10 IQD 2,747

31.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.56

$0.39 IQD 516

248.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿372

$31.23 IQD 40.9K

-63.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿103

$3.90 IQD 5,103

-19.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.92

$1.48 IQD 1,933

-29.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿451

$7.57 IQD 9,907

81.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.03

$0.53 IQD 699

152.83%

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

$27.7K ฿906.4K

$19.8K IQD 25.9M

40.12%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$20.0K IQD 26.2M

69.20%

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

$124 ฿4,048

$179 IQD 234.1K

-30.86%

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

$13.52 ฿443

$26.36 IQD 34.5K

-48.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿612

$40.27 IQD 52.7K

-53.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,025

$37.09 IQD 48.6K

66.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿565

$16.54 IQD 21.7K

4.29%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿299

$7.51 IQD 9,840

21.70%

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

$703 ฿23.0K

$166 IQD 217.7K

322.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿519.8K

$3,586 IQD 4.7M

342.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,947

$28.39 IQD 37.2K

109.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,149

$30.81 IQD 40.3K

13.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,775

$63.8 IQD 83.6K

80.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,752

$43.33 IQD 56.7K

93.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.3K

$244 IQD 319.6K

153.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.2K

$176 IQD 229.9K

146.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.5K

$575 IQD 752.9K

258.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.5K

$341 IQD 446.8K

342.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿119.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿86.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.6K

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 7, 2026

Last update for Al-musayyib: June 9, 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $37.00 in Al-musayyib for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $170 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 44% in total monthly costs ($1,261 vs $878 including rent). Al-musayyib is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,892 in Phuket and $1,317 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 $703 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 $878 in Al-musayyib versus $1,261 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 44% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.