Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and As Samawah

For one person, living is cheaper in As Samawah: $644 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in As Samawah
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As Samawah Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

As Samawah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$644

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in As Samawah

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 As Samawah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Phuket versus $644 in As Samawah.

Phuket $1,207
As Samawah $644

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Phuket versus $1,050 in As Samawah.

Phuket $2,037
As Samawah $1,050

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Phuket versus $1,456 in As Samawah.

Phuket $2,867
As Samawah $1,456

Living in Phuket is roughly 88% more expensive than in As Samawah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, As Samawah 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$4.36 IQD 6,593

5.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$29.34 IQD 44.3K

10.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$6.51 IQD 9,844

31.34%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$2.79 IQD 4,215

-2.51%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$0.31 IQD 474

203.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$0.16 IQD 237

206.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$3.21 IQD 4,850

-19.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$3.39 IQD 5,118

12.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$0.94 IQD 1,422

85.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$0.63 IQD 959

126.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$1.35 IQD 2,046

13.33%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$1.56 IQD 2,356

39.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$1.29 IQD 1,953

1384.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$4.21 IQD 6,360

-21.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$11.93 IQD 18.0K

-6.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$0.97 IQD 1,464

204.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$0.98 IQD 1,482

71.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$0.83 IQD 1,251

177.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$0.42 IQD 640

407.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$0.51 IQD 776

200.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$0.55 IQD 836

147.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$0.55 IQD 826

103.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.62 IQD 939

-11.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$1.69 IQD 2,552

152.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$6.42 IQD 9,703

183.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$1.89 IQD 2,858

-7.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$1.90 IQD 2,875

46.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$0.47 IQD 709

372.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

$19.97 IQD 30.2K

10.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$2.03 IQD 3,070

43.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

$1.35 IQD 2,034

-25.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$2.72 IQD 4,106

40.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$0.57 IQD 862

161.40%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$16.5K IQD 25.0M

61.41%

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

$16.7K IQD 25.2M

59.92%

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$71.3 IQD 107.8K

39.29%

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

$11.28 ฿377

$16.32 IQD 24.7K

-30.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$16.39 IQD 24.8K

5.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$36.23 IQD 54.7K

44.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

$16.66 IQD 25.2K

-34.87%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$7.97 IQD 12.0K

-5.02%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$50.2 IQD 75.9K

1011.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

$1,315 IQD 2.0M

773.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$24.56 IQD 37.1K

156.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$27.74 IQD 41.9K

3.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$58.2 IQD 88.0K

65.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$41.02 IQD 62.0K

114.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$175 IQD 264.3K

317.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$133 IQD 201.6K

244.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$168 IQD 254.3K

1145.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

$308 IQD 465.6K

296.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

$794 IQD 1.2M

335.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

$623 IQD 942.0K

299.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.12

35.19%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for As Samawah: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

As Samawah

$133 20.7% 71% $327

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

As Samawah

$143 22.2% 46.7% $125

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

As Samawah

$104 16.2% 18.7% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

As Samawah

$68 10.6% 45% $56

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

As Samawah

$113 17.5% 7.2% $8.7

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

As Samawah

$52 8.1% 22.6% $15

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

As Samawah

$31 4.8% 21.3% $8.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Phuket and $175 in As Samawah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $29.00 in As Samawah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $143 per month, with As Samawah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇮🇶 As Samawah

🕒 Local time

02:59 2:59 AM

22:59 10:59 PM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

250,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket As Samawah 6,070 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
As Samawah

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 As Samawah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

As Samawah is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 88% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,811 in Phuket and $966 in As Samawah 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: $729 in Phuket versus $175 in As Samawah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in As Samawah runs roughly 10% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $558 in Phuket versus $50.2 in As Samawah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $644 in As Samawah versus $1,207 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in As Samawah but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes As Samawah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, As Samawah 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 As Samawah 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 As Samawah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 88% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.