Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ba'qubah Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ba'qubah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $638 in Ba'qubah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $985 in Ba'qubah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,333 in Ba'qubah.

Living in Phuket is roughly 93% more expensive than Ba'qubah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Ba'qubah 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$5.03 IQD 6,593

-7.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$15.37 IQD 20.1K

204.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$6.35 IQD 8,318

39.21%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.13 IQD 1,478

165.49%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.48 IQD 628

54.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.18 IQD 242

105.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.93 IQD 2,534

26.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.06 IQD 2,697

75.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.13 IQD 1,485

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.55 IQD 726

234.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.12 IQD 1,473

100.00%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.41 IQD 1,852

64.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$2.26 IQD 2,964

770.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$2.52 IQD 3,298

44.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$10.77 IQD 14.1K

21.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$0.92 IQD 1,202

268.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.13 IQD 1,480

45.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$0.99 IQD 1,291

143.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$0.60 IQD 782

238.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.56 IQD 729

178.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.69 IQD 901

117.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.47 IQD 612

117.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.21 IQD 281

133.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$2.71 IQD 3,557

64.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$12.24 IQD 16.0K

54.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.43 IQD 1,873

24.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.03 IQD 2,655

35.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.40 IQD 522

250.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$31.61 IQD 41.4K

-63.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$2.37 IQD 3,100

31.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$2.10 IQD 2,751

-52.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$5.32 IQD 6,973

164.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.33 IQD 427

309.09%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$19.0K IQD 24.9M

43.12%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$20.9K IQD 27.4M

57.67%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$59.3 IQD 77.7K

110.72%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$17.97 IQD 23.5K

-24.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$27.11 IQD 35.5K

-31.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$18.94 IQD 24.8K

224.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$16.61 IQD 21.8K

1.38%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$3.82 IQD 4,999

140.58%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$27.30 IQD 35.8K

2457.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$632 IQD 827.6K

2368.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$18.99 IQD 24.9K

204.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$18.97 IQD 24.9K

85.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$83.8 IQD 109.8K

34.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$27.25 IQD 35.7K

216.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$244 IQD 320.3K

151.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$182 IQD 238.6K

144.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$570 IQD 746.3K

259.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$345 IQD 451.5K

332.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$768 IQD 1.0M

392.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$188 IQD 246.7K

1306.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$730 IQD 956.4K

-28.25%

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 27, 2026

Last update for Ba'qubah: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $244 in Ba'qubah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ba'qubah pays 39% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $15.00 in Ba'qubah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $140 per month, with Ba'qubah 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 Ba'qubah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ba'qubah is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 93% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Ba'qubah earns 39% less. 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: $616 in Phuket versus $244 in Ba'qubah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 108% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Ba'qubah – a meal for two runs $15.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $638 in Ba'qubah versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ba'qubah but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Ba'qubah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ba'qubah 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 Ba'qubah 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 Ba'qubah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 93% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.