Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ba'qubah

For one person, living is cheaper in Ba'qubah: $524 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 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
26

Cost of Living Index in Ba'qubah
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Ba'qubah Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Ba'qubah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$524

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Ba'qubah

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 Ba'qubah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Phuket versus $524 in Ba'qubah.

Phuket $1,207
Ba'qubah $524

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Phuket versus $826 in Ba'qubah.

Phuket $2,037
Ba'qubah $826

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Phuket versus $1,128 in Ba'qubah.

Phuket $2,867
Ba'qubah $1,128

Living in Phuket is roughly 130% more expensive than in Ba'qubah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Ba'qubah 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$4.18 IQD 6,323

9.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$13.31 IQD 20.1K

144.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$5.70 IQD 8,615

50.00%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$1.01 IQD 1,520

169.31%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$0.47 IQD 707

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$0.18 IQD 266

172.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$1.66 IQD 2,516

56.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$4.05 IQD 6,113

-5.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$1.03 IQD 1,559

68.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$0.47 IQD 704

204.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$1.03 IQD 1,552

48.54%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$1.27 IQD 1,924

70.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$2.00 IQD 3,016

857.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$2.10 IQD 3,179

57.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$9.09 IQD 13.7K

22.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$0.84 IQD 1,266

251.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$0.93 IQD 1,402

80.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$0.85 IQD 1,290

170.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$0.47 IQD 711

353.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$0.51 IQD 776

200.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$0.60 IQD 908

126.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$0.43 IQD 648

160.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.15 IQD 220

266.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.20 IQD 3,326

93.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$10.64 IQD 16.1K

70.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$1.45 IQD 2,197

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$1.80 IQD 2,722

55.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$0.43 IQD 644

416.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

$18.36 IQD 27.7K

20.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$1.61 IQD 2,427

80.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

$1.57 IQD 2,368

-35.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$4.71 IQD 7,120

-18.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$0.31 IQD 473

380.65%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$16.4K IQD 24.8M

62.48%

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

$17.4K IQD 26.3M

53.54%

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$50.1 IQD 75.6K

98.50%

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

$11.28 ฿377

$12.12 IQD 18.3K

-6.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$22.83 IQD 34.5K

-23.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$16.53 IQD 25.0K

216.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$3.36 IQD 5,078

125.30%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$22.77 IQD 34.4K

2352.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

$555 IQD 838.8K

1969.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$16.58 IQD 25.0K

279.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$16.76 IQD 25.3K

70.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$60.1 IQD 90.9K

59.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$22.70 IQD 34.3K

287.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$178 IQD 268.4K

310.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$130 IQD 197.1K

252.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$371 IQD 560.2K

465.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

$308 IQD 465.5K

296.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

$704 IQD 1.1M

391.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

$579 IQD 874.1K

330.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$627 IQD 946.7K

-21.30%

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 13, 2026

Last update for Ba'qubah: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Ba'qubah

$130 24.9% 71.6% $330

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Ba'qubah

$122 23.3% 54.5% $146

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Ba'qubah

$85 16.2% 33.6% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Ba'qubah

$52 10% 57.9% $72

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Ba'qubah

$82 15.6% 32.7% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Ba'qubah

$23 4.4% 65.5% $44

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Ba'qubah

$30 5.6% 24.1% $9.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Phuket and $178 in Ba'qubah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ba'qubah pays 27% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $13.00 in Ba'qubah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $122 per month, with Ba'qubah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇮🇶 Ba'qubah

🕒 Local time

12:59 12:59 PM

08:59 8:59 AM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

268,866

💱 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 = 5.88 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 = 37.63 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 = 1,701 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.88 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Ba'qubah 6,200 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Ba'qubah

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 Ba'qubah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ba'qubah is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 130% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 27% lower in Ba'qubah. 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: $729 in Phuket versus $178 in Ba'qubah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 120% 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 $13.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $524 in Ba'qubah versus $1,207 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 130% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.