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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $643 in Ba'qubah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $991 in Ba'qubah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,339 in Ba'qubah.

Living in Phuket is roughly 97% more expensive than in Ba'qubah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Ba'qubah 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$5.05 IQD 6,612

-11.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$15.29 IQD 20.0K

198.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$6.68 IQD 8,747

31.14%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$1.17 IQD 1,536

153.85%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.52 IQD 687

32.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.17 IQD 224

129.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.88 IQD 2,464

34.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.11 IQD 2,766

77.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.13 IQD 1,482

90.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.59 IQD 770

208.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.17 IQD 1,527

86.32%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$1.46 IQD 1,914

54.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$2.29 IQD 2,994

773.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$2.52 IQD 3,298

44.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$10.62 IQD 13.9K

27.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$0.99 IQD 1,297

227.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.12 IQD 1,464

46.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.00 IQD 1,306

133.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$0.55 IQD 719

276.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.55 IQD 725

181.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$0.64 IQD 840

128.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.49 IQD 642

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.21 IQD 271

128.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$2.72 IQD 3,559

59.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$12.27 IQD 16.1K

51.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.42 IQD 1,863

30.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.02 IQD 2,650

31.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.39 IQD 517

264.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$30.62 IQD 40.1K

-62.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$2.31 IQD 3,027

37.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$2.02 IQD 2,645

-49.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$5.30 IQD 6,938

162.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$0.35 IQD 459

282.86%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$19.5K IQD 25.5M

42.55%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$20.6K IQD 27.0M

61.70%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$57.9 IQD 75.8K

112.63%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$17.57 IQD 23.0K

-21.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$27.17 IQD 35.6K

-32.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$19.07 IQD 25.0K

218.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$16.70 IQD 21.9K

2.75%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$3.87 IQD 5,073

129.20%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$26.35 IQD 34.5K

2510.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$638 IQD 835.4K

2373.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$18.85 IQD 24.7K

214.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$18.86 IQD 24.7K

83.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$81.0 IQD 106.1K

42.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$26.53 IQD 34.7K

215.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$246 IQD 322.7K

152.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$180 IQD 235.3K

148.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$584 IQD 765.3K

248.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$341 IQD 446.9K

338.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$755 IQD 988.8K

357.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$187 IQD 245.2K

1251.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$726 IQD 951.2K

-32.04%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Ba'qubah: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $246 in Ba'qubah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ba'qubah pays 47% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $15.00 in Ba'qubah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $141 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 97% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 47% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $246 in Ba'qubah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 107% 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 $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $643 in Ba'qubah versus $1,264 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 97% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.