Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Basra

For one person, living is cheaper in Basra: $664 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Basra
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Basra Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Basra

🇮🇶 Iraq

$664

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Basra

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $664 in Basra.

Phuket $1,278
Basra $664

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,194 in Basra.

Phuket $2,216
Basra $1,194

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,725 in Basra.

Phuket $3,154
Basra $1,725

Living in Phuket is roughly 93% more expensive than in Basra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Basra 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$3.88 IQD 5,859

15.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$26.91 IQD 40.7K

20.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$6.70 IQD 10.1K

31.49%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$2.29 IQD 3,462

23.58%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$0.38 IQD 568

128.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$0.30 IQD 458

63.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$3.28 IQD 4,951

-21.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$3.67 IQD 5,541

0.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$0.99 IQD 1,502

67.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$0.61 IQD 920

139.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.21 IQD 1,833

23.97%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.60 IQD 2,417

30.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$6.32 IQD 9,552

201.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$5.40 IQD 8,161

-38.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$12.12 IQD 18.3K

-9.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$0.84 IQD 1,265

248.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.18 IQD 1,784

43.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.85 IQD 1,285

164.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$0.55 IQD 834

278.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.64 IQD 960

135.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$0.54 IQD 813

155.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$0.80 IQD 1,211

33.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.34 IQD 512

52.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$1.80 IQD 2,725

133.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$11.21 IQD 16.9K

67.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.58 IQD 2,383

15.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$1.82 IQD 2,755

56.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$0.52 IQD 789

178.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$16.41 IQD 24.8K

245.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.93 IQD 2,923

56.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$1.95 IQD 2,948

-47.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$6.34 IQD 9,576

-41.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$0.56 IQD 841

162.50%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$11.4K IQD 17.3M

134.25%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$19.6K IQD 29.7M

35.91%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$43.92 IQD 66.4K

119.38%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$22.28 IQD 33.7K

-49.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$33.60 IQD 50.8K

-49.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$31.84 IQD 48.1K

111.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$11.99 IQD 18.1K

-10.51%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$6.56 IQD 9,906

14.33%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$109 IQD 165.2K

335.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$3,237 IQD 4.9M

247.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$43.57 IQD 65.8K

43.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$17.35 IQD 26.2K

63.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$68.7 IQD 103.8K

37.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$35.89 IQD 54.2K

139.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$405 IQD 611.7K

76.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$138 IQD 208.3K

256.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$369 IQD 558.1K

421.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$548 IQD 828.2K

161.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$1,403 IQD 2.1M

197.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$707 IQD 1.1M

330.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$667 IQD 1.0M

-24.66%

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 26, 2026

Last update for Basra: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Basra

$138 20.8% 71.9% $353

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Basra

$171 25.8% 35.7% $95

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Basra

$100 15% 19.8% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Basra

$74 11.2% 38.9% $47

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Basra

$105 15.8% 13.7% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Basra

$45 6.8% 45.3% $37

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Basra

$30 4.6% 57.2% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $405 in Basra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basra pays 33% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $27 in Basra for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $171 per month, with Basra cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇮🇶 Basra

🕒 Local time

03:17 3:17 AM

23:17 11:17 PM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

2,150,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.93 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,687 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Basra 5,810 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Basra

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 Basra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $664 in Basra, so Basra is about 48% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 25% lower in Phuket. 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: $716 in Phuket versus $405 in Basra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Basra – a meal for two runs $27 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $664 in Basra versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Basra but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Basra 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.

Expats usually find Basra gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.