Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Duhok Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Duhok

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $663 in Duhok.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,064 in Duhok.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,466 in Duhok.

Living in Phuket is roughly 91% more expensive than in Duhok, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Duhok 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿153

$3.84 IQD 5,024

21.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,057

$18.93 IQD 24.8K

70.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿285

$8.62 IQD 11.3K

0.70%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.1

$2.81 IQD 3,684

3.20%

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

$0.84 ฿27.69

$0.40 IQD 518

110.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.05

$0.21 IQD 269

133.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿81.5

$1.88 IQD 2,464

31.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿122

$2.35 IQD 3,074

58.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿61.9

$1.23 IQD 1,611

53.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.21

$0.78 IQD 1,027

80.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.2

$1.76 IQD 2,311

-7.95%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿73.5

$1.85 IQD 2,429

21.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿651

$4.91 IQD 6,436

304.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿114

$3.09 IQD 4,041

12.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿373

$12.88 IQD 16.9K

-11.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.1

$1.08 IQD 1,408

168.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.11 IQD 1,450

54.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿74.6

$0.81 IQD 1,065

180.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.0

$0.69 IQD 904

208.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.38

$0.75 IQD 976

96.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.59

$0.69 IQD 901

105.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.00

$0.80 IQD 1,045

37.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.62

$0.59 IQD 772

1.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿141

$1.92 IQD 2,517

124.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿610

$12.55 IQD 16.4K

48.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.1

$1.64 IQD 2,147

9.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿97.3

$2.05 IQD 2,686

44.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿73.7

$0.36 IQD 466

525.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿771

$15.53 IQD 20.3K

51.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$1.86 IQD 2,436

66.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.31

$1.43 IQD 1,875

-24.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿127

$5.83 IQD 7,629

-33.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿46.83

$0.67 IQD 879

113.43%

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

$27.8K ฿911.7K

$18.3K IQD 24.0M

51.73%

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

$27.0K ฿885.3K

$20.2K IQD 26.4M

33.79%

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

$105 ฿3,438

$92.3 IQD 120.8K

13.59%

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

$11.39 ฿374

$9.76 IQD 12.8K

16.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿576

$28.23 IQD 37.0K

-37.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,783

$53.3 IQD 69.8K

1.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿375

$30.88 IQD 40.4K

-62.95%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿255

$7.55 IQD 9,883

3.05%

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

$576 ฿18.9K

$111 IQD 145.6K

418.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿380.0K

$3,151 IQD 4.1M

267.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,088

$10.17 IQD 13.3K

525.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿955

$20.16 IQD 26.4K

44.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,157

$30.16 IQD 39.5K

219.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,953

$20.11 IQD 26.3K

347.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.1K

$179 IQD 234.5K

309.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.4K

$125 IQD 163.7K

300.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿69.7K

$366 IQD 479.6K

480.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.1K

$338 IQD 442.9K

270.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿115.9K

$477 IQD 625.2K

640.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.0K

$391 IQD 512.6K

569.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

$455 IQD 595.5K

11.61%

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: September 6, 2026

Last update for Duhok: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $179 in Duhok. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 12% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $19.00 in Duhok for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $173 per month, with Duhok 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 Duhok: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Duhok differ by about 91% in total monthly costs ($1,265 vs $663 including rent). Duhok is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 12% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $733 in Phuket versus $179 in Duhok. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $111 in Duhok. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $663 in Duhok versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Duhok but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Duhok 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.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Duhok 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 Duhok gentler on the wallet – expenses run 91% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.