Measurement units Temperature, distance and clock format
Last update: Oct 2026
Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Duhok
For one person, living is cheaper in Duhok: $608 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
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 Duhok actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $608 in Duhok.
Phuket $1,208
Duhok $608
Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $978 in Duhok.
Phuket $2,027
Duhok $978
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $1,349 in Duhok.
Phuket $2,845
Duhok $1,349
🌍
Living in Phuket is roughly 99% more expensive than in Duhok, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket11% lower, Duhok55% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Duhok
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.40฿147
$3.38IQD 5,111
30.18%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.26฿1,078
$16.59IQD 25.1K
94.45%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.76฿293
$7.40IQD 11.2K
18.38%
Cappuccino
$2.83฿94.5
$2.43IQD 3,665
16.46%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.90฿30.14
$0.32IQD 481
181.25%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.47฿15.56
$0.19IQD 294
147.37%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.55฿85.2
$1.69IQD 2,550
50.89%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.83฿128
$1.94IQD 2,932
97.42%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Duhok
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.73฿57.7
$1.11IQD 1,680
55.86%
White Bread(500g)
$1.47฿49.11
$0.67IQD 1,016
119.40%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.51฿50.6
$1.48IQD 2,232
2.03%
Eggs
$2.17฿72.7
$1.58IQD 2,391
37.34%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$19.70฿658
$4.87IQD 7,359
304.52%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.34฿112
$2.96IQD 4,478
12.84%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$11.16฿373
$10.95IQD 16.6K
1.92%
Apples(1kg)
$2.85฿95.1
$0.99IQD 1,489
187.88%
Banana(1kg)
$1.70฿56.9
$0.97IQD 1,461
75.26%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.19฿73.3
$0.75IQD 1,136
192.00%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.05฿68.4
$0.63IQD 959
225.40%
Potato(1kg)
$1.45฿48.57
$0.61IQD 919
137.70%
Onion(1kg)
$1.38฿46.16
$0.62IQD 940
122.58%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.07฿35.69
$0.61IQD 926
75.41%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51฿16.91
$0.52IQD 787
-1.92%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.26฿142
$1.73IQD 2,609
146.24%
Wine(Bottle)
$18.58฿621
$10.97IQD 16.6K
69.37%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78฿59.7
$1.40IQD 2,121
27.14%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.85฿95.2
$1.79IQD 2,700
59.22%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Duhok
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.26฿75.6
$0.30IQD 459
653.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$22.10฿738
$15.64IQD 23.6K
41.30%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.01฿101
$1.60IQD 2,420
88.12%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.06฿35.34
$1.29IQD 1,945
-17.83%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$3.86฿129
$5.52IQD 8,343
-30.07%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.45฿48.45
$0.54IQD 819
168.52%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.3K฿879.9K
$16.6KIQD 25.1M
58.44%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K฿900.4K
$17.1KIQD 25.9M
57.47%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Duhok
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$96.4฿3,221
$87.3IQD 131.8K
10.46%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.04฿369
$8.86IQD 13.4K
24.60%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.14฿573
$23.83IQD 36.0K
-28.07%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Duhok
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$52.2฿1,744
$50.1IQD 75.7K
4.09%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.16฿373
$26.55IQD 40.1K
-57.97%
Cinema Ticket
$7.81฿261
$7.52IQD 11.4K
3.86%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Duhok
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$556฿18.6K
$106IQD 160.6K
423.18%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$11.6K฿387.0K
$2,727IQD 4.1M
324.60%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Duhok
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.2฿2,146
$10.02IQD 15.1K
540.72%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.69฿959
$20.32IQD 30.7K
41.19%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$95.4฿3,187
$30.27IQD 45.7K
215.03%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.0฿2,940
$19.60IQD 29.6K
348.88%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Duhok
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$737฿24.6K
$157IQD 237.0K
369.92%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$462฿15.5K
$116IQD 174.7K
299.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,095฿70.0K
$329IQD 496.7K
537.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,201฿40.1K
$324IQD 489.1K
270.98%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,488฿116.6K
$445IQD 671.8K
684.39%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,523฿84.3K
$362IQD 547.1K
596.74%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Duhok
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$501฿16.7K
$415IQD 627.4K
20.59%
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 19, 2026
Last update for Duhok: October 18, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$462 38.3%
Duhok
$116 19% ↓ 75%$347
🛒Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$269 22.2%
Duhok
$154 25.3% ↓ 42.8%$115
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$125 10.3%
Duhok
$120 19.7% ↓ 3.7%$4.6
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$124 10.3%
Duhok
$36 5.9% ↓ 71%$88
🍽Eating Out
Phuket
$121 10%
Duhok
$93 15.3% ↓ 23.5%$28
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$68 5.6%
Duhok
$65 10.7% ↓ 3.9%$2.6
🚌Getting Around
Phuket
$39 3.3%
Duhok
$25 4.1% ↓ 36.9%$15
🏠Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$1.2K 42.2%
Duhok
$324 24% ↓ 73%$877
🛒Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$606 21.3%
Duhok
$345 25.6% ↓ 43%$261
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$136 4.8%
Duhok
$129 9.6% ↓ 5%$6.8
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$276 9.7%
Duhok
$80 6% ↓ 71%$196
🍽Eating Out
Phuket
$396 13.9%
Duhok
$263 19.5% ↓ 33.5%$133
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$147 5.2%
Duhok
$157 11.6% ↑ 6.9%$10
🚌Getting Around
Phuket
$83 2.9%
Duhok
$50 3.7% ↓ 39.6%$33
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Phuket and $157 in Duhok. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Phuket pays 21% 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 $17.00 in Duhok for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $154 per month, with Duhok cheaper across the board.
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 Duhok: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Phuket and in Duhok?
Phuket and Duhok differ by about 99% in total monthly costs ($1,208 vs $608 including rent). Duhok is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Phuket or Duhok?
Average pay runs 21% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Phuket and in Duhok?
Rent for a central apartment: $737 in Phuket versus $157 in Duhok. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Phuket and Duhok?
Childcare runs $556 in Phuket versus $106 in Duhok. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 75% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $608 in Duhok versus $1,208 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.
How does quality of life compare between Phuket and Duhok?
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.
Is Phuket or Duhok safer for residents?
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.
Where should expats move: Phuket or Duhok?
Expats usually find Duhok gentler on the wallet – expenses run 99% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.