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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $646 in Duhok.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,057 in Duhok.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,468 in Duhok.

Living in Phuket is roughly 95% more expensive than Duhok, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Duhok 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$3.93 IQD 5,146

16.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,535

$19.45 IQD 25.4K

139.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿279

$6.94 IQD 9,081

22.05%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿99.7

$2.53 IQD 3,311

19.76%

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

$0.69 ฿22.69

$0.42 IQD 555

64.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.04

$0.18 IQD 237

105.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.9

$1.17 IQD 1,532

112.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿120

$1.93 IQD 2,524

89.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.8

$1.36 IQD 1,783

60.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.6

$0.86 IQD 1,124

120.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿72.4

$1.57 IQD 2,060

40.13%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿73.2

$1.87 IQD 2,449

18.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿658

$5.24 IQD 6,857

281.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿121

$2.93 IQD 3,826

24.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿436

$12.92 IQD 16.9K

2.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿106

$1.12 IQD 1,469

188.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.9

$1.20 IQD 1,565

41.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.8

$0.82 IQD 1,070

191.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$0.71 IQD 929

192.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿52.4

$0.70 IQD 919

127.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.83

$0.70 IQD 910

111.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.90

$0.73 IQD 957

41.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.01

$0.56 IQD 732

-7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿140

$1.86 IQD 2,432

128.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿618

$12.62 IQD 16.5K

48.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.8

$1.44 IQD 1,884

22.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿90.8

$1.97 IQD 2,575

40.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.79

$0.33 IQD 431

312.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿374

$15.86 IQD 20.7K

-28.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿103

$2.23 IQD 2,919

40.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿34.10

$1.54 IQD 2,017

-32.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿453

$6.08 IQD 7,949

126.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.26

$0.66 IQD 861

103.03%

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

$27.7K ฿911.1K

$19.0K IQD 24.9M

45.37%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$19.8K IQD 25.9M

71.07%

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

$124 ฿4,069

$93.8 IQD 122.7K

31.73%

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

$13.52 ฿445

$9.64 IQD 12.6K

40.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿615

$29.60 IQD 38.7K

-36.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,035

$51.8 IQD 67.8K

19.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿568

$16.86 IQD 22.1K

2.31%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿301

$7.44 IQD 9,737

22.85%

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

$703 ฿23.1K

$115 IQD 150.0K

512.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿522.5K

$3,332 IQD 4.4M

376.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,958

$10.15 IQD 13.3K

485.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,154

$19.73 IQD 25.8K

77.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,795

$30.07 IQD 39.3K

283.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,767

$19.79 IQD 25.9K

324.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.4K

$180 IQD 235.3K

243.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.2K

$124 IQD 162.5K

248.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.9K

$367 IQD 479.6K

462.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.7K

$346 IQD 452.3K

337.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿120.0K

$471 IQD 615.6K

674.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿86.4K

$394 IQD 515.0K

566.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.7K

$430 IQD 562.4K

17.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

14.33

-62.81%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Duhok: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $180 in Duhok. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 18% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $19.00 in Duhok for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $174 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 95% in total monthly costs ($1,261 vs $646 including rent). Duhok is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Phuket pays 18% more on average, 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: $619 in Phuket versus $180 in Duhok. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $115 in Duhok. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 68% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $646 in Duhok versus $1,261 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 95% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.