Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Erbil

For one person, living is cheaper in Erbil: $958 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 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
46

Cost of Living Index in Erbil
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Erbil Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Erbil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$958

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Erbil

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $958 in Erbil, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Erbil $958

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $1,427 in Erbil, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Erbil $1,427

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $1,896 in Erbil, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Erbil $1,896

Phuket costs about 33% more than Erbil, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Erbil are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Erbil 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$6.42 IQD 9,704

-30.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$36.55 IQD 55.2K

-11.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$7.41 IQD 11.2K

18.89%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$3.24 IQD 4,889

-12.65%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$0.89 IQD 1,341

-2.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$0.33 IQD 505

48.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$5.75 IQD 8,681

-55.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$3.92 IQD 5,921

-6.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.07 IQD 1,611

55.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$0.67 IQD 1,019

117.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.52 IQD 2,303

-1.32%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.60 IQD 2,413

30.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$7.00 IQD 10.6K

172.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$4.38 IQD 6,614

-24.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$12.67 IQD 19.1K

-13.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$0.94 IQD 1,415

211.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.01 IQD 1,528

67.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.02 IQD 1,544

120.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$0.70 IQD 1,064

197.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.65 IQD 982

132.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$0.63 IQD 952

119.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$0.64 IQD 968

67.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.52 IQD 781

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$2.19 IQD 3,303

91.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$10.83 IQD 16.4K

73.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.45 IQD 2,191

25.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$1.79 IQD 2,712

58.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

$0.49 IQD 736

195.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$39.29 IQD 59.4K

44.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.67 IQD 2,519

80.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$1.60 IQD 2,418

-36.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$5.78 IQD 8,728

-36.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$0.57 IQD 867

157.89%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$16.8K IQD 25.4M

59.43%

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$17.1K IQD 25.9M

55.80%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$111 IQD 168.1K

-13.39%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$12.24 IQD 18.5K

-8.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$24.61 IQD 37.2K

-31.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

$57.0 IQD 86.1K

18.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$13.48 IQD 20.4K

-20.40%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$9.63 IQD 14.6K

-22.12%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$294 IQD 443.8K

62.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

$2,726 IQD 4.1M

313.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$26.71 IQD 40.4K

133.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$38.49 IQD 58.2K

-26.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$61.1 IQD 92.3K

54.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

$59.9 IQD 90.5K

43.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$426 IQD 643.6K

68.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$271 IQD 410.0K

80.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$699 IQD 1.1M

175.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$404 IQD 610.4K

254.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$1,017 IQD 1.5M

310.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$615 IQD 929.8K

394.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$519 IQD 783.7K

-3.16%

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 26, 2026

Last update for Erbil: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Erbil

$271 28.3% 44.7% $220

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Erbil

$174 18.1% 34.8% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Erbil

$148 15.5% 19% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Erbil

$84 8.8% 31.3% $38

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Erbil

$154 16.1% 26.4% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Erbil

$76 8% 7.3% $6

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Erbil

$51 5.3% 27.9% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $426 in Erbil. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 3% higher in Erbil, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $37 in Erbil. Groceries tell a different story – $266 in Phuket vs $174 in Erbil – so Erbil wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇮🇶 Erbil

🕒 Local time

15:00 3:00 PM

11:00 11:00 AM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

1,713,461

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,686 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Erbil 6,320 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Erbil

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 Erbil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 33%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $1,437 in Erbil. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Erbil, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $426 there versus $716 in Phuket.

Groceries cost about 53% more in Phuket, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $37 in Erbil. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Erbil – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.