Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kirkuk

For one person, living is cheaper in Kirkuk: $540 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Kirkuk
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Kirkuk Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Kirkuk

🇮🇶 Iraq

$540

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Kirkuk

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Phuket versus $540 in Kirkuk.

Phuket $1,207
Kirkuk $540

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Phuket versus $868 in Kirkuk.

Phuket $2,037
Kirkuk $868

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Phuket versus $1,197 in Kirkuk.

Phuket $2,867
Kirkuk $1,197

Living in Phuket is roughly 123% more expensive than in Kirkuk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Kirkuk 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$3.58 IQD 5,403

27.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$23.24 IQD 35.1K

39.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$5.40 IQD 8,162

58.33%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$2.46 IQD 3,716

10.57%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$0.36 IQD 537

161.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$0.16 IQD 238

206.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$2.62 IQD 3,963

-1.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$3.37 IQD 5,087

13.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$0.95 IQD 1,433

83.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$0.60 IQD 911

138.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$1.31 IQD 1,984

16.79%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$1.27 IQD 1,915

70.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$3.42 IQD 5,160

459.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$3.13 IQD 4,735

5.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$11.18 IQD 16.9K

-0.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$0.79 IQD 1,198

273.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$0.83 IQD 1,254

102.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$0.80 IQD 1,209

187.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$0.60 IQD 906

255.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$0.48 IQD 730

218.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$0.48 IQD 730

183.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$0.57 IQD 854

96.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.32 IQD 477

71.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$1.61 IQD 2,430

164.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$11.55 IQD 17.4K

57.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$1.29 IQD 1,950

34.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$1.61 IQD 2,434

73.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$0.32 IQD 482

593.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

$20.32 IQD 30.7K

8.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$2.01 IQD 3,034

44.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

$1.34 IQD 2,028

-24.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$6.42 IQD 9,693

-40.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$0.47 IQD 712

217.02%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$16.7K IQD 25.3M

59.34%

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

$16.4K IQD 24.8M

62.47%

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$51.6 IQD 78.0K

92.50%

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

$11.28 ฿377

$17.64 IQD 26.6K

-36.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$36.97 IQD 55.9K

-53.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$9.82 IQD 14.8K

432.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$9.80 IQD 14.8K

-22.76%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$143 IQD 215.9K

290.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

$2,984 IQD 4.5M

285.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$25.27 IQD 38.2K

148.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$16.32 IQD 24.7K

75.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$58.3 IQD 88.1K

64.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$29.54 IQD 44.6K

198.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$162 IQD 245.2K

349.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$78.1 IQD 118.1K

488.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$198 IQD 299.8K

956.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

$201 IQD 304.3K

506.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

$490 IQD 740.7K

605.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

$259 IQD 391.8K

859.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$379 IQD 572.3K

30.19%

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 13, 2026

Last update for Kirkuk: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Kirkuk

$78 14.5% 83% $382

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Kirkuk

$142 26.2% 47% $126

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Kirkuk

$106 19.7% 17% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Kirkuk

$58 10.8% 53% $66

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Kirkuk

$96 17.8% 20.7% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Kirkuk

$29 5.4% 56.4% $38

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Kirkuk

$30 5.6% 22% $8.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Phuket and $162 in Kirkuk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 30% 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 $23.00 in Kirkuk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $142 per month, with Kirkuk cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇮🇶 Kirkuk

🕒 Local time

15:20 3:20 PM

11:20 11:20 AM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

850,787

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.88 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 October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.63 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,701 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.88 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Kirkuk 6,270 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Kirkuk

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 Kirkuk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kirkuk is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 123% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 30% 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: $729 in Phuket versus $162 in Kirkuk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $558 in Phuket versus $143 in Kirkuk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 89% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $540 in Kirkuk versus $1,207 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kirkuk but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Kirkuk the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kirkuk is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Kirkuk 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 Kirkuk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 123% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.