Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kirkuk Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kirkuk

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $609 in Kirkuk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $960 in Kirkuk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,311 in Kirkuk.

Living in Phuket is roughly 107% more expensive than Kirkuk, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Kirkuk 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$3.80 IQD 4,974

20.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$25.74 IQD 33.7K

81.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$5.76 IQD 7,540

47.05%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.34 IQD 3,064

29.49%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.39 IQD 512

76.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.18 IQD 235

105.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$3.41 IQD 4,468

-26.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.89 IQD 3,782

26.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.14 IQD 1,498

91.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.61 IQD 796

211.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.67 IQD 2,182

31.74%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.48 IQD 1,941

50.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$4.58 IQD 5,997

336.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.85 IQD 3,727

28.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$10.79 IQD 14.1K

22.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$0.90 IQD 1,180

258.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.02 IQD 1,334

66.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$0.99 IQD 1,296

141.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$0.64 IQD 843

225.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.49 IQD 643

224.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.50 IQD 651

196.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.63 IQD 830

63.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.31 IQD 401

67.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$1.86 IQD 2,440

128.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$13.54 IQD 17.7K

38.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.76 IQD 2,311

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.11 IQD 2,760

30.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.56 IQD 727

142.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$31.66 IQD 41.5K

-64.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$2.93 IQD 3,832

7.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$1.11 IQD 1,451

-6.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$7.64 IQD 10.0K

80.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$0.53 IQD 697

152.83%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$20.4K IQD 26.7M

35.80%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$20.3K IQD 26.6M

66.97%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$52.7 IQD 69.0K

134.56%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$23.40 IQD 30.6K

-42.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$38.76 IQD 50.8K

-51.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$14.67 IQD 19.2K

321.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$17.09 IQD 22.4K

0.94%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$7.50 IQD 9,819

21.87%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$58.8 IQD 77.0K

1095.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$780 IQD 1.0M

1935.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$28.28 IQD 37.0K

110.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$30.17 IQD 39.5K

16.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$23.14 IQD 30.3K

398.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$14.72 IQD 19.3K

470.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$73.8 IQD 96.7K

738.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$109 IQD 142.1K

298.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$113 IQD 147.8K

1727.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$252 IQD 329.5K

500.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$866 IQD 1.1M

320.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$398 IQD 520.7K

560.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$631 IQD 826.1K

-19.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.67

-6.00%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Kirkuk: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $73.8 in Kirkuk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kirkuk pays 24% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $26.00 in Kirkuk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $157 per month, with Kirkuk 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 Kirkuk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kirkuk is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 107% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Kirkuk earns 24% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $619 in Phuket versus $73.8 in Kirkuk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $58.8 in Kirkuk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 86% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $609 in Kirkuk versus $1,261 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 107% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.