Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sulaymaniyah Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sulaymaniyah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $750 in Sulaymaniyah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,166 in Sulaymaniyah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,581 in Sulaymaniyah.

Living in Phuket is roughly 64% more expensive than Sulaymaniyah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Sulaymaniyah 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$5.26 IQD 6,895

-11.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$26.81 IQD 35.1K

74.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$7.01 IQD 9,182

26.11%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.64 IQD 3,461

13.64%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.39 IQD 514

89.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.21 IQD 269

76.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.07 IQD 2,714

17.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.71 IQD 3,550

33.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.41 IQD 1,851

60.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.02 IQD 1,332

80.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.61 IQD 2,109

39.13%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.78 IQD 2,329

30.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$6.10 IQD 7,998

222.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$3.56 IQD 4,667

2.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$14.01 IQD 18.4K

-6.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.17 IQD 1,532

189.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.29 IQD 1,694

27.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.27 IQD 1,662

89.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$0.73 IQD 957

178.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.61 IQD 798

155.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.67 IQD 879

123.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.59 IQD 777

72.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.45 IQD 590

8.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$1.94 IQD 2,536

129.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$11.61 IQD 15.2K

62.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.51 IQD 1,975

17.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.81 IQD 2,367

51.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.55 IQD 715

154.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$23.16 IQD 30.3K

-50.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$2.36 IQD 3,096

32.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$2.33 IQD 3,053

-57.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$5.46 IQD 7,150

158.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.77 IQD 1,006

75.32%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$20.3K IQD 26.6M

33.83%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$20.6K IQD 26.9M

60.09%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$76.6 IQD 100.4K

63.16%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$16.90 IQD 22.1K

-19.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$26.27 IQD 34.4K

-29.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$39.65 IQD 51.9K

55.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$16.92 IQD 22.2K

-0.47%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$7.47 IQD 9,788

23.03%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$151 IQD 198.4K

361.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$3,491 IQD 4.6M

346.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$23.36 IQD 30.6K

147.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$24.92 IQD 32.6K

41.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$43.74 IQD 57.3K

158.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$36.40 IQD 47.7K

137.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$240 IQD 315.0K

156.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$175 IQD 229.4K

154.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$572 IQD 749.7K

257.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$341 IQD 446.4K

337.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$810 IQD 1.1M

366.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$579 IQD 758.5K

357.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$580 IQD 759.7K

-9.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-40.78%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Sulaymaniyah: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $240 in Sulaymaniyah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sulaymaniyah pays 11% 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 $27.00 in Sulaymaniyah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $184 per month, with Sulaymaniyah 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 Sulaymaniyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sulaymaniyah is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 64% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Sulaymaniyah earns 11% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $240 in Sulaymaniyah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $151 in Sulaymaniyah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $750 in Sulaymaniyah versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sulaymaniyah but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sulaymaniyah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sulaymaniyah 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 Sulaymaniyah 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 Sulaymaniyah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.