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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $761 in Sulaymaniyah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,176 in Sulaymaniyah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,591 in Sulaymaniyah.

Living in Phuket is roughly 66% more expensive than in Sulaymaniyah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Sulaymaniyah 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$5.42 IQD 7,098

-17.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$26.66 IQD 34.9K

71.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$6.84 IQD 8,953

28.07%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$2.65 IQD 3,468

12.08%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.39 IQD 515

76.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.20 IQD 256

95.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$2.05 IQD 2,681

23.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.69 IQD 3,529

39.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.46 IQD 1,913

47.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.99 IQD 1,295

83.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.61 IQD 2,105

35.40%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$1.71 IQD 2,244

31.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$6.05 IQD 7,920

230.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$3.53 IQD 4,617

2.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$14.46 IQD 18.9K

-6.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$1.17 IQD 1,527

176.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.23 IQD 1,615

33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.28 IQD 1,671

82.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$0.75 IQD 985

176.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.67 IQD 871

131.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$0.65 IQD 845

124.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.55 IQD 715

78.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.45 IQD 586

6.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$1.94 IQD 2,543

124.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$11.56 IQD 15.1K

60.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.51 IQD 1,976

23.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$1.73 IQD 2,269

53.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.55 IQD 724

158.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$22.59 IQD 29.6K

-48.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$2.27 IQD 2,966

39.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$2.28 IQD 2,986

-54.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$5.21 IQD 6,828

166.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$0.75 IQD 985

78.67%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$20.7K IQD 27.1M

34.12%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$21.1K IQD 27.7M

57.95%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$77.5 IQD 101.5K

58.84%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$16.80 IQD 22.0K

-18.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$26.70 IQD 35.0K

-31.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$38.57 IQD 50.5K

57.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$16.67 IQD 21.8K

2.94%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$7.48 IQD 9,799

18.58%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$150 IQD 196.2K

359.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$3,550 IQD 4.6M

344.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$23.44 IQD 30.7K

152.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$24.93 IQD 32.6K

39.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$43.58 IQD 57.1K

164.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$36.28 IQD 47.5K

130.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$235 IQD 308.2K

163.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$180 IQD 236.2K

147.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$568 IQD 744.4K

257.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$340 IQD 445.3K

339.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$820 IQD 1.1M

321.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$576 IQD 753.9K

339.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$570 IQD 746.9K

-13.46%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Sulaymaniyah: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $235 in Sulaymaniyah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sulaymaniyah pays 16% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $27.00 in Sulaymaniyah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 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 66% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 16% lower in Sulaymaniyah. 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: $621 in Phuket versus $235 in Sulaymaniyah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $150 in Sulaymaniyah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $761 in Sulaymaniyah versus $1,264 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 66% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.