Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sulaymaniyah

For one person, living is cheaper in Sulaymaniyah: $663 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 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
32

Cost of Living Index in Sulaymaniyah
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Sulaymaniyah Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Sulaymaniyah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Sulaymaniyah

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $663 in Sulaymaniyah.

Phuket $1,278
Sulaymaniyah $663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,034 in Sulaymaniyah.

Phuket $2,216
Sulaymaniyah $1,034

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,406 in Sulaymaniyah.

Phuket $3,154
Sulaymaniyah $1,406

Living in Phuket is roughly 93% more expensive than in Sulaymaniyah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Sulaymaniyah 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$4.21 IQD 6,363

6.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$19.75 IQD 29.8K

64.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$5.90 IQD 8,916

49.32%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$2.45 IQD 3,702

15.51%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$0.43 IQD 650

102.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$0.20 IQD 302

145.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$3.22 IQD 4,873

-20.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$2.04 IQD 3,080

80.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.11 IQD 1,677

49.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$0.89 IQD 1,339

64.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.66 IQD 2,516

-9.64%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.55 IQD 2,345

34.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$4.31 IQD 6,509

342.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$3.66 IQD 5,536

-9.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$13.27 IQD 20.1K

-17.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$1.11 IQD 1,680

163.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.09 IQD 1,646

55.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.04 IQD 1,579

116.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$0.56 IQD 843

271.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.49 IQD 740

208.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$0.63 IQD 957

119.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$0.58 IQD 883

84.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.45 IQD 685

15.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$2.02 IQD 3,049

107.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$9.76 IQD 14.7K

92.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.66 IQD 2,509

9.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$1.25 IQD 1,896

127.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$0.52 IQD 786

178.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$19.74 IQD 29.8K

187.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.92 IQD 2,904

57.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$1.96 IQD 2,961

-47.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$4.48 IQD 6,774

-17.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$0.57 IQD 865

157.89%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$17.6K IQD 26.6M

52.34%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$17.0K IQD 25.6M

57.41%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$85.2 IQD 128.7K

13.13%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$10.12 IQD 15.3K

11.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$24.03 IQD 36.3K

-29.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$33.78 IQD 51.0K

99.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$17.92 IQD 27.1K

-40.12%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$6.56 IQD 9,916

14.33%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$153 IQD 231.1K

211.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$2,546 IQD 3.8M

342.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$16.75 IQD 25.3K

272.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$22.28 IQD 33.7K

27.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$36.83 IQD 55.7K

156.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$33.01 IQD 49.9K

159.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$187 IQD 282.6K

282.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$147 IQD 221.9K

234.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$419 IQD 632.8K

360.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$314 IQD 474.4K

355.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$695 IQD 1.1M

500.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$548 IQD 828.2K

455.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$501 IQD 757.3K

0.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.77

-3.47%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Sulaymaniyah: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Sulaymaniyah

$147 22.2% 70.1% $344

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Sulaymaniyah

$164 24.7% 38.5% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Sulaymaniyah

$119 18% 4.1% $5.2

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Sulaymaniyah

$49 7.4% 59.8% $73

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Sulaymaniyah

$104 15.6% 14.9% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Sulaymaniyah

$47 7.1% 43% $35

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Sulaymaniyah

$34 5.1% 52.5% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $187 in Sulaymaniyah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $20 in Sulaymaniyah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $164 per month, with Sulaymaniyah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇮🇶 Sulaymaniyah

🕒 Local time

07:08 7:08 AM

03:08 3:08 AM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

823,199

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,687 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Sulaymaniyah 6,180 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Sulaymaniyah

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 Sulaymaniyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sulaymaniyah is about 48% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $994 in Sulaymaniyah to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $187 in Sulaymaniyah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $153 in Sulaymaniyah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 63% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $663 in Sulaymaniyah versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 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.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Sulaymaniyah are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Sulaymaniyah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.