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 $780 in Sulaymaniyah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,178 in Sulaymaniyah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,576 in Sulaymaniyah.

Living in Phuket is roughly 58% more expensive than in Sulaymaniyah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Sulaymaniyah 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$4.50 IQD 5,898

-2.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$23.28 IQD 30.5K

38.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$7.07 IQD 9,261

26.31%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.43 IQD 3,183

19.34%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.45 IQD 593

95.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.21 IQD 274

128.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$4.70 IQD 6,159

-50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.33 IQD 3,048

59.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.33 IQD 1,740

40.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.98 IQD 1,283

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.91 IQD 2,507

-18.85%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$1.76 IQD 2,299

19.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$4.95 IQD 6,477

295.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$3.55 IQD 4,645

-3.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$15.75 IQD 20.6K

-27.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$1.32 IQD 1,723

125.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.30 IQD 1,701

29.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.15 IQD 1,500

92.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$0.70 IQD 911

208.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$0.55 IQD 721

176.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$0.69 IQD 901

94.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.68 IQD 890

66.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.53 IQD 689

3.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.46 IQD 3,218

73.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$11.60 IQD 15.2K

64.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.87 IQD 2,450

-4.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$1.70 IQD 2,232

63.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.55 IQD 725

305.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$22.88 IQD 30.0K

-0.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$2.33 IQD 3,045

30.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$2.24 IQD 2,936

-54.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$5.47 IQD 7,168

-28.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$0.72 IQD 944

106.94%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$20.6K IQD 27.0M

29.10%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$19.0K IQD 24.9M

42.01%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$101 IQD 131.6K

1.94%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$10.98 IQD 14.4K

3.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$28.50 IQD 37.3K

-38.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$35.99 IQD 47.1K

44.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$20.18 IQD 26.4K

-45.14%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$7.54 IQD 9,871

1.99%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$176 IQD 231.0K

217.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$2,879 IQD 3.8M

299.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$19.43 IQD 25.4K

224.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$25.44 IQD 33.3K

16.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$42.51 IQD 55.7K

130.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$38.09 IQD 49.9K

132.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$226 IQD 296.1K

226.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$173 IQD 226.6K

178.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$506 IQD 662.0K

316.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$363 IQD 474.9K

238.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$831 IQD 1.1M

335.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$587 IQD 768.7K

343.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$580 IQD 759.1K

-14.85%

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: September 15, 2026

Last update for Sulaymaniyah: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $226 in Sulaymaniyah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sulaymaniyah pays 17% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $23.00 in Sulaymaniyah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $188 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, Getting Around. The 58% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 17% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $226 in Sulaymaniyah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $176 in Sulaymaniyah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $780 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 58% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.