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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $744 in Sulaymaniyah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,167 in Sulaymaniyah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,591 in Sulaymaniyah.

Living in Phuket is roughly 70% more expensive than Sulaymaniyah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Sulaymaniyah 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$5.32 IQD 6,971

-14.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$27.03 IQD 35.4K

72.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$6.90 IQD 9,040

22.75%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.56 IQD 3,349

18.36%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.37 IQD 482

86.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.21 IQD 277

76.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$2.05 IQD 2,683

21.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.64 IQD 3,454

38.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.42 IQD 1,862

53.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.98 IQD 1,277

93.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.66 IQD 2,172

32.53%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.76 IQD 2,299

26.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$5.80 IQD 7,598

244.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.44 IQD 4,501

6.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$14.30 IQD 18.7K

-7.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.23 IQD 1,607

162.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.25 IQD 1,634

36.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.26 IQD 1,645

89.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$0.70 IQD 921

197.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.63 IQD 821

152.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.64 IQD 844

131.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.54 IQD 711

90.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.45 IQD 591

15.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$1.89 IQD 2,470

124.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$11.68 IQD 15.3K

60.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.58 IQD 2,072

11.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.74 IQD 2,272

58.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.55 IQD 724

147.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$22.87 IQD 29.9K

-50.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$2.25 IQD 2,949

39.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$2.24 IQD 2,929

-53.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$5.37 IQD 7,033

156.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$0.75 IQD 985

78.67%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$20.7K IQD 27.1M

33.62%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$20.6K IQD 27.0M

64.07%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$75.9 IQD 99.4K

62.75%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$16.34 IQD 21.4K

-17.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$26.04 IQD 34.1K

-28.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$39.68 IQD 52.0K

55.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$16.91 IQD 22.1K

2.01%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$7.85 IQD 10.3K

16.43%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$154 IQD 201.3K

357.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$3,539 IQD 4.6M

348.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$24.16 IQD 31.6K

146.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$25.00 IQD 32.7K

40.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$43.01 IQD 56.3K

168.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$35.77 IQD 46.8K

134.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$237 IQD 310.3K

161.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$181 IQD 236.9K

139.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$569 IQD 744.6K

262.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$344 IQD 450.5K

339.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$805 IQD 1.1M

352.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$587 IQD 768.2K

347.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$562 IQD 735.6K

-9.74%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Sulaymaniyah: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $237 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 $293 vs $183 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 70% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $237 in Sulaymaniyah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $154 in Sulaymaniyah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $744 in Sulaymaniyah versus $1,261 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 70% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.