Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tikrit

For one person, living is cheaper in Tikrit: $646 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 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 Tikrit
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Tikrit Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Tikrit

🇮🇶 Iraq

$646

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Tikrit

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $646 in Tikrit.

Phuket $1,278
Tikrit $646

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $997 in Tikrit.

Phuket $2,216
Tikrit $997

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,349 in Tikrit.

Phuket $3,154
Tikrit $1,349

Living in Phuket is roughly 98% more expensive than in Tikrit, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Tikrit 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$4.21 IQD 6,365

6.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$20.27 IQD 30.6K

59.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$6.52 IQD 9,850

35.12%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$2.66 IQD 4,019

6.39%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$0.34 IQD 511

155.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$0.23 IQD 352

113.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$3.15 IQD 4,755

-18.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$2.49 IQD 3,762

47.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.14 IQD 1,719

45.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$0.60 IQD 905

143.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.32 IQD 1,992

13.64%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.56 IQD 2,353

33.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$4.21 IQD 6,361

352.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$3.67 IQD 5,544

-10.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$10.24 IQD 15.5K

6.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$0.98 IQD 1,479

198.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.05 IQD 1,588

60.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.86 IQD 1,306

161.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$0.62 IQD 935

235.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.65 IQD 987

132.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$0.53 IQD 803

160.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$0.56 IQD 844

91.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.55 IQD 831

-5.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$1.64 IQD 2,485

156.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$10.59 IQD 16.0K

77.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.59 IQD 2,404

14.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$1.59 IQD 2,403

78.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$0.37 IQD 552

291.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.87 IQD 2,830

61.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$1.26 IQD 1,901

-19.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$4.98 IQD 7,523

-25.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$0.54 IQD 819

172.22%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$15.6K IQD 23.6M

71.19%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$18.1K IQD 27.3M

47.83%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$89.4 IQD 135.0K

7.81%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$14.36 IQD 21.7K

-21.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$29.25 IQD 44.2K

-42.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$31.36 IQD 47.4K

114.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$10.09 IQD 15.2K

-25.67%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$129 IQD 194.8K

269.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$2,947 IQD 4.5M

282.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$21.87 IQD 33.0K

185.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$20.35 IQD 30.7K

39.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$51.3 IQD 77.5K

83.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$38.33 IQD 57.9K

123.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$183 IQD 276.0K

291.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$131 IQD 198.5K

273.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$398 IQD 601.7K

383.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$292 IQD 441.4K

389.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$958 IQD 1.4M

335.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$543 IQD 820.3K

460.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$302 IQD 457.0K

66.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.12

35.19%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Tikrit: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Tikrit

$131 20.4% 73.2% $360

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Tikrit

$152 23.6% 42.7% $114

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Tikrit

$133 20.6% 6.8% $8.5

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Tikrit

$59 9.2% 51.3% $63

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Tikrit

$108 16.8% 11.1% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Tikrit

$52 8% 37.3% $31

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Tikrit

$9.6 * 1.5% 86.4% $61

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $183 in Tikrit. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 66% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $20 in Tikrit for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $152 per month, with Tikrit cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇮🇶 Tikrit

🕒 Local time

12:25 12:25 PM

08:25 8:25 AM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

260,000

💱 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 = 5.91 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 October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.78 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,692 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.91 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Tikrit 6,310 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Tikrit

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 Tikrit: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tikrit is about 49% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 66% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $183 in Tikrit. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $129 in Tikrit. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tikrit – a meal for two runs $20 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $646 in Tikrit versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tikrit but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tikrit 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.

It comes down to priorities – Tikrit wins on affordability, Phuket on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.