Cost of Living Comparison Between Sulaymaniyah and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Sulaymaniyah and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $780 in Sulaymaniyah versus $1,232 in Phuket.

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

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

Living in Sulaymaniyah costs roughly 37% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.50 IQD 5,898

$4.41 ฿147

2.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.28 IQD 30.5K

$32.26 ฿1,077

-27.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.07 IQD 9,261

$8.93 ฿298

-20.83%

Cappuccino

$2.43 IQD 3,183

$2.90 ฿96.6

-16.21%

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

$0.45 IQD 593

$0.88 ฿29.38

-48.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 IQD 274

$0.48 ฿16.06

-56.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 IQD 6,159

$2.35 ฿78.5

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 IQD 3,048

$3.72 ฿124

-37.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 IQD 1,740

$1.87 ฿62.3

-28.88%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 IQD 1,283

$1.47 ฿48.94

-33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 IQD 2,507

$1.55 ฿51.8

23.23%

Eggs

$1.76 IQD 2,299

$2.10 ฿70.1

-16.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.95 IQD 6,477

$19.59 ฿654

-74.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.55 IQD 4,645

$3.42 ฿114

3.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.75 IQD 20.6K

$11.38 ฿380

38.40%

Apples (1kg)

$1.32 IQD 1,723

$2.98 ฿99.6

-55.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 IQD 1,701

$1.68 ฿56.2

-22.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.15 IQD 1,500

$2.21 ฿73.7

-47.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.70 IQD 911

$2.16 ฿72.1

-67.59%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 IQD 721

$1.52 ฿50.9

-63.82%

Onion (1kg)

$0.69 IQD 901

$1.34 ฿44.67

-48.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 IQD 890

$1.13 ฿37.67

-39.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 IQD 689

$0.55 ฿18.24

-3.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 IQD 3,218

$4.26 ฿142

-42.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 IQD 15.2K

$19.09 ฿637

-39.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 IQD 2,450

$1.78 ฿59.4

5.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 IQD 2,232

$2.78 ฿92.9

-38.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 IQD 725

$2.23 ฿74.4

-75.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.88 IQD 30.0K

$22.74 ฿759

0.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.33 IQD 3,045

$3.03 ฿101

-23.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.24 IQD 2,936

$1.02 ฿34.15

119.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.47 IQD 7,168

$3.89 ฿130

40.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 IQD 944

$1.49 ฿49.77

-51.68%

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

$20.6K IQD 27.0M

$26.6K ฿887.3K

-22.54%

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

$19.0K IQD 24.9M

$27.0K ฿902.2K

-29.58%

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

$101 IQD 131.6K

$102 ฿3,420

-1.90%

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

$10.98 IQD 14.4K

$11.33 ฿378

-3.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.50 IQD 37.3K

$17.40 ฿581

63.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.99 IQD 47.1K

$52.1 ฿1,738

-30.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.18 IQD 26.4K

$11.07 ฿370

82.29%

Cinema Ticket

$7.54 IQD 9,871

$7.69 ฿257

-1.95%

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

$176 IQD 231.0K

$561 ฿18.7K

-68.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,879 IQD 3.8M

$11.5K ฿384.1K

-74.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.43 IQD 25.4K

$63.0 ฿2,104

-69.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.44 IQD 33.3K

$29.52 ฿986

-13.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$42.51 IQD 55.7K

$98.0 ฿3,272

-56.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.09 IQD 49.9K

$88.5 ฿2,954

-56.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$226 IQD 296.1K

$738 ฿24.6K

-69.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$173 IQD 226.6K

$482 ฿16.1K

-64.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 IQD 662.0K

$2,107 ฿70.3K

-76.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$363 IQD 474.9K

$1,226 ฿40.9K

-70.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$831 IQD 1.1M

$3,617 ฿120.7K

-77.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$587 IQD 768.7K

$2,603 ฿86.9K

-77.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$580 IQD 759.1K

$494 ฿16.5K

17.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.77

5.57

3.59%

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

Last update for Sulaymaniyah: September 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $226 in Sulaymaniyah and $738 in Phuket. 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: $23.00 in Sulaymaniyah vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $274 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

Sulaymaniyah vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sulaymaniyah is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 58% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 17% higher in Sulaymaniyah, 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: $226 in Sulaymaniyah versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $176 in Sulaymaniyah versus $561 in Phuket. 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, Sulaymaniyah and Phuket 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.