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: $750 in Sulaymaniyah versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,166 in Sulaymaniyah versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,581 in Sulaymaniyah versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Sulaymaniyah costs roughly 39% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sulaymaniyah 44% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.26 IQD 6,893

$4.63 ฿151

13.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.81 IQD 35.1K

$46.84 ฿1,523

-42.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.01 IQD 9,180

$8.84 ฿287

-20.70%

Cappuccino

$2.64 IQD 3,461

$3.00 ฿97.4

-12.00%

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

$0.39 IQD 514

$0.74 ฿24.11

-47.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 IQD 269

$0.37 ฿11.88

-43.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.07 IQD 2,713

$2.44 ฿79.3

-15.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 IQD 3,549

$3.61 ฿117

-24.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 IQD 1,851

$2.26 ฿73.5

-37.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 IQD 1,332

$1.84 ฿59.8

-44.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 IQD 2,108

$2.24 ฿73.0

-28.13%

Eggs

$1.78 IQD 2,328

$2.32 ฿75.3

-23.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.10 IQD 7,996

$19.67 ฿639

-68.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.56 IQD 4,666

$3.65 ฿119

-2.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.01 IQD 18.4K

$13.10 ฿426

6.95%

Apples (1kg)

$1.17 IQD 1,531

$3.39 ฿110

-65.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 IQD 1,693

$1.64 ฿53.4

-21.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 IQD 1,662

$2.41 ฿78.5

-47.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.73 IQD 957

$2.03 ฿66.0

-64.04%

Potato (1kg)

$0.61 IQD 798

$1.56 ฿50.6

-60.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 IQD 879

$1.50 ฿48.66

-55.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 IQD 777

$1.02 ฿33.30

-42.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 IQD 590

$0.49 ฿15.91

-8.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.94 IQD 2,535

$4.45 ฿145

-56.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.61 IQD 15.2K

$18.88 ฿614

-38.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 IQD 1,974

$1.78 ฿57.7

-15.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 IQD 2,367

$2.75 ฿89.5

-34.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 IQD 715

$1.40 ฿45.54

-60.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.16 IQD 30.3K

$11.48 ฿373

101.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.36 IQD 3,096

$3.12 ฿101

-24.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.33 IQD 3,053

$1.00 ฿32.48

133.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.46 IQD 7,149

$14.09 ฿458

-61.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.77 IQD 1,005

$1.35 ฿43.93

-42.96%

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

$20.3K IQD 26.6M

$27.2K ฿883.7K

-25.28%

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

$20.6K IQD 26.9M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-37.54%

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

$76.6 IQD 100.3K

$125 ฿4,063

-38.71%

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

$16.90 IQD 22.1K

$13.57 ฿441

24.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.27 IQD 34.4K

$18.52 ฿602

41.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.65 IQD 51.9K

$61.5 ฿1,999

-35.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.92 IQD 22.2K

$16.84 ฿547

0.48%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 IQD 9,786

$9.19 ฿299

-18.72%

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

$151 IQD 198.3K

$698 ฿22.7K

-78.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,491 IQD 4.6M

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-77.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.36 IQD 30.6K

$57.8 ฿1,878

-59.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.92 IQD 32.6K

$35.24 ฿1,146

-29.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$43.74 IQD 57.3K

$113 ฿3,677

-61.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.40 IQD 47.7K

$86.4 ฿2,808

-57.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$240 IQD 315.0K

$616 ฿20.0K

-60.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$175 IQD 229.3K

$446 ฿14.5K

-60.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$572 IQD 749.5K

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-72.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$341 IQD 446.3K

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-77.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$810 IQD 1.1M

$3,779 ฿122.8K

-78.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$579 IQD 758.4K

$2,649 ฿86.1K

-78.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$580 IQD 759.5K

$524 ฿17.0K

10.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

68.86%

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

Last update for Sulaymaniyah: April 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $240 in Sulaymaniyah and $616 in Phuket. 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: $27.00 in Sulaymaniyah vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $184 vs $292 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. The 64% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Sulaymaniyah pays 11% more on average, 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: $240 in Sulaymaniyah versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $151 in Sulaymaniyah versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $750 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 64% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.