Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sulaymaniyah and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Sulaymaniyah: $663 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Sulaymaniyah
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Sulaymaniyah Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Sulaymaniyah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$663

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sulaymaniyah and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Sulaymaniyah and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $663 in Sulaymaniyah versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Sulaymaniyah $663
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,034 in Sulaymaniyah versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Sulaymaniyah $1,034
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,406 in Sulaymaniyah versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Sulaymaniyah $1,406
Phuket $3,154

Living in Sulaymaniyah costs roughly 48% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sulaymaniyah 51% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.21 IQD 6,363

$4.47 ฿151

-5.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.75 IQD 29.8K

$32.41 ฿1,093

-39.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.90 IQD 8,916

$8.81 ฿297

-33.03%

Cappuccino

$2.45 IQD 3,702

$2.83 ฿95.4

-13.43%

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

$0.43 IQD 650

$0.87 ฿29.41

-50.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 IQD 302

$0.49 ฿16.65

-59.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.22 IQD 4,873

$2.56 ฿86.3

25.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 IQD 3,080

$3.68 ฿124

-44.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 IQD 1,677

$1.66 ฿55.9

-33.13%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 IQD 1,339

$1.46 ฿49.31

-39.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 IQD 2,516

$1.50 ฿50.5

10.67%

Eggs

$1.55 IQD 2,345

$2.09 ฿70.5

-25.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.31 IQD 6,509

$19.07 ฿643

-77.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 IQD 5,536

$3.30 ฿111

10.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.27 IQD 20.1K

$10.91 ฿368

21.63%

Apples (1kg)

$1.11 IQD 1,680

$2.93 ฿98.9

-62.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 IQD 1,646

$1.69 ฿57.0

-35.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 IQD 1,579

$2.25 ฿75.8

-53.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 IQD 843

$2.08 ฿70.0

-73.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.49 IQD 740

$1.51 ฿51.0

-67.55%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 IQD 957

$1.38 ฿46.52

-54.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 IQD 883

$1.07 ฿35.96

-45.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 IQD 685

$0.52 ฿17.51

-13.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.02 IQD 3,049

$4.20 ฿142

-51.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.76 IQD 14.7K

$18.79 ฿634

-48.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 IQD 2,509

$1.82 ฿61.5

-8.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 IQD 1,896

$2.84 ฿95.8

-55.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 IQD 786

$1.45 ฿48.98

-64.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.74 IQD 29.8K

$56.7 ฿1,912

-65.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 IQD 2,904

$3.02 ฿102

-36.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 IQD 2,961

$1.02 ฿34.33

92.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.48 IQD 6,774

$3.69 ฿125

21.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.57 IQD 865

$1.47 ฿49.76

-61.22%

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

$17.6K IQD 26.6M

$26.8K ฿903.4K

-34.36%

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

$17.0K IQD 25.6M

$26.7K ฿900.5K

-36.47%

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

$85.2 IQD 128.7K

$96.4 ฿3,251

-11.60%

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

$10.12 IQD 15.3K

$11.26 ฿380

-10.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.03 IQD 36.3K

$16.85 ฿568

42.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.78 IQD 51.0K

$67.2 ฿2,268

-49.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.92 IQD 27.1K

$10.73 ฿362

67.01%

Cinema Ticket

$6.56 IQD 9,916

$7.50 ฿253

-12.53%

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

$153 IQD 231.1K

$476 ฿16.1K

-67.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,546 IQD 3.8M

$11.3K ฿380.0K

-77.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.75 IQD 25.3K

$62.4 ฿2,104

-73.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.28 IQD 33.7K

$28.41 ฿958

-21.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$36.83 IQD 55.7K

$94.3 ฿3,181

-60.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.01 IQD 49.9K

$85.8 ฿2,895

-61.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$187 IQD 282.6K

$716 ฿24.2K

-73.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$147 IQD 221.9K

$491 ฿16.6K

-70.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$419 IQD 632.8K

$1,927 ฿65.0K

-78.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$314 IQD 474.4K

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-78.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$695 IQD 1.1M

$4,175 ฿140.9K

-83.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$548 IQD 828.2K

$3,045 ฿102.7K

-82.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 IQD 757.3K

$502 ฿16.9K

-0.22%

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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sulaymaniyah

$164 24.7%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 62.5% $102

Accommodation & Living

Sulaymaniyah

$147 22.2%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 234% $344

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sulaymaniyah

$119 18%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 4.3% $5.2

Eating Out

Sulaymaniyah

$104 15.6%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 17.6% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Sulaymaniyah

$49 7.4%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 149% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Sulaymaniyah

$47 7.1%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 75.3% $35

Getting Around

Sulaymaniyah

$34 5.1%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 110% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $187 in Sulaymaniyah and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $20 in Sulaymaniyah vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $164 vs $266 per month, with Sulaymaniyah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Sulaymaniyah

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

18:52 6:52 PM

22:52 10:52 PM

4 h ahead of Sulaymaniyah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

823,199

79,308

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to IQD – Iraqi Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇶 Iraqi Dinar (ع.د)

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,687 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to IQD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sulaymaniyah Phuket 6,180 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Sulaymaniyah
Phuket

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

Sulaymaniyah vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sulaymaniyah is about 48% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $994 in Sulaymaniyah and $1,917 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $187 in Sulaymaniyah versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $153 in Sulaymaniyah versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 63% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $663 in Sulaymaniyah versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 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.

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.

Safety-wise, Sulaymaniyah and Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Sulaymaniyah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.