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

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

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

Living in Sulaymaniyah costs roughly 41% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.32 IQD 6,971

$4.56 ฿149

16.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.03 IQD 35.4K

$46.63 ฿1,519

-42.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.90 IQD 9,040

$8.47 ฿276

-18.54%

Cappuccino

$2.56 IQD 3,349

$3.03 ฿98.6

-15.51%

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

$0.37 IQD 482

$0.69 ฿22.45

-46.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 IQD 277

$0.37 ฿11.92

-43.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.05 IQD 2,683

$2.49 ฿81.0

-17.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 IQD 3,454

$3.66 ฿119

-27.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 IQD 1,862

$2.18 ฿71.0

-34.86%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 IQD 1,277

$1.90 ฿62.0

-48.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 IQD 2,172

$2.20 ฿71.6

-24.55%

Eggs

$1.76 IQD 2,299

$2.22 ฿72.4

-20.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.80 IQD 7,598

$19.99 ฿651

-70.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.44 IQD 4,501

$3.66 ฿119

-6.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 IQD 18.7K

$13.25 ฿432

7.92%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 IQD 1,607

$3.23 ฿105

-61.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 IQD 1,634

$1.70 ฿55.3

-26.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 IQD 1,645

$2.39 ฿78.0

-47.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.70 IQD 921

$2.08 ฿67.7

-66.35%

Potato (1kg)

$0.63 IQD 821

$1.59 ฿51.8

-60.38%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 IQD 844

$1.48 ฿48.31

-56.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 IQD 711

$1.03 ฿33.54

-47.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 IQD 591

$0.52 ฿16.83

-13.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.89 IQD 2,470

$4.25 ฿138

-55.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.68 IQD 15.3K

$18.79 ฿612

-37.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 IQD 2,072

$1.76 ฿57.2

-10.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 IQD 2,272

$2.76 ฿89.8

-36.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 IQD 724

$1.36 ฿44.32

-59.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.87 IQD 29.9K

$11.36 ฿370

101.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.25 IQD 2,949

$3.14 ฿102

-28.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.24 IQD 2,929

$1.04 ฿33.74

115.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.37 IQD 7,033

$13.77 ฿448

-61.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.75 IQD 985

$1.34 ฿43.79

-44.03%

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

$20.7K IQD 27.1M

$27.7K ฿901.4K

-25.16%

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

$20.6K IQD 27.0M

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-39.05%

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

$75.9 IQD 99.4K

$124 ฿4,025

-38.55%

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

$16.34 IQD 21.4K

$13.52 ฿440

20.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.04 IQD 34.1K

$18.69 ฿609

39.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.68 IQD 52.0K

$61.8 ฿2,013

-35.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.91 IQD 22.1K

$17.25 ฿562

-1.97%

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 IQD 10.3K

$9.14 ฿298

-14.11%

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

$154 IQD 201.3K

$703 ฿22.9K

-78.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,539 IQD 4.6M

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-77.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.16 IQD 31.6K

$59.5 ฿1,937

-59.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.00 IQD 32.7K

$35.07 ฿1,142

-28.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$43.01 IQD 56.3K

$115 ฿3,754

-62.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.77 IQD 46.8K

$84.1 ฿2,737

-57.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$237 IQD 310.3K

$619 ฿20.1K

-61.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$181 IQD 236.9K

$433 ฿14.1K

-58.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$569 IQD 744.6K

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-72.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$344 IQD 450.5K

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-77.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$805 IQD 1.1M

$3,646 ฿118.7K

-77.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$587 IQD 768.2K

$2,626 ฿85.5K

-77.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$562 IQD 735.6K

$507 ฿16.5K

10.79%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

Childcare runs $154 in Sulaymaniyah versus $703 in Phuket. 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, 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 70% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.