Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zakho and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Zakho: $725 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Zakho
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Zakho Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Zakho

🇮🇶 Iraq

$725

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zakho 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 Zakho and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $725 in Zakho versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Zakho $725
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,158 in Zakho versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Zakho $1,158
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,591 in Zakho versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Zakho $1,591
Phuket $3,154

Living in Zakho costs roughly 43% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Zakho 47% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.18 IQD 6,310

$4.47 ฿151

-6.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.97 IQD 55.9K

$32.41 ฿1,093

14.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.14 IQD 10.8K

$8.81 ฿297

-18.96%

Cappuccino

$3.21 IQD 4,856

$2.83 ฿95.4

13.43%

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

$0.83 IQD 1,256

$0.87 ฿29.41

-4.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 IQD 506

$0.49 ฿16.65

-32.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.65 IQD 8,535

$2.56 ฿86.3

120.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 IQD 5,960

$3.68 ฿124

7.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 IQD 1,669

$1.66 ฿55.9

-33.73%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 IQD 1,023

$1.46 ฿49.31

-53.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 IQD 2,271

$1.50 ฿50.5

Eggs

$1.58 IQD 2,382

$2.09 ฿70.5

-24.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.88 IQD 10.4K

$19.07 ฿643

-63.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.26 IQD 6,440

$3.30 ฿111

29.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 IQD 19.2K

$10.91 ฿368

16.32%

Apples (1kg)

$0.98 IQD 1,484

$2.93 ฿98.9

-66.55%

Banana (1kg)

$0.94 IQD 1,414

$1.69 ฿57.0

-44.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 IQD 1,536

$2.25 ฿75.8

-54.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.65 IQD 986

$2.08 ฿70.0

-68.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.61 IQD 920

$1.51 ฿51.0

-59.60%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 IQD 895

$1.38 ฿46.52

-57.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 IQD 926

$1.07 ฿35.96

-42.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 IQD 775

$0.52 ฿17.51

-1.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.18 IQD 3,300

$4.20 ฿142

-48.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.80 IQD 16.3K

$18.79 ฿634

-42.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 IQD 2,213

$1.82 ฿61.5

-19.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 IQD 2,737

$2.84 ฿95.8

-36.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 IQD 439

$1.45 ฿48.98

-80.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 IQD 2,546

$3.02 ฿102

-44.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 IQD 2,440

$1.02 ฿34.33

57.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.65 IQD 8,531

$3.69 ฿125

53.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 IQD 886

$1.47 ฿49.76

-59.86%

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

$16.5K IQD 24.9M

$26.8K ฿903.4K

-38.51%

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

$17.1K IQD 25.8M

$26.7K ฿900.5K

-36.00%

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

$115 IQD 173.5K

$96.4 ฿3,251

19.17%

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

$12.27 IQD 18.5K

$11.26 ฿380

8.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.28 IQD 36.7K

$16.85 ฿568

44.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.56 IQD 59.8K

$67.2 ฿2,268

-41.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 IQD 14.7K

$7.50 ฿253

30.00%

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

$298 IQD 450.7K

$476 ฿16.1K

-37.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,742 IQD 4.1M

$11.3K ฿380.0K

-75.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.56 IQD 40.1K

$62.4 ฿2,104

-57.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.78 IQD 29.9K

$28.41 ฿958

-30.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$49.59 IQD 74.9K

$94.3 ฿3,181

-47.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.81 IQD 60.1K

$85.8 ฿2,895

-53.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$207 IQD 313.3K

$716 ฿24.2K

-71.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$136 IQD 205.0K

$491 ฿16.6K

-72.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$370 IQD 558.5K

$1,927 ฿65.0K

-80.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$319 IQD 482.7K

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-77.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$888 IQD 1.3M

$4,175 ฿140.9K

-78.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$551 IQD 833.0K

$3,045 ฿102.7K

-81.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$660 IQD 997.8K

$502 ฿16.9K

31.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.53

5.57

-54.58%

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

Last update for Zakho: 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

Zakho

$172 23.8%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 54.6% $94

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zakho

$151 20.9%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 17.8% $27

Accommodation & Living

Zakho

$136 18.7%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 262% $355

Eating Out

Zakho

$134 18.5%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 9.3% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Zakho

$61 8.4%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 99.6% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Zakho

$59 8.2%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 39.2% $23

Getting Around

Zakho

$11 * 1.5%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 546% $60

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 $207 in Zakho and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zakho pays 31% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $37 in Zakho vs $32 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $172 vs $266, with Zakho cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Zakho

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

07:19 7:19 AM

11:19 11:19 AM

4 h ahead of Zakho

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

197,163

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

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Highest

Between locations

Zakho Phuket 6,470 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Zakho
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

Zakho vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zakho is about 43% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 31% higher in Zakho, 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: $207 in Zakho versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $298 in Zakho versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $37 in Zakho. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $725 in Zakho versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zakho but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Zakho 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, Zakho and Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.