Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fuvahmulah and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Fuvahmulah: $774 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Fuvahmulah

🇲🇻 Maldives

$774

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $774 in Fuvahmulah versus $1,207 in Phuket.

Fuvahmulah $774
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,109 in Fuvahmulah versus $2,037 in Phuket.

Fuvahmulah $1,109
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,443 in Fuvahmulah versus $2,867 in Phuket.

Fuvahmulah $1,443
Phuket $2,867

Living in Fuvahmulah costs roughly 36% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Fuvahmulah 43% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 MVR 25.22

$1.74 ฿58.1

-5.75%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 MVR 14.15

$1.43 ฿47.82

-35.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.47 MVR 7.20

$1.53 ฿51.0

-69.28%

Eggs

$1.53 MVR 23.64

$2.17 ฿72.7

-29.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.57 MVR 101

$19.15 ฿640

-65.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.65 MVR 71.8

$3.30 ฿110

40.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.08 MVR 202

$11.14 ฿372

17.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.27 MVR 50.4

$2.95 ฿98.5

10.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 MVR 19.67

$1.68 ฿56.1

-23.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.34 MVR 51.4

$2.30 ฿76.8

45.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 MVR 25.30

$2.13 ฿71.3

-23.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 MVR 17.42

$1.53 ฿51.1

-26.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 MVR 17.12

$1.36 ฿45.55

-18.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.67 MVR 25.69

$1.12 ฿37.44

49.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 MVR 10.31

$0.55 ฿18.24

21.82%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.82 MVR 59.0

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 MVR 105

$4.26 ฿142

60.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 MVR 10.18

$2.22 ฿74.1

-70.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.12 MVR 295

$22.06 ฿737

-13.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 MVR 24.29

$2.91 ฿97.3

-45.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 MVR 25.69

$1.01 ฿33.79

65.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.64 MVR 102

$3.83 ฿128

73.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MVR 20.05

$1.49 ฿49.85

-12.75%

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

$19.7K MVR 303.1K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

-26.31%

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

$22.7K MVR 350.2K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

-14.98%

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

$162 MVR 2,494

$99.4 ฿3,321

62.77%

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

$11.28 ฿377

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.76 MVR 598

$17.36 ฿580

123.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.86 MVR 353

$52.3 ฿1,747

-56.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.05 MVR 201

$10.85 ฿362

20.28%

Cinema Ticket

$6.41 MVR 98.8

$7.57 ฿253

-15.32%

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

$157 MVR 2,416

$558 ฿18.7K

-71.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,222 MVR 34.3K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

-80.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.80 MVR 444

$62.9 ฿2,102

-54.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.41 MVR 299

$28.58 ฿955

-32.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$38.30 MVR 591

$96.1 ฿3,213

-60.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.6 MVR 796

$88.1 ฿2,943

-41.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$328 MVR 5,054

$729 ฿24.4K

-55.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$263 MVR 4,053

$460 ฿15.4K

-42.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$549 MVR 8,465

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-73.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$508 MVR 7,840

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-58.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$342 MVR 5,279

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-86.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$649 MVR 10.0K

$493 ฿16.5K

31.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Fuvahmulah: October 10, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fuvahmulah

–

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Groceries & Markets

Fuvahmulah

–

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fuvahmulah

–

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Clothing & Footwear

Fuvahmulah

–

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Eating Out

Fuvahmulah

–

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Sport & Entertainment

Fuvahmulah

–

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Getting Around

Fuvahmulah

–

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $328 in Fuvahmulah and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fuvahmulah pays 32% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Good to know

🇲🇻 Fuvahmulah

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

17:33 5:33 PM

19:33 7:33 PM

2 h ahead of Fuvahmulah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,140

79,308

💱 Currency

Maldivian Rufiyaa MVR Rf

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 MVR = 6.49 USD

100 MVR = 5.77 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to MVR – Maldivian Rufiyaa Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇻 Maldivian Rufiyaa (Rf)

Maldivian Rufiyaa exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 15.42 MVR (100 MVR = 6.49 USD). 1 EUR = 17.34 MVR (100 MVR = 5.77 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to MVR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Fuvahmulah Phuket 2,910 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Fuvahmulah
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

Fuvahmulah vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fuvahmulah is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 56% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 32% higher in Fuvahmulah, 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: $328 in Fuvahmulah versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $157 in Fuvahmulah versus $558 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Fuvahmulah runs roughly 15% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $774 in Fuvahmulah versus $1,207 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Fuvahmulah but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Fuvahmulah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Fuvahmulah 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, Fuvahmulah 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 Fuvahmulah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.