Cost of Living Comparison Between Fuvahmulah and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Fuvahmulah and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $779 in Fuvahmulah versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,126 in Fuvahmulah versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,474 in Fuvahmulah versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Fuvahmulah costs roughly 38% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Fuvahmulah 42% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 MVR 24.75

$2.23 ฿73.0

-27.80%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 MVR 14.18

$1.83 ฿59.9

-49.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.47 MVR 7.28

$2.17 ฿70.9

-78.34%

Eggs

$1.53 MVR 23.62

$2.21 ฿72.4

-30.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.52 MVR 101

$19.74 ฿645

-66.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.71 MVR 72.6

$3.63 ฿119

29.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.03 MVR 201

$13.53 ฿442

-3.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 MVR 49.27

$3.28 ฿107

-2.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 MVR 19.83

$1.61 ฿52.7

-19.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.31 MVR 51.1

$2.41 ฿78.7

37.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 MVR 24.61

$2.08 ฿68.1

-23.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 MVR 16.65

$1.53 ฿49.97

-29.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 MVR 17.16

$1.48 ฿48.41

-25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 MVR 24.71

$0.99 ฿32.32

61.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 MVR 9.74

$0.51 ฿16.68

23.53%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.81 MVR 58.8

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.93 MVR 107

$4.41 ฿144

57.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 MVR 9.80

$1.37 ฿44.83

-53.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.35 MVR 298

$11.39 ฿372

69.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.65 MVR 25.47

$3.02 ฿98.7

-45.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 MVR 25.51

$0.99 ฿32.51

66.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.58 MVR 101

$14.10 ฿461

-53.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MVR 20.29

$1.36 ฿44.55

-2.94%

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

$19.5K MVR 301.2K

$28.2K ฿921.9K

-30.74%

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

$22.5K MVR 347.7K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-31.47%

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

$159 MVR 2,456

$122 ฿3,978

30.90%

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

$13.57 ฿444

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.49 MVR 594

$18.31 ฿599

110.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.51 MVR 347

$60.2 ฿1,969

-62.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.06 MVR 201

$17.14 ฿560

-23.80%

Cinema Ticket

$6.55 MVR 101

$8.69 ฿284

-24.63%

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

$154 MVR 2,379

$693 ฿22.7K

-77.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,284 MVR 35.2K

$15.7K ฿512.8K

-85.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.82 MVR 444

$59.5 ฿1,946

-51.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.82 MVR 290

$34.77 ฿1,137

-45.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$38.43 MVR 593

$115 ฿3,746

-66.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.1 MVR 803

$83.3 ฿2,723

-37.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$325 MVR 5,014

$613 ฿20.0K

-46.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$262 MVR 4,040

$437 ฿14.3K

-40.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$553 MVR 8,532

$2,094 ฿68.5K

-73.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 MVR 7,899

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-66.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$352 MVR 5,430

$2,616 ฿85.5K

-86.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 MVR 10.3K

$508 ฿16.6K

30.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

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

Last update for Fuvahmulah: May 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $325 in Fuvahmulah and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

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

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 & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Eating Out. The 62% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Fuvahmulah pays 31% 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: $325 in Fuvahmulah versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $154 in Fuvahmulah versus $693 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 70% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $779 in Fuvahmulah versus $1,265 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 62% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.