Cost of Living Comparison Between Male and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Male and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,501 in Male versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,377 in Male versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Male versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Male is roughly 20% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Male is 12% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.37 MVR 82.8

$4.55 ฿153

18.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.25 MVR 451

$46.18 ฿1,553

-36.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.52 MVR 147

$8.84 ฿297

7.69%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.65 MVR 71.7

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 MVR 56.3

Cappuccino

$2.96 MVR 45.72

$3.06 ฿103

-3.27%

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

$1.34 MVR 20.62

$0.73 ฿24.40

83.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 MVR 4.20

$0.40 ฿13.39

-32.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 MVR 28.72

$2.26 ฿76.0

-17.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 MVR 24.95

$1.81 ฿60.9

-10.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 MVR 20.23

$2.25 ฿75.8

-41.78%

Eggs

$1.80 MVR 27.71

$2.25 ฿75.5

-20.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.25 MVR 127

$19.51 ฿656

-57.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.34 MVR 97.8

$3.65 ฿123

73.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.04 MVR 139

$13.05 ฿439

-30.73%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 MVR 61.7

$3.23 ฿109

23.84%

Banana (1kg)

$3.76 MVR 58.0

$1.62 ฿54.4

132.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 MVR 65.4

$2.38 ฿80.1

78.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 MVR 50.4

$2.03 ฿68.1

61.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 MVR 23.89

$1.53 ฿51.6

1.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 MVR 18.73

$1.50 ฿50.5

-19.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.09 MVR 47.69

$0.98 ฿32.91

215.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 MVR 8.18

$0.52 ฿17.39

1.92%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.46 MVR 192

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 MVR 42.41

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.52 MVR 162

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.14 MVR 126

$4.44 ฿149

83.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 MVR 9.57

$1.41 ฿47.46

-56.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 MVR 451

$11.70 ฿393

150.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 MVR 29.91

$3.11 ฿105

-37.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.93 MVR 29.80

$1.04 ฿35.06

85.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.79 MVR 151

$14.11 ฿474

-30.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 MVR 14.77

$1.31 ฿44.10

-26.72%

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

$31.9K MVR 492.0K

$27.8K ฿935.4K

14.70%

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

$34.7K MVR 535.8K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

4.61%

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

$105 MVR 1,612

$122 ฿4,118

-14.63%

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

$41.36 MVR 638

$13.59 ฿457

204.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.8 MVR 1,168

$18.70 ฿629

305.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.9 MVR 1,263

$60.5 ฿2,034

35.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.07 MVR 679

$16.98 ฿571

159.54%

Cinema Ticket

$9.48 MVR 146

$9.07 ฿305

4.52%

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

$164 MVR 2,524

$706 ฿23.8K

-76.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,553 MVR 54.8K

$15.8K ฿531.5K

-77.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.31 MVR 699

$58.6 ฿1,969

-22.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MVR 864

$35.36 ฿1,189

58.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.2 MVR 1,407

$115 ฿3,883

-20.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.3 MVR 823

$83.7 ฿2,816

-36.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$972 MVR 15.0K

$626 ฿21.0K

55.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$697 MVR 10.8K

$445 ฿15.0K

56.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 MVR 25.7K

$2,040 ฿68.6K

-18.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,442 MVR 22.2K

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-3.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,263 MVR 34.9K

$3,483 ฿117.1K

-35.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,886 MVR 29.1K

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-26.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$866 MVR 13.4K

$500 ฿16.8K

73.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.4

5.33

132.65%

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

Last update for Male: July 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $972 in Male and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Male pays 73% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $29.00 in Male vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $233 vs $289 per month, with Male 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

Male vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 20% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 73% higher in Male, 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: $972 in Male versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,501 per month in Male versus $1,250 in Phuket – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 150% less than in Male. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,501 in Male, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Male. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Male, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Male 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Male. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.