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: $1,524 in Male versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,378 in Male versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,232 in Male versus $3,329 in Phuket.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Male is 14% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.51 MVR 85.0

$4.70 ฿153

17.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.17 MVR 450

$45.37 ฿1,482

-35.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.86 MVR 152

$8.43 ฿275

16.96%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.44 MVR 68.5

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MVR 56.0

Cappuccino

$2.86 MVR 44.15

$2.93 ฿95.6

-2.39%

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

$1.28 MVR 19.76

$0.69 ฿22.40

85.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 MVR 3.83

$0.37 ฿11.99

-32.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 MVR 27.55

$2.23 ฿72.9

-19.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 MVR 23.96

$1.83 ฿59.8

-15.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 MVR 20.89

$2.17 ฿70.8

-37.79%

Eggs

$1.80 MVR 27.76

$2.21 ฿72.3

-18.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.27 MVR 128

$19.74 ฿645

-58.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.30 MVR 97.1

$3.63 ฿119

73.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.12 MVR 141

$13.53 ฿442

-32.59%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 MVR 63.8

$3.28 ฿107

26.22%

Banana (1kg)

$3.78 MVR 58.3

$1.61 ฿52.6

134.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.33 MVR 66.8

$2.41 ฿78.6

79.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.19 MVR 49.24

$2.08 ฿68.1

53.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 MVR 22.98

$1.53 ฿49.93

-2.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 MVR 18.91

$1.48 ฿48.36

-16.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.06 MVR 47.22

$0.99 ฿32.29

209.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 MVR 7.83

$0.51 ฿16.67

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.30 MVR 190

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 MVR 41.50

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.51 MVR 162

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.33 MVR 128

$4.41 ฿144

88.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 MVR 10.18

$1.37 ฿44.79

-51.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.81 MVR 444

$11.39 ฿372

152.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 MVR 29.87

$3.02 ฿98.6

-35.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 MVR 29.43

$0.99 ฿32.48

92.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.96 MVR 154

$14.10 ฿461

-29.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 MVR 14.17

$1.36 ฿44.51

-32.35%

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

$32.2K MVR 497.2K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

14.34%

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

$34.6K MVR 534.0K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

5.26%

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

$105 MVR 1,613

$122 ฿3,975

-14.07%

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

$41.62 MVR 642

$13.57 ฿443

206.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.6 MVR 1,182

$18.31 ฿598

318.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.6 MVR 1,242

$60.2 ฿1,967

33.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.50 MVR 671

$17.14 ฿560

153.79%

Cinema Ticket

$9.81 MVR 151

$8.69 ฿284

12.89%

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

$163 MVR 2,521

$693 ฿22.6K

-76.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,626 MVR 55.9K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-76.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.36 MVR 700

$59.5 ฿1,944

-23.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 MVR 860

$34.77 ฿1,136

60.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.7 MVR 1,383

$115 ฿3,743

-21.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.4 MVR 839

$83.3 ฿2,720

-34.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$970 MVR 15.0K

$613 ฿20.0K

58.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$700 MVR 10.8K

$437 ฿14.3K

60.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,701 MVR 26.2K

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-18.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,427 MVR 22.0K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-5.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,300 MVR 35.5K

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-38.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,905 MVR 29.4K

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-27.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$857 MVR 13.2K

$508 ฿16.6K

68.69%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $970 in Male and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Male pays 69% 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 $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $232 vs $293 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.

Male pays 69% 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: $970 in Male versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,524 per month in Male versus $1,265 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 153% less than in Male. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,524 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.