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: $1,500 in Male versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,446 in Male versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,393 in Male versus $2,833 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 9% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 MVR 95.0

$4.56 ฿150

35.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.53 MVR 594

$32.62 ฿1,073

18.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.94 MVR 153

$8.90 ฿293

11.69%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 MVR 75.6

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.81 MVR 74.3

Cappuccino

$3.55 MVR 54.8

$2.80 ฿92.2

26.79%

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

$1.59 MVR 24.57

$0.88 ฿28.94

80.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 MVR 4.84

$0.49 ฿16.08

-36.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

Milk (1 liter)

$2.09 MVR 32.20

$1.79 ฿58.8

16.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 MVR 25.81

$1.44 ฿47.40

15.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 MVR 19.35

$1.58 ฿52.1

-20.25%

Eggs

$1.87 MVR 28.82

$2.13 ฿69.9

-12.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.44 MVR 161

$19.92 ฿655

-47.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.24 MVR 96.3

$3.43 ฿113

81.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.46 MVR 146

$11.33 ฿372

-16.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.92 MVR 60.4

$2.95 ฿97.0

32.88%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 MVR 48.29

$1.72 ฿56.6

81.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.09 MVR 63.1

$2.32 ฿76.5

76.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.66 MVR 40.96

$2.08 ฿68.4

27.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 MVR 31.32

$1.47 ฿48.34

38.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 MVR 28.66

$1.36 ฿44.65

36.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 MVR 32.98

$1.10 ฿36.13

94.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 MVR 9.63

$0.57 ฿18.89

8.77%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.57 MVR 194

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 MVR 41.09

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 MVR 30.45

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.85 MVR 229

$4.27 ฿140

247.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿606

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 MVR 10.22

$2.22 ฿73.0

-70.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.42 MVR 469

$22.90 ฿753

32.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 MVR 29.69

$3.03 ฿99.6

-36.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 MVR 30.69

$1.07 ฿35.32

85.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.97 MVR 154

$3.93 ฿129

153.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 MVR 14.89

$1.49 ฿49.06

-34.90%

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

$31.7K MVR 489.2K

$27.1K ฿892.0K

16.94%

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

$28.8K MVR 444.6K

$27.5K ฿902.6K

5.04%

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

$120 MVR 1,843

$103 ฿3,380

16.25%

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

$30.58 MVR 472

$10.99 ฿361

178.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.4 MVR 1,101

$17.51 ฿576

307.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.1 MVR 1,082

$53.5 ฿1,760

31.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.42 MVR 515

$11.20 ฿368

198.39%

Cinema Ticket

$9.55 MVR 147

$7.48 ฿246

27.67%

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

$187 MVR 2,882

$557 ฿18.3K

-66.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,960 MVR 45.6K

$11.9K ฿389.7K

-75.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.33 MVR 606

$64.1 ฿2,107

-38.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.68 MVR 751

$29.07 ฿956

67.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.0 MVR 1,356

$96.0 ฿3,155

-8.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.6 MVR 796

$90.3 ฿2,970

-42.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$952 MVR 14.7K

$730 ฿24.0K

30.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$696 MVR 10.7K

$500 ฿16.4K

39.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,064 MVR 31.8K

$2,090 ฿68.7K

-1.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,548 MVR 23.9K

$1,209 ฿39.8K

27.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,266 MVR 34.9K

$3,596 ฿118.2K

-36.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,376 MVR 21.2K

$2,512 ฿82.6K

-45.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$813 MVR 12.5K

$503 ฿16.6K

61.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

151.35%

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

Last update for Male: August 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $952 in Male and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Male pays 62% 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: $39.00 in Male vs $33.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $235 vs $273, with Male cheaper for home cooking.

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 Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 20% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 62% 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: $952 in Male versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,500 per month in Male versus $1,253 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 33% less than in Male. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,500 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.