Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Fiji Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Fiji

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $703 in Fiji.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,170 in Fiji.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,638 in Fiji.

Living in Phuket is roughly 80% more expensive than in Fiji, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Fiji 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$4.48 FJD 9.82

4.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$33.10 FJD 72.5

-2.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$6.65 FJD 14.57

30.53%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.58 FJD 5.65

12.40%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$1.40 FJD 3.06

-40.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$1.01 FJD 2.21

-51.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$4.05 FJD 8.88

-38.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$4.00 FJD 8.76

-6.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.29 FJD 2.83

46.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$0.26 FJD 0.57

442.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$0.93 FJD 2.04

74.19%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$3.23 FJD 7.07

-30.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$11.05 FJD 24.21

79.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$5.57 FJD 12.21

-37.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.40 FJD 3.07

107.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$0.93 FJD 2.04

84.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$1.78 FJD 3.90

27.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$1.35 FJD 2.96

57.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$0.70 FJD 1.53

110.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$0.70 FJD 1.54

102.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$0.87 FJD 1.91

26.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.52 FJD 1.15

15.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$11.60 FJD 25.41

-62.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$6.29 FJD 13.79

195.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$4.21 FJD 9.22

-57.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$4.03 FJD 8.83

-26.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.92 FJD 2.02

144.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$1.16 FJD 2.54

167.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.33 FJD 2.92

7.52%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$46.7K FJD 102.2K

-40.45%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

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

$105 ฿3,462

$53.8 FJD 118

94.80%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$13.92 FJD 30.50

-18.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$18.27 FJD 40.03

-4.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$23.17 FJD 50.8

134.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$4.69 FJD 10.27

143.92%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$4.14 FJD 9.07

87.92%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$45.19 FJD 99.0

1175.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$20.12 FJD 44.08

216.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$30.23 FJD 66.2

218.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$686 FJD 1,504

6.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$276 FJD 606

81.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$1,142 FJD 2,501

86.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$617 FJD 1,353

102.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$1,317 FJD 2,885

168.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$1,337 FJD 2,929

96.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$557 FJD 1,220

-8.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-7.17%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Fiji: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $686 in Fiji. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fiji pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $33.00 in Fiji. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $175, with Fiji 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

Phuket vs Fiji: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fiji is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 80% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 10% lower in Fiji. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $733 in Phuket versus $686 in Fiji. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,265 per month in Phuket versus $703 in Fiji – a 80% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $703 in Fiji versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Fiji but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Fiji the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Fiji 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, Phuket and Fiji 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 Fiji gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.