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 $712 in Fiji.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,191 in Fiji.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,670 in Fiji.

Living in Phuket is roughly 78% more expensive than Fiji, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Fiji 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$4.44 FJD 9.71

5.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$45.29 FJD 99.2

0.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$7.81 FJD 17.10

7.94%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$2.26 FJD 4.96

29.65%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$1.36 FJD 2.97

-49.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$1.19 FJD 2.61

-68.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$2.95 FJD 6.46

-18.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.30 FJD 7.22

12.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.28 FJD 2.81

74.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$0.69 FJD 1.52

165.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$1.52 FJD 3.34

42.76%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$2.22 FJD 4.86

-0.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$10.61 FJD 23.23

86.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.67 FJD 8.03

-1.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$2.28 FJD 4.98

493.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.76 FJD 3.85

86.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$1.53 FJD 3.36

5.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$2.04 FJD 4.47

18.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.73 FJD 3.80

20.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$1.49 FJD 3.25

2.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$1.42 FJD 3.11

4.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$0.94 FJD 2.05

5.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.80 FJD 1.75

-36.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$11.01 FJD 24.11

-59.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$6.47 FJD 14.17

199.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.80 FJD 6.12

-36.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$2.46 FJD 5.40

10.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.91 FJD 1.98

50.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$1.10 FJD 2.41

174.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.31 FJD 2.87

3.82%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$45.5K FJD 99.6K

-37.97%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

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

$122 ฿3,978

$53.0 FJD 116

129.49%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$13.41 FJD 29.37

1.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$17.60 FJD 38.54

4.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$21.99 FJD 48.17

173.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$4.50 FJD 9.85

280.89%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$3.99 FJD 8.75

117.79%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$44.29 FJD 97.0

1465.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$8.39 FJD 18.38

609.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$29.43 FJD 64.5

289.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$666 FJD 1,459

-7.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$269 FJD 590

62.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$1,104 FJD 2,418

89.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$607 FJD 1,329

148.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$1,298 FJD 2,842

188.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$1,344 FJD 2,943

94.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$548 FJD 1,201

-7.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-11.17%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Fiji: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $666 in Fiji. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fiji pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $45.00 in Fiji. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $179, 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, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 78% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Fiji earns 8% less. 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: $613 in Phuket versus $666 in Fiji. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 64% 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 $712 in Fiji – a 78% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $712 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 78% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.