Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Fuvahmulah Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Fuvahmulah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $764 in Fuvahmulah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,102 in Fuvahmulah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,441 in Fuvahmulah.

Living in Phuket is roughly 64% more expensive than in Fuvahmulah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Fuvahmulah 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.66 MVR 25.58

36.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.91 MVR 14.05

98.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.47 MVR 7.23

378.72%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.54 MVR 23.80

46.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$6.43 MVR 99.2

203.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$4.77 MVR 73.6

-23.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$13.08 MVR 202

-0.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$3.19 MVR 49.26

1.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.33 MVR 20.44

21.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$3.20 MVR 49.32

-25.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.63 MVR 25.14

24.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.11 MVR 17.16

37.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.09 MVR 16.80

37.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.64 MVR 25.34

-40.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.62 MVR 9.55

-16.13%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.80 MVR 58.7

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$6.84 MVR 105

-35.09%

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)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.66 MVR 10.21

113.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$19.20 MVR 296

-39.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.60 MVR 24.70

94.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$1.66 MVR 25.65

-37.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$6.39 MVR 98.5

120.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.28 MVR 19.69

2.34%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$19.4K MVR 299.6K

43.18%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$22.4K MVR 345.6K

48.22%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$165 MVR 2,545

-25.81%

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

$13.59 ฿457

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$38.96 MVR 601

-52.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$23.09 MVR 356

161.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$13.23 MVR 204

28.34%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$6.43 MVR 99.1

41.06%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$155 MVR 2,397

354.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$2,301 MVR 35.5K

586.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$29.49 MVR 455

98.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$19.37 MVR 299

82.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$38.97 MVR 601

196.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$51.8 MVR 799

61.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$322 MVR 4,969

94.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$255 MVR 3,928

74.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$556 MVR 8,567

267.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$526 MVR 8,118

183.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$352 MVR 5,421

632.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$646 MVR 9,957

-22.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Fuvahmulah: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $322 in Fuvahmulah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fuvahmulah pays 29% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

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 Fuvahmulah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fuvahmulah is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 64% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 29% lower in Fuvahmulah. 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: $626 in Phuket versus $322 in Fuvahmulah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $155 in Fuvahmulah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Fuvahmulah runs roughly 64% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $764 in Fuvahmulah versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Fuvahmulah but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Fuvahmulah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Fuvahmulah 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 Fuvahmulah 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 Fuvahmulah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.