Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Fuvahmulah

For one person, living is cheaper in Fuvahmulah: $777 a month against $1,190 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,190

/mo nomad

Fuvahmulah

🇲🇻 Maldives

$777

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Fuvahmulah

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Fuvahmulah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,190 in Phuket versus $777 in Fuvahmulah.

Phuket $1,190
Fuvahmulah $777

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,006 in Phuket versus $1,105 in Fuvahmulah.

Phuket $2,006
Fuvahmulah $1,105

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,822 in Phuket versus $1,432 in Fuvahmulah.

Phuket $2,822
Fuvahmulah $1,432

Living in Phuket is roughly 53% more expensive than in Fuvahmulah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Fuvahmulah 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.35 ฿146

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.45 ฿1,087

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 ฿282

Cappuccino

$2.81 ฿94.0

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

$0.87 ฿29.29

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ฿15.39

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 ฿122

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿57.2

$1.60 MVR 24.65

6.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.42

$0.96 MVR 14.80

51.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.3

$0.47 MVR 7.27

231.91%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.3

$1.58 MVR 24.30

32.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.53 ฿654

$6.41 MVR 98.8

204.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$4.69 MVR 72.3

-27.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿373

$12.84 MVR 198

-13.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 ฿94.8

$3.30 MVR 50.9

-14.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.3

$1.27 MVR 19.52

27.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 ฿74.5

$3.15 MVR 48.59

-29.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 ฿71.9

$1.57 MVR 24.25

36.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 ฿49.95

$1.12 MVR 17.34

33.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.40

$1.12 MVR 17.20

18.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.72

$1.64 MVR 25.27

-34.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.01

$0.63 MVR 9.65

-19.05%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.90 MVR 60.2

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 ฿147

$6.74 MVR 104

-35.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.77 ฿629

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 ฿72.6

$0.67 MVR 10.34

223.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.28 ฿746

$19.75 MVR 305

12.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿101

$1.67 MVR 25.69

80.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.43

$1.58 MVR 24.36

-32.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 ฿124

$6.60 MVR 102

-43.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.88

$1.26 MVR 19.50

13.49%

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

$26.3K ฿882.1K

$19.2K MVR 296.3K

37.11%

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

$26.2K ฿877.3K

$22.4K MVR 345.3K

17.00%

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

$96.7 ฿3,236

$161 MVR 2,490

-40.14%

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

$11.41 ฿382

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.11 ฿573

$38.30 MVR 591

-55.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 ฿1,768

$22.43 MVR 346

135.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿371

$12.70 MVR 196

-12.83%

Cinema Ticket

$7.65 ฿256

$6.32 MVR 97.5

21.04%

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

$555 ฿18.6K

$157 MVR 2,415

254.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿377.7K

$2,250 MVR 34.7K

401.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 ฿2,123

$29.36 MVR 453

116.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.61 ฿958

$19.17 MVR 296

49.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 ฿3,238

$37.70 MVR 581

156.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 ฿2,967

$52.0 MVR 802

70.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$735 ฿24.6K

$322 MVR 4,959

128.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$458 ฿15.3K

$259 MVR 3,996

76.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 ฿70.4K

$541 MVR 8,343

288.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 ฿39.7K

$516 MVR 7,957

130.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,493 ฿116.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,491 ฿83.4K

$348 MVR 5,362

616.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.8K

$669 MVR 10.3K

-25.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: October 4, 2026

Last update for Fuvahmulah: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$458 38.1%

Fuvahmulah

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.3%

Fuvahmulah

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Fuvahmulah

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Fuvahmulah

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$119 9.9%

Fuvahmulah

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.7%

Fuvahmulah

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Fuvahmulah

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $735 in Phuket and $322 in Fuvahmulah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fuvahmulah pays 34% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇻 Fuvahmulah

🕒 Local time

21:21 9:21 PM

19:21 7:21 PM

2 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

11,140

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Maldivian Rufiyaa MVR Rf

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

100 MVR = 6.49 USD

100 MVR = 5.79 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MVR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Maldivian Rufiyaa exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 15.42 MVR (100 MVR = 6.49 USD). 1 EUR = 17.28 MVR (100 MVR = 5.79 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Phuket Fuvahmulah 2,910 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Fuvahmulah

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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, clothing, and eating out. The 53% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 34% 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: $735 in Phuket versus $322 in Fuvahmulah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $555 in Phuket versus $157 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 13% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $777 in Fuvahmulah versus $1,190 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 53% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.