Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Hulhumale Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Hulhumale

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,447 in Hulhumale.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $2,576 in Hulhumale.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $3,704 in Hulhumale.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 15% less than in Hulhumale, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 10% below, Hulhumale is 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$6.16 MVR 95.0

-28.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$38.91 MVR 600

-17.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$9.46 MVR 146

-5.60%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.95 MVR 76.4

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MVR 76.1

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$3.64 MVR 56.1

-20.33%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$1.61 MVR 24.85

-45.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.29 MVR 4.40

65.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.62 MVR 25.05

15.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$1.66 MVR 25.61

-11.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$0.33 MVR 5.15

369.70%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$1.80 MVR 27.76

16.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$3.28 MVR 50.5

497.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$5.94 MVR 91.6

-42.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$9.61 MVR 148

18.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$4.00 MVR 61.7

-25.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$3.13 MVR 48.20

-46.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$2.83 MVR 43.72

-21.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$2.68 MVR 41.25

-19.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.28 MVR 19.78

18.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.16 MVR 17.89

15.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$2.10 MVR 32.36

-46.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.58 MVR 8.90

-5.17%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.27 MVR 189

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 MVR 42.39

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 MVR 31.12

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$12.91 MVR 199

-67.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.93 MVR 29.69

56.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$1.91 MVR 29.46

-46.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$9.85 MVR 152

-60.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$0.97 MVR 14.92

53.61%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$32.1K MVR 495.4K

-17.25%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$29.5K MVR 454.5K

-8.30%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$105 MVR 1,620

-2.47%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$29.86 MVR 460

-62.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$71.8 MVR 1,106

-75.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$9.47 MVR 146

-18.80%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$183 MVR 2,824

206.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$3,060 MVR 47.2K

275.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$39.54 MVR 610

59.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$48.94 MVR 755

-39.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$88.0 MVR 1,356

11.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$52.8 MVR 815

67.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$1,142 MVR 17.6K

-35.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$785 MVR 12.1K

-38.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$2,306 MVR 35.6K

-8.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$2,310 MVR 35.6K

-46.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$5,464 MVR 84.3K

-33.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$503 MVR 7,755

417.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$706 MVR 10.9K

-30.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-60.21%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Hulhumale: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $1,142 in Hulhumale. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hulhumale pays 43% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $39.00 in Hulhumale. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $195, with Hulhumale 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 Hulhumale: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Hulhumale. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 43% lower in Hulhumale. 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: $738 in Phuket versus $1,142 in Hulhumale. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $183 in Hulhumale. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $39.00 in Hulhumale. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,447 in Hulhumale, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Hulhumale. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,232 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Hulhumale 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 18% less than in Hulhumale. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.