Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Hulhumale

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,420 in Hulhumale, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Hulhumale outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
69

Cost of Living Index in Hulhumale
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Hulhumale Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Hulhumale

🇲🇻 Maldives

$1,420

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Hulhumale

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 Hulhumale actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,420 in Hulhumale.

Phuket $1,278
Hulhumale $1,420

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $2,583 in Hulhumale.

Phuket $2,216
Hulhumale $2,583

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $3,747 in Hulhumale.

Phuket $3,154
Hulhumale $3,747

Living in Phuket costs roughly 10% less than in Hulhumale, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Hulhumale is 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$6.09 MVR 93.9

-26.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$39.34 MVR 607

-17.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$9.58 MVR 148

-8.04%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.78 MVR 73.7

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 MVR 75.5

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$3.47 MVR 53.5

-18.44%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$1.60 MVR 24.64

-45.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$0.29 MVR 4.46

68.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.54 MVR 23.70

7.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$1.62 MVR 24.97

-9.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.33 MVR 5.10

354.55%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.84 MVR 28.39

13.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$3.29 MVR 50.8

479.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$5.94 MVR 91.5

-44.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$9.36 MVR 144

16.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$4.02 MVR 61.9

-27.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$3.14 MVR 48.43

-46.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.84 MVR 43.72

-20.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$2.65 MVR 40.87

-21.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.23 MVR 19.00

22.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$1.15 MVR 17.66

20.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$2.08 MVR 32.15

-48.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.58 MVR 9.00

-10.34%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.13 MVR 187

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 MVR 41.78

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 MVR 29.90

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$12.99 MVR 200

-67.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.99 MVR 30.74

51.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$1.92 MVR 29.58

-46.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$10.09 MVR 156

-63.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$0.98 MVR 15.04

50.00%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$32.6K MVR 502.7K

-17.86%

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$28.9K MVR 444.9K

-7.49%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$105 MVR 1,617

-8.11%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$29.88 MVR 461

-62.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$71.5 MVR 1,103

-76.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$9.57 MVR 148

-21.63%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$183 MVR 2,825

159.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

$3,027 MVR 46.7K

272.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$38.84 MVR 599

60.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$49.67 MVR 766

-42.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$85.7 MVR 1,321

10.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

$52.3 MVR 806

64.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$1,147 MVR 17.7K

-37.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$762 MVR 11.8K

-35.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$2,237 MVR 34.5K

-13.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$2,299 MVR 35.5K

-37.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$5,433 MVR 83.8K

-23.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$506 MVR 7,798

502.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$721 MVR 11.1K

-30.31%

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Hulhumale: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Hulhumale

$762 53.7% 55.2% $271

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Hulhumale

$193 13.6% 27.6% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Hulhumale

$206 14.5% 65.7% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Hulhumale

$102 7.2% 16.4% $20

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Hulhumale

$127 8.9% 4.1% $5

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Hulhumale

$19 * 1.4% 76.7% $63

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Hulhumale

$12 * 0.8% 83.6% $59

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $1,147 in Hulhumale. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hulhumale pays 43% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $39 in Hulhumale. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $193, with Hulhumale cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇻 Hulhumale

🕒 Local time

08:41 8:41 AM

06:41 6:41 AM

2 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

5,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Maldivian Rufiyaa MVR Rf

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 MVR = 6.49 USD

100 MVR = 5.81 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Maldivian Rufiyaa exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 15.42 MVR (100 MVR = 6.49 USD). 1 EUR = 17.22 MVR (100 MVR = 5.81 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Hulhumale 2,780 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Hulhumale

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 Hulhumale: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 10% 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 30% lower in Phuket. 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: $716 in Phuket versus $1,147 in Hulhumale. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 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 versus $39 in Hulhumale. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Hulhumale are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Hulhumale on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.