Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Male

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,503 in Male, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Male
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Male Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Male

🇲🇻 Maldives

$1,503

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Male

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,503 in Male.

Phuket $1,278
Male $1,503

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $2,416 in Male.

Phuket $2,216
Male $2,416

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $3,329 in Male.

Phuket $3,154
Male $3,329

Living in Phuket costs roughly 15% less than in Male, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$5.82 MVR 89.8

-23.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,092

$39.22 MVR 605

-17.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$9.64 MVR 149

-8.61%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.81 MVR 74.2

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.82 MVR 74.3

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.3

$3.50 MVR 53.9

-19.14%

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

$0.87 ฿29.37

$1.60 MVR 24.74

-45.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.64

$0.31 MVR 4.85

58.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$2.07 MVR 31.97

-19.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.25

$1.69 MVR 26.03

-13.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$1.20 MVR 18.58

25.00%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.4

$1.87 MVR 28.91

11.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿642

$10.46 MVR 161

82.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$6.20 MVR 95.6

-46.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$9.20 MVR 142

18.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.7

$3.99 MVR 61.5

-26.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$3.14 MVR 48.37

-46.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$4.17 MVR 64.3

-46.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$2.71 MVR 41.77

-23.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$2.09 MVR 32.19

-27.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.47

$1.94 MVR 29.91

-28.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.91

$2.16 MVR 33.27

-50.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.49

$0.63 MVR 9.69

-17.46%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.41 MVR 191

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 MVR 41.38

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 MVR 30.86

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$14.69 MVR 227

-71.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿633

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.7

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$0.63 MVR 9.71

130.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,909

$29.62 MVR 457

91.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.93 MVR 29.70

56.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.29

$1.96 MVR 30.19

-47.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$10.14 MVR 156

-63.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.70

$0.98 MVR 15.05

50.00%

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

$26.8K ฿902.4K

$32.8K MVR 505.8K

-18.37%

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

$26.7K ฿899.5K

$29.9K MVR 461.0K

-10.72%

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

$96.4 ฿3,247

$118 MVR 1,812

-18.00%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$29.67 MVR 457

-62.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$73.0 MVR 1,126

-76.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,266

$69.9 MVR 1,078

-3.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿361

$33.50 MVR 517

-67.97%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$9.69 MVR 149

-22.60%

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

$476 ฿16.0K

$188 MVR 2,896

153.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.6K

$2,954 MVR 45.6K

281.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,102

$39.54 MVR 610

57.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿957

$50.1 MVR 773

-43.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,178

$85.9 MVR 1,325

9.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,892

$52.9 MVR 816

62.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$939 MVR 14.5K

-23.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.5K

$686 MVR 10.6K

-28.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿64.9K

$2,019 MVR 31.1K

-4.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.2K

$1,530 MVR 23.6K

-6.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

$2,275 MVR 35.1K

83.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

$1,398 MVR 21.6K

117.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$833 MVR 12.8K

-39.71%

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 Male: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Male

$686 45.7% 39.8% $196

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Male

$235 15.7% 11.7% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Male

$220 14.7% 76.9% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Male

$103 6.8% 15.7% $19

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Male

$125 8.3% 2.8% $3.4

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Male

$89 5.9% 8.6% $7

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Male

$44 2.9% 37.9% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $939 in Male. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Male pays 66% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $39 in Male. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $235, with Male cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇻 Male

🕒 Local time

11:02 11:02 AM

09:02 9:02 AM

2 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

103,693 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Maldivian Rufiyaa MVR Rf

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

100 MVR = 6.49 USD

100 MVR = 5.83 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Maldivian Rufiyaa exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 15.42 MVR (100 MVR = 6.49 USD). 1 EUR = 17.17 MVR (100 MVR = 5.83 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Male 2,780 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Male

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 Male: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 15% cheaper overall, especially in utilities, leisure, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 40% 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 $939 in Male. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $1,503 in Male – Phuket is about 15% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Male runs roughly 48% less than in Phuket. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,503 in Male, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Male. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Male are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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