Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Suva Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Suva

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $964 in Suva.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,795 in Suva.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,626 in Suva.

Living in Phuket is roughly 30% more expensive than in Suva, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Suva 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$5.26 FJD 11.76

-13.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$45.35 FJD 102

1.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$6.62 FJD 14.81

33.53%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$3.26 FJD 7.30

-6.13%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$1.41 FJD 3.15

-48.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$0.67 FJD 1.49

-40.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$3.05 FJD 6.82

-20.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$3.67 FJD 8.20

3.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.28 FJD 2.87

76.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.50 FJD 1.11

262.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.15 FJD 2.58

95.65%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$3.30 FJD 7.38

-31.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$9.09 FJD 20.35

114.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$7.25 FJD 16.22

-49.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$7.56 FJD 16.91

72.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.56 FJD 5.73

26.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$2.53 FJD 5.67

-35.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$3.57 FJD 7.99

-33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$3.25 FJD 7.27

-37.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.49 FJD 3.33

2.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.17 FJD 2.62

28.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$1.21 FJD 2.71

-19.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$0.76 FJD 1.71

-31.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$9.87 FJD 22.10

-55.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$7.47 FJD 16.71

145.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$2.15 FJD 4.80

-13.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$3.35 FJD 7.49

-20.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$0.93 FJD 2.08

51.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

$21.89 FJD 48.98

-46.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.91 FJD 2.03

241.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

$0.44 FJD 0.99

136.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$8.83 FJD 19.76

59.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$1.39 FJD 3.10

-5.76%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$24.3K FJD 54.4K

14.43%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$25.0K FJD 56.0K

32.84%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$45.01 FJD 101

172.03%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$13.15 FJD 29.44

3.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$23.78 FJD 53.2

-21.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$29.58 FJD 66.2

104.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

$7.07 FJD 15.83

140.17%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$4.51 FJD 10.10

101.11%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$230 FJD 514

207.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$14.4K FJD 32.1K

10.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$25.53 FJD 57.1

129.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$26.96 FJD 60.4

31.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$69.6 FJD 156

65.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$61.5 FJD 138

36.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$588 FJD 1,315

6.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$383 FJD 858

16.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$2,070 FJD 4,633

-1.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$1,222 FJD 2,736

22.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

$1,350 FJD 3,021

157.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$838 FJD 1,875

207.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$949 FJD 2,125

-47.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

7.7

-30.78%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Suva: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $588 in Suva. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Suva pays 90% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $45.00 in Suva for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $234 per month, with Suva cheaper across the board.

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 Suva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Suva is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 90% lower in Suva. 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 $588 in Suva. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $230 in Suva. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $964 in Suva versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Suva but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Suva the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Suva 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 Suva 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 Suva gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.