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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $959 in Suva.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,719 in Suva.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,480 in Suva.

Living in Phuket is roughly 28% more expensive than in Suva, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Suva 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$5.99 FJD 13.32

-26.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$45.49 FJD 101

-29.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$7.75 FJD 17.22

15.23%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$3.00 FJD 6.68

-3.33%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$1.59 FJD 3.54

-44.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.75 FJD 1.66

-36.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$3.64 FJD 8.08

-35.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$4.38 FJD 9.74

-15.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.30 FJD 2.88

43.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.58 FJD 1.28

153.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.09 FJD 2.42

42.20%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$3.41 FJD 7.57

-38.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$10.28 FJD 22.83

90.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$6.30 FJD 13.99

-45.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$8.01 FJD 17.81

42.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$2.54 FJD 5.65

17.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$2.59 FJD 5.76

-35.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$3.43 FJD 7.63

-35.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$3.26 FJD 7.24

-33.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.23 FJD 2.74

23.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.09 FJD 2.42

22.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.17 FJD 2.61

-3.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.74 FJD 1.65

-25.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$9.99 FJD 22.20

-57.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$7.62 FJD 16.94

150.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$2.07 FJD 4.61

-14.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$3.41 FJD 7.57

-18.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.88 FJD 1.95

153.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$22.31 FJD 49.58

1.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.87 FJD 1.94

248.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.46 FJD 1.03

121.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$8.79 FJD 19.54

-55.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.37 FJD 3.04

8.76%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$25.1K FJD 55.9K

5.70%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$25.3K FJD 56.1K

7.02%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$46.69 FJD 104

119.47%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$12.86 FJD 28.57

-11.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$24.29 FJD 54.0

-28.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$36.37 FJD 80.8

43.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$11.23 FJD 24.95

-1.42%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$3.40 FJD 7.56

126.18%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$227 FJD 504

147.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$13.7K FJD 30.5K

-16.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$33.30 FJD 74.0

89.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$40.07 FJD 89.0

-26.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$69.6 FJD 155

40.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$62.9 FJD 140

40.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$904 FJD 2,009

-18.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$333 FJD 740

44.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$2,661 FJD 5,913

-20.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$997 FJD 2,216

22.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$1,341 FJD 2,979

169.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$829 FJD 1,842

213.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$979 FJD 2,175

-49.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.7

-27.66%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Suva: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $904 in Suva. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Suva pays 98% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $45.00 in Suva. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $233, with Suva 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 Suva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Suva is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 98% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $904 in Suva. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $227 in Suva. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $959 in Suva versus $1,232 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 28% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.