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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $989 in Suva.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,806 in Suva.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,623 in Suva.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Suva 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$5.23 FJD 11.44

-10.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$43.87 FJD 96.1

3.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$6.79 FJD 14.88

24.15%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$3.11 FJD 6.81

-5.79%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$1.49 FJD 3.26

-53.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.66 FJD 1.44

-43.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$3.06 FJD 6.70

-21.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.61 FJD 7.91

3.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.29 FJD 2.83

72.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$0.49 FJD 1.07

273.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$1.19 FJD 2.61

82.35%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$3.34 FJD 7.31

-33.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$9.39 FJD 20.56

110.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$7.35 FJD 16.10

-50.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$7.50 FJD 16.42

80.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.47 FJD 5.41

32.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$2.42 FJD 5.31

-33.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$3.41 FJD 7.48

-29.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$3.16 FJD 6.92

-34.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$1.53 FJD 3.34

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$1.18 FJD 2.58

25.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$1.18 FJD 2.58

-16.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.74 FJD 1.63

-31.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$9.73 FJD 21.32

-54.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$7.66 FJD 16.78

153.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.23 FJD 4.88

-20.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$3.45 FJD 7.56

-21.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.87 FJD 1.90

57.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$21.82 FJD 47.79

-47.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$0.86 FJD 1.88

251.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$0.44 FJD 0.97

125.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$8.88 FJD 19.45

58.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.34 FJD 2.94

1.49%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$24.4K FJD 53.3K

15.78%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$24.9K FJD 54.5K

32.10%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$45.88 FJD 100

165.26%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$12.94 FJD 28.34

4.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$24.25 FJD 53.1

-24.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$29.82 FJD 65.3

101.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$6.95 FJD 15.22

146.62%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$4.40 FJD 9.63

97.50%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$225 FJD 492

208.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$14.0K FJD 30.7K

11.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$26.11 FJD 57.2

128.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$26.95 FJD 59.0

29.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$69.8 FJD 153

64.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$61.7 FJD 135

35.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$582 FJD 1,276

5.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$390 FJD 854

12.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$2,039 FJD 4,465

2.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$1,208 FJD 2,645

24.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$1,369 FJD 2,999

173.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$852 FJD 1,866

207.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$988 FJD 2,165

-48.59%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Suva: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $582 in Suva. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Suva pays 95% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $44.00 in Suva for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 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 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Suva earns 95% less. 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: $613 in Phuket versus $582 in Suva. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $225 in Suva. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $989 in Suva versus $1,265 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.