Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Suva and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Suva: $946 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Suva
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Suva Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Suva

🇫🇯 Fiji

$946

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Suva and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Suva and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $946 in Suva versus $1,207 in Phuket.

Suva $946
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,717 in Suva versus $2,037 in Phuket.

Suva $1,717
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,489 in Suva versus $2,867 in Phuket.

Suva $2,489
Phuket $2,867

Living in Suva costs roughly 22% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Suva 30% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.93 FJD 13.28

$4.58 ฿153

29.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.78 FJD 100

$32.48 ฿1,086

37.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.51 FJD 16.81

$8.55 ฿286

-12.16%

Cappuccino

$2.85 FJD 6.37

$2.72 ฿91.0

4.78%

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

$1.50 FJD 3.36

$0.94 ฿31.25

59.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 FJD 1.67

$0.49 ฿16.39

53.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 FJD 7.98

$2.59 ฿86.6

37.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 FJD 10.24

$3.83 ฿128

19.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 FJD 2.97

$1.74 ฿58.1

-23.56%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 FJD 1.28

$1.43 ฿47.82

-60.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 FJD 2.53

$1.53 ฿51.0

-26.14%

Eggs

$3.38 FJD 7.57

$2.17 ฿72.7

55.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.18 FJD 22.78

$19.15 ฿640

-46.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.34 FJD 14.19

$3.30 ฿110

92.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.96 FJD 17.82

$11.14 ฿372

-28.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 FJD 5.58

$2.95 ฿98.5

-15.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.43 FJD 5.43

$1.68 ฿56.1

44.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.55 FJD 7.94

$2.30 ฿76.8

54.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.17 FJD 7.11

$2.13 ฿71.3

48.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 FJD 2.83

$1.53 ฿51.1

-17.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 FJD 2.37

$1.36 ฿45.55

-22.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 FJD 2.61

$1.12 ฿37.44

3.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 FJD 1.54

$0.55 ฿18.24

25.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.89 FJD 22.15

$4.26 ฿142

132.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.19 FJD 16.10

$18.19 ฿608

-60.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 FJD 4.74

$1.74 ฿58.2

21.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 FJD 7.60

$2.79 ฿93.3

21.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 FJD 1.97

$2.22 ฿74.1

-60.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.34 FJD 50.0

$22.06 ฿737

1.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 FJD 2.05

$2.91 ฿97.3

-68.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 FJD 1.01

$1.01 ฿33.79

-55.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.80 FJD 19.70

$3.83 ฿128

129.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 FJD 3.21

$1.49 ฿49.85

-4.03%

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

$24.3K FJD 54.5K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

-8.84%

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

$24.7K FJD 55.3K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

-7.56%

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

$46.26 FJD 104

$99.4 ฿3,321

-53.45%

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

$12.75 FJD 28.54

$11.28 ฿377

13.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.21 FJD 54.2

$17.36 ฿580

39.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.81 FJD 82.4

$52.3 ฿1,747

-29.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.31 FJD 25.32

$10.85 ฿362

4.24%

Cinema Ticket

$3.42 FJD 7.65

$7.57 ฿253

-54.82%

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

$225 FJD 503

$558 ฿18.7K

-59.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K FJD 30.0K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

16.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.29 FJD 74.5

$62.9 ฿2,102

-47.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.64 FJD 88.8

$28.58 ฿955

38.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.6 FJD 154

$96.1 ฿3,213

-28.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.9 FJD 134

$88.1 ฿2,943

-31.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$889 FJD 1,992

$729 ฿24.4K

21.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$329 FJD 736

$460 ฿15.4K

-28.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,589 FJD 5,797

$2,096 ฿70.0K

23.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$999 FJD 2,236

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-18.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,310 FJD 2,933

$3,459 ฿115.6K

-62.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$820 FJD 1,836

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-67.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$965 FJD 2,160

$493 ฿16.5K

95.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.7

5.57

38.24%

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

Last update for Suva: October 10, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Suva

$329 34.7%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 39.9% $131

Groceries & Markets

Suva

$231 24.4%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 15.9% $37

Eating Out

Suva

$140 14.8%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 13.4% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Suva

$91 9.6%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 36.8% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Suva

$83 8.8%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 53.8% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Suva

$44 4.6%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 54.5% $24

Getting Around

Suva

$29 3.1%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 34% $9.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $889 in Suva and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Suva pays 96% 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 Suva vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $231 vs $268, with Suva cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇫🇯 Suva

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

17:06 5:06 PM

12:06 12:06 PM

5 h behind Suva

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

100,000 Capital

79,308

💱 Currency

Fijian Dollar FJD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 FJD = 0.447 USD

1 FJD = 0.397 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to FJD – Fijian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇫🇯 Fijian Dollar ($)

Fijian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 2.24 FJD (1 FJD = 0.447 USD). 1 EUR = 2.52 FJD (1 FJD = 0.397 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to FJD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Suva Phuket 9,240 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Suva
Phuket

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

Suva vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Suva is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 96% higher in Suva, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $889 in Suva versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $225 in Suva versus $558 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $946 in Suva versus $1,207 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, Suva and Phuket 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.