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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $949 in Suva versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,752 in Suva versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,554 in Suva versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Suva costs roughly 24% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Suva 31% lower, Phuket 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.85 FJD 12.67

$4.56 ฿152

28.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.43 FJD 98.4

$32.62 ฿1,086

39.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 FJD 16.79

$8.90 ฿296

-12.81%

Cappuccino

$2.95 FJD 6.40

$2.80 ฿93.4

5.36%

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

$1.54 FJD 3.33

$0.88 ฿29.31

75.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 FJD 1.62

$0.49 ฿16.29

53.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 FJD 7.91

$2.39 ฿79.5

52.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 FJD 9.66

$3.71 ฿124

20.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 FJD 2.81

$1.79 ฿59.5

-27.37%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 FJD 1.24

$1.44 ฿48.00

-60.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 FJD 2.38

$1.58 ฿52.8

-30.38%

Eggs

$3.38 FJD 7.33

$2.13 ฿70.8

58.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.29 FJD 22.29

$19.92 ฿663

-48.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.27 FJD 13.58

$3.43 ฿114

82.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.90 FJD 17.11

$11.33 ฿377

-30.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 FJD 5.61

$2.95 ฿98.2

-12.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.52 FJD 5.46

$1.72 ฿57.3

46.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.50 FJD 7.57

$2.32 ฿77.4

50.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 FJD 7.01

$2.08 ฿69.3

55.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 FJD 2.79

$1.47 ฿48.96

-12.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 FJD 2.37

$1.36 ฿45.22

-19.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 FJD 2.67

$1.10 ฿36.59

11.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 FJD 1.61

$0.57 ฿19.13

31.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.05 FJD 21.75

$4.27 ฿142

135.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.69 FJD 16.64

$18.42 ฿613

-58.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 FJD 4.77

$1.87 ฿62.3

17.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 FJD 7.48

$2.92 ฿97.3

18.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 FJD 2.04

$2.22 ฿73.9

-57.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.12 FJD 50.1

$22.90 ฿762

0.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 FJD 1.91

$3.03 ฿101

-70.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 FJD 1.02

$1.07 ฿35.77

-56.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.28 FJD 20.09

$3.93 ฿131

136.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 FJD 3.03

$1.49 ฿49.68

-6.04%

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

$24.6K FJD 53.2K

$27.1K ฿903.4K

-9.42%

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

$26.0K FJD 56.3K

$27.5K ฿914.1K

-5.33%

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

$45.84 FJD 99.2

$103 ฿3,423

-55.41%

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

$13.27 FJD 28.73

$10.99 ฿366

20.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 FJD 52.3

$17.51 ฿583

38.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.66 FJD 81.5

$53.5 ฿1,783

-29.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.52 FJD 24.93

$11.20 ฿373

2.86%

Cinema Ticket

$3.51 FJD 7.59

$7.48 ฿249

-53.07%

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

$230 FJD 499

$557 ฿18.5K

-58.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.8K FJD 29.8K

$11.9K ฿394.7K

16.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.83 FJD 73.3

$64.1 ฿2,134

-47.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 FJD 87.4

$29.07 ฿968

38.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.3 FJD 152

$96.0 ฿3,195

-26.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.0 FJD 134

$90.3 ฿3,008

-31.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$894 FJD 1,935

$730 ฿24.3K

22.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$331 FJD 716

$500 ฿16.6K

-33.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,740 FJD 5,931

$2,090 ฿69.6K

31.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,013 FJD 2,192

$1,209 ฿40.3K

-16.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,381 FJD 2,989

$3,596 ฿119.7K

-61.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$832 FJD 1,800

$2,512 ฿83.7K

-66.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$985 FJD 2,132

$503 ฿16.8K

95.65%

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: August 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $894 in Suva and $730 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 $33.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $234 vs $273, 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

Suva vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Suva is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 32% 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: $894 in Suva versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $230 in Suva versus $557 in Phuket. 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 $949 in Suva versus $1,253 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 32% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.