Cost of Living Comparison Between Dambulla and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Dambulla and Phuket

Name: Phuket
Address: Phuket, TH

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $528 per month in Dambulla vs $1,261 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $866 per month in Dambulla vs $2,276 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,204 per month in Dambulla vs $3,291 in Phuket, rent included.

Dambulla is about 58% cheaper than Phuket, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Dambulla and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Dambulla 60% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.95 LKR 1,328

$4.53 ฿153

-12.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.74 LKR 8,315

$46.36 ฿1,562

-46.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.48 LKR 2,850

$8.65 ฿291

-1.97%

Cappuccino

$2.62 LKR 881

$3.09 ฿104

-15.21%

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

$0.68 LKR 230

$0.68 ฿22.85

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 LKR 125

$0.37 ฿12.41

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.38 LKR 801

$2.42 ฿81.4

-1.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 LKR 1,097

$3.81 ฿128

-14.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 LKR 569

$2.18 ฿73.4

-22.48%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 LKR 175

$1.82 ฿61.2

-71.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.87 LKR 292

$2.18 ฿73.3

-60.09%

Eggs

$2.12 LKR 713

$2.24 ฿75.3

-5.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.90 LKR 4,673

$19.93 ฿671

-30.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.54 LKR 1,527

$3.64 ฿123

24.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.06 LKR 2,709

$13.56 ฿457

-40.56%

Apples (1kg)

$7.43 LKR 2,497

$3.29 ฿111

125.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 LKR 374

$1.69 ฿56.8

-34.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.66 LKR 1,904

$2.33 ฿78.6

142.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 LKR 402

$2.03 ฿68.3

-40.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 LKR 371

$1.60 ฿53.9

-31.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 LKR 474

$1.49 ฿50.4

-5.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 LKR 399

$1.01 ฿34.11

17.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 LKR 186

$0.48 ฿16.06

14.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.25 LKR 3,445

$4.45 ฿150

130.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 LKR 4,268

$18.63 ฿628

-31.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 LKR 670

$1.79 ฿60.2

11.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 LKR 998

$2.80 ฿94.2

6.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.09 LKR 30.78

$1.42 ฿47.81

-93.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.33 ฿382

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 LKR 128

$3.09 ฿104

-87.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 LKR 120

$1.04 ฿35.13

-65.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.58 LKR 194

$13.63 ฿459

-95.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 LKR 405

$1.31 ฿44.15

-7.63%

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

$26.3K LKR 8.8M

$27.3K ฿919.1K

-3.75%

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

$34.5K LKR 11.6M

$33.2K ฿1.1M

3.82%

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

$60.6 LKR 20.4K

$123 ฿4,149

-50.80%

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

$4.23 LKR 1,422

$13.81 ฿465

-69.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.24 LKR 5,122

$18.52 ฿624

-17.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 ฿2,034

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ฿566

Cinema Ticket

$3.28 LKR 1,102

$8.89 ฿299

-63.10%

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

$36.68 LKR 12.3K

$687 ฿23.1K

-94.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$434 LKR 145.9K

$15.6K ฿523.9K

-97.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.45 LKR 9,227

$57.6 ฿1,942

-52.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.61 LKR 6,593

$34.66 ฿1,168

-43.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 LKR 23.1K

$115 ฿3,872

-40.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.68 LKR 13.0K

$84.9 ฿2,860

-54.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 ฿20.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 ฿14.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,047 ฿69.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 ฿50.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,568 ฿120.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,511 ฿84.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.45

5.33

208.63%

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

Last update for Dambulla: July 21, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Dambulla versus $46.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $254 vs $292 – making Dambulla the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Dambulla vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $528 in Dambulla, $1,261 in Phuket – roughly 139% apart. Phuket costs more across the board, with Sport & Entertainment showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $792 per month in Dambulla and $1,891 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Dambulla and $46.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 15% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Dambulla, where all-in costs run around $528, than in Phuket at $1,261. In Dambulla it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $528 in Dambulla to $1,261 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Dambulla. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.