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 $509 per month in Dambulla vs $1,265 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $838 per month in Dambulla vs $2,089 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,168 per month in Dambulla vs $2,913 in Phuket, rent included.

Dambulla is about 60% cheaper than Phuket, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Dambulla and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Dambulla 63% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.37 LKR 1,436

$4.66 ฿154

-6.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.85 LKR 8,495

$32.22 ฿1,065

-19.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.79 LKR 2,561

$8.68 ฿287

-10.25%

Cappuccino

$2.49 LKR 818

$2.90 ฿95.8

-14.14%

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

$0.74 LKR 243

$0.84 ฿27.89

-11.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 88.8

$0.49 ฿16.16

-44.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 LKR 711

$2.48 ฿82.0

-12.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 LKR 973

$3.73 ฿123

-20.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 LKR 512

$1.89 ฿62.3

-17.46%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 LKR 188

$1.41 ฿46.54

-59.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.75 LKR 248

$1.62 ฿53.6

-53.70%

Eggs

$1.67 LKR 549

$2.24 ฿74.1

-25.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.42 LKR 4,409

$19.84 ฿656

-32.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.13 LKR 1,687

$3.48 ฿115

47.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.09 LKR 2,329

$11.37 ฿376

-37.64%

Apples (1kg)

$6.63 LKR 2,178

$2.90 ฿95.8

128.62%

Banana (1kg)

$0.88 LKR 290

$1.72 ฿57.0

-48.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.38 LKR 1,439

$2.27 ฿75.1

92.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.23 LKR 404

$2.13 ฿70.4

-42.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 LKR 333

$1.47 ฿48.72

-31.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 LKR 253

$1.42 ฿46.92

-45.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 LKR 293

$1.10 ฿36.25

-19.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 LKR 148

$0.60 ฿19.76

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.36 LKR 3,404

$4.31 ฿142

140.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.55 LKR 4,451

$18.60 ฿615

-27.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 LKR 656

$1.80 ฿59.5

11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 LKR 913

$2.97 ฿98.0

-6.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.10 LKR 32.56

$2.25 ฿74.2

-95.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 LKR 126

$3.10 ฿102

-87.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 LKR 116

$1.08 ฿35.56

-67.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 LKR 289

$3.87 ฿128

-77.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 LKR 443

$1.43 ฿47.16

-5.59%

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

$29.9K LKR 9.8M

$27.8K ฿918.0K

7.78%

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

$42.7K LKR 14.0M

$27.0K ฿891.5K

58.09%

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

$56.2 LKR 18.5K

$105 ฿3,462

-46.41%

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

$4.28 LKR 1,408

$11.39 ฿376

-62.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.00 LKR 6,900

$17.54 ฿580

19.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$4.45 LKR 1,462

$7.78 ฿257

-42.80%

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

$37.74 LKR 12.4K

$576 ฿19.0K

-93.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,221 LKR 401.1K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

-89.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.87 LKR 6,530

$63.6 ฿2,103

-68.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.88 LKR 5,548

$29.10 ฿961

-41.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 LKR 26.4K

$96.2 ฿3,179

-16.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.69 LKR 14.0K

$90.0 ฿2,974

-52.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.69

5.57

127.83%

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

Last update for Dambulla: September 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26.00 in Dambulla versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $236 vs $275 – 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: $509 in Dambulla, $1,265 in Phuket – roughly 149% apart. Phuket costs more across the board, with Sport & Entertainment showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $763 per month in Dambulla and $1,898 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 $26.00 in Dambulla and $32.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 16% 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 $509, than in Phuket at $1,265. 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 $509 in Dambulla to $1,265 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.