Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gampaha and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Gampaha: $453 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

22

Cost of Living Index in Gampaha
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Gampaha Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

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Gampaha

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$453

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gampaha 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 Gampaha and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $453 in Gampaha versus $1,208 in Phuket.

Gampaha $453
Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $768 in Gampaha versus $2,027 in Phuket.

Gampaha $768
Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,083 in Gampaha versus $2,845 in Phuket.

Gampaha $1,083
Phuket $2,845

Living in Gampaha costs roughly 62% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Gampaha 67% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.84 LKR 609

$4.40 ฿147

-58.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.22 LKR 6,034

$32.26 ฿1,078

-43.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.20 LKR 1,721

$8.76 ฿293

-40.64%

Cappuccino

$1.24 LKR 410

$2.83 ฿94.5

-56.18%

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

$0.53 LKR 176

$0.90 ฿30.14

-41.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 LKR 82.1

$0.47 ฿15.56

-46.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.12 LKR 701

$2.55 ฿85.2

-16.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 LKR 1,010

$3.83 ฿128

-20.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 LKR 539

$1.73 ฿57.7

-5.78%

White Bread (500g)

$0.41 LKR 135

$1.47 ฿49.11

-72.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.73 LKR 241

$1.51 ฿50.6

-51.66%

Eggs

$1.65 LKR 548

$2.17 ฿72.7

-23.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.91 LKR 4,607

$19.70 ฿658

-29.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.03 LKR 1,334

$3.34 ฿112

20.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.43 LKR 2,460

$11.16 ฿373

-33.42%

Apples (1kg)

$5.95 LKR 1,972

$2.85 ฿95.1

108.77%

Banana (1kg)

$0.82 LKR 270

$1.70 ฿56.9

-51.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 LKR 1,493

$2.19 ฿73.3

105.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.32 LKR 436

$2.05 ฿68.4

-35.61%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 LKR 314

$1.45 ฿48.57

-34.48%

Onion (1kg)

$0.84 LKR 277

$1.38 ฿46.16

-39.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.29 LKR 94.8

$1.07 ฿35.69

-72.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.34 LKR 114

$0.51 ฿16.91

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 LKR 3,273

$4.26 ฿142

131.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.04 LKR 4,319

$18.58 ฿621

-29.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 LKR 447

$1.78 ฿59.7

-24.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 LKR 808

$2.85 ฿95.2

-14.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 LKR 95.2

$2.26 ฿75.6

-87.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.29 LKR 95.0

$3.01 ฿101

-90.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 LKR 120

$1.06 ฿35.34

-66.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.89 LKR 295

$3.86 ฿129

-76.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 LKR 388

$1.45 ฿48.45

-19.31%

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

$30.6K LKR 10.1M

$26.3K ฿879.9K

16.04%

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

$39.9K LKR 13.2M

$26.9K ฿900.4K

48.12%

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

$27.15 LKR 8,994

$96.4 ฿3,221

-71.83%

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

$2.99 LKR 991

$11.04 ฿369

-72.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.85 LKR 3,592

$17.14 ฿573

-36.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$7.73 LKR 2,561

$52.2 ฿1,744

-85.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$4.55 LKR 1,508

$7.81 ฿261

-41.74%

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

$14.93 LKR 4,944

$556 ฿18.6K

-97.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$121 LKR 40.1K

$11.6K ฿387.0K

-98.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.28 LKR 6,054

$64.2 ฿2,146

-71.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$9.02 LKR 2,987

$28.69 ฿959

-68.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.9 LKR 19.8K

$95.4 ฿3,187

-37.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$23.95 LKR 7,933

$88.0 ฿2,940

-72.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$90.2 LKR 29.9K

$737 ฿24.6K

-87.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$56.4 LKR 18.7K

$462 ฿15.5K

-87.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$302 LKR 100.2K

$2,095 ฿70.0K

-85.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$163 LKR 54.0K

$1,201 ฿40.1K

-86.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$231 LKR 76.4K

$501 ฿16.7K

-53.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

79.53%

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

Last update for Gampaha: October 18, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Gampaha

$221 48.7%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 21.7% $48

Eating Out

Gampaha

$65 14.3%

Phuket

$121 10% 86.7% $56

Accommodation & Living

Gampaha

$56 12.5%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 719% $406

Clothing & Footwear

Gampaha

$50 11%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 149% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gampaha

$41 9%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 204% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Gampaha

$17 3.7%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 303% $51

Getting Around

Gampaha

$3.2 * 0.7%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 1117% $36

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $90.2 in Gampaha and $737 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 117% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $18.00 in Gampaha vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $221 vs $269 per month, with Gampaha cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Gampaha

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

17:06 5:06 PM

18:36 6:36 PM

1 h 30 min ahead of Gampaha

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,000

79,308

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to LKR – Sri Lankan Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇰 Sri Lankan Rupee (Rs)

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to LKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Gampaha Phuket 2,030 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Gampaha
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

Gampaha vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gampaha and Phuket differ by about 167% in total monthly costs ($453 vs $1,208 including rent). Gampaha is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 117% lower in Phuket. 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: $90.2 in Gampaha versus $737 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $14.93 in Gampaha versus $556 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Gampaha – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $453 in Gampaha versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Gampaha but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Gampaha the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Gampaha 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 Gampaha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 167% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.