Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hikkaduwa and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Hikkaduwa: $509 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Hikkaduwa
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Hikkaduwa Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

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Hikkaduwa

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$509

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $509 in Hikkaduwa versus $1,207 in Phuket.

Hikkaduwa $509
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $826 in Hikkaduwa versus $2,037 in Phuket.

Hikkaduwa $826
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,144 in Hikkaduwa versus $2,867 in Phuket.

Hikkaduwa $1,144
Phuket $2,867

Living in Hikkaduwa costs roughly 58% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Hikkaduwa 62% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.45 LKR 1,475

$4.58 ฿153

-2.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.59 LKR 8,146

$32.48 ฿1,086

-24.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.57 LKR 2,508

$8.55 ฿286

-11.46%

Cappuccino

$2.50 LKR 828

$2.72 ฿91.0

-8.09%

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

$0.72 LKR 238

$0.94 ฿31.25

-23.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 90.1

$0.49 ฿16.39

-44.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 LKR 716

$2.59 ฿86.6

-16.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 LKR 998

$3.83 ฿128

-21.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 LKR 520

$1.74 ฿58.1

-9.77%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 LKR 175

$1.43 ฿47.82

-62.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 LKR 266

$1.53 ฿51.0

-47.71%

Eggs

$1.60 LKR 530

$2.17 ฿72.7

-26.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.00 LKR 4,637

$19.15 ฿640

-26.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.88 LKR 1,618

$3.30 ฿110

47.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.26 LKR 2,406

$11.14 ฿372

-34.83%

Apples (1kg)

$6.84 LKR 2,265

$2.95 ฿98.5

131.86%

Banana (1kg)

$0.85 LKR 281

$1.68 ฿56.1

-49.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.46 LKR 1,479

$2.30 ฿76.8

93.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.23 LKR 406

$2.13 ฿71.3

-42.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 LKR 339

$1.53 ฿51.1

-33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 LKR 270

$1.36 ฿45.55

-39.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 LKR 306

$1.12 ฿37.44

-17.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 LKR 145

$0.55 ฿18.24

-20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.32 LKR 3,419

$4.26 ฿142

142.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.70 LKR 4,537

$18.19 ฿608

-24.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 LKR 625

$1.74 ฿58.2

8.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 LKR 998

$2.79 ฿93.3

7.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 LKR 126

$2.91 ฿97.3

-86.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 LKR 123

$1.01 ฿33.79

-63.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 LKR 293

$3.83 ฿128

-77.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 LKR 441

$1.49 ฿49.85

-10.74%

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

$37.8K LKR 12.5M

$26.7K ฿891.6K

41.51%

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

$40.9K LKR 13.5M

$26.7K ฿892.7K

53.14%

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

$54.8 LKR 18.2K

$99.4 ฿3,321

-44.83%

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

$4.14 LKR 1,371

$11.28 ฿377

-63.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.01 LKR 6,960

$17.36 ฿580

21.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$4.45 LKR 1,475

$7.57 ฿253

-41.22%

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

$37.63 LKR 12.5K

$558 ฿18.7K

-93.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,227 LKR 406.4K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

-89.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.35 LKR 6,078

$62.9 ฿2,102

-70.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.80 LKR 5,565

$28.58 ฿955

-41.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.6 LKR 25.7K

$96.1 ฿3,213

-19.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.92 LKR 14.2K

$88.1 ฿2,943

-51.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

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 Hikkaduwa: October 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Hikkaduwa

$239 46.9%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 12.1% $29

Eating Out

Hikkaduwa

$109 21.4%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 11.2% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hikkaduwa

$80 15.7%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 60.1% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Hikkaduwa

$70 13.8%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 77.1% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Hikkaduwa

$8.9 * 1.8%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 658% $59

Getting Around

Hikkaduwa

$2.2 * 0.4%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 1636% $37

Accommodation & Living

Hikkaduwa

- * 0%

Phuket

$460 38.1%

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $25.00 in Hikkaduwa vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $239 vs $268 per month, with Hikkaduwa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Hikkaduwa

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

18:07 6:07 PM

19:37 7:37 PM

1 h 30 min ahead of Hikkaduwa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

101,342

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 19, 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 19, 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

Hikkaduwa Phuket 2,030 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Hikkaduwa
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

Hikkaduwa vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hikkaduwa is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 137% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $763 in Hikkaduwa and $1,811 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $509 per month in Hikkaduwa versus $1,207 in Phuket – a 137% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $509 in Hikkaduwa versus $1,207 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Hikkaduwa but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Hikkaduwa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Hikkaduwa 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, Hikkaduwa 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 Hikkaduwa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 137% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.