Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kalutara and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Kalutara: $608 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Kalutara
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Kalutara Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

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Kalutara

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$608

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $608 in Kalutara versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Kalutara $608
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $888 in Kalutara versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Kalutara $888
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,168 in Kalutara versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Kalutara $1,168
Phuket $3,154

Living in Kalutara costs roughly 52% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kalutara 55% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.92 LKR 1,303

$4.47 ฿151

-12.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.40 LKR 8,112

$32.41 ฿1,094

-24.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.72 LKR 2,566

$8.81 ฿297

-12.37%

Cappuccino

$2.47 LKR 823

$2.83 ฿95.5

-12.72%

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

$0.69 LKR 228

$0.87 ฿29.43

-20.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 LKR 82.7

$0.49 ฿16.67

-48.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 LKR 710

$2.56 ฿86.4

-16.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 LKR 994

$3.68 ฿124

-18.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 LKR 520

$1.66 ฿56.0

-6.02%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 LKR 175

$1.46 ฿49.35

-63.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 269

$1.50 ฿50.6

-46.00%

Eggs

$1.69 LKR 561

$2.09 ฿70.5

-19.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.98 LKR 4,649

$19.07 ฿644

-26.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 LKR 1,638

$3.30 ฿111

49.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.47 LKR 2,484

$10.91 ฿368

-31.53%

Apples (1kg)

$6.52 LKR 2,167

$2.93 ฿99.0

122.53%

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 LKR 288

$1.69 ฿57.1

-48.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.44 LKR 1,475

$2.25 ฿75.8

97.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.33 LKR 441

$2.08 ฿70.1

-36.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 LKR 346

$1.51 ฿51.0

-31.13%

Onion (1kg)

$0.83 LKR 277

$1.38 ฿46.56

-39.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 LKR 295

$1.07 ฿35.99

-16.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 LKR 150

$0.52 ฿17.52

-13.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.13 LKR 3,368

$4.20 ฿142

141.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.77 LKR 4,246

$18.79 ฿634

-32.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 LKR 627

$1.82 ฿61.5

3.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 LKR 993

$2.84 ฿95.9

5.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.12 LKR 41.31

$1.45 ฿49.03

-91.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.12 LKR 3,031

$56.7 ฿1,913

-83.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 LKR 125

$3.02 ฿102

-87.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.18 LKR 61.2

$1.02 ฿34.36

-82.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.86 LKR 285

$3.69 ฿125

-76.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 LKR 438

$1.47 ฿49.81

-10.20%

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

$44.1K LKR 14.7M

$26.8K ฿904.3K

64.66%

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

$40.0K LKR 13.3M

$26.7K ฿901.3K

49.79%

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

$58.3 LKR 19.4K

$96.4 ฿3,254

-39.46%

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

$4.20 LKR 1,396

$11.26 ฿380

-62.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.29 LKR 6,747

$16.85 ฿569

20.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.14 LKR 3,040

$67.2 ฿2,270

-86.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$4.48 LKR 1,489

$7.50 ฿253

-40.27%

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

$37.10 LKR 12.3K

$476 ฿16.1K

-92.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,220 LKR 405.6K

$11.3K ฿380.4K

-89.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.31 LKR 6,088

$62.4 ฿2,106

-70.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.57 LKR 5,510

$28.41 ฿959

-41.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.7 LKR 25.8K

$94.3 ฿3,184

-17.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.30 LKR 14.1K

$85.8 ฿2,898

-50.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$85.6 LKR 28.4K

$491 ฿16.6K

-82.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

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 Kalutara: October 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kalutara

$237 38.9%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 12.5% $29

Eating Out

Kalutara

$105 17.2%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 16.3% $17

Accommodation & Living

Kalutara

$86 14.1%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 474% $405

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kalutara

$83 13.6%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 50.3% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Kalutara

$70 11.5%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 74.9% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Kalutara

$18 3%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 354% $64

Getting Around

Kalutara

$11 1.8%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 547% $60

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $24 in Kalutara vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $237 vs $266 per month, with Kalutara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Kalutara

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

01:58 1:58 AM

03:28 3:28 AM

1 h 30 min ahead of Kalutara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

39,600

79,308

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 332 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 370 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to LKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kalutara Phuket 2,040 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Kalutara
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

Kalutara vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kalutara wins on cost – living expenses run 52% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Kalutara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $913 in Kalutara and $1,917 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.

A monthly transit pass in Kalutara runs roughly 84% less than in Phuket. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $37 in Kalutara versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $608 in Kalutara versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $800 budget is realistic in Kalutara but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Kalutara 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, Kalutara and Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.