Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kandana and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Kandana: $509 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Kandana, Sri Lanka
Phuket, Thailand
Kandana
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
$509
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,294
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $509 per month in Kandana vs $1,294 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Kandana $509
  • Phuket $1,294

A couple spends around $827 per month in Kandana vs $2,204 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Kandana $827
  • Phuket $2,204

A family of three spends $1,145 per month in Kandana vs $3,115 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Kandana $1,145
  • Phuket $3,115

Kandana is about 61% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Kandana and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Kandana 62% lower, Phuket 4% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kandana
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.76 LKR 1,252
$4.39 ฿147
-14.35%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$25.18 LKR 8,377
$32.31 ฿1,085
-22.07%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.45 LKR 2,477
$8.70 ฿292
-14.37%
Cappuccino
$2.43 LKR 808
$2.72 ฿91.5
-10.66%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.72 LKR 238
$0.93 ฿31.25
-22.58%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.27 LKR 90.6
$0.50 ฿16.78
-46.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.18 LKR 726
$2.53 ฿85.0
-13.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.08 LKR 1,025
$3.63 ฿122
-15.15%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kandana
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.58 LKR 526
$1.74 ฿58.4
-9.20%
White Bread (500g)
$0.54 LKR 178
$1.45 ฿48.73
-62.76%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.75 LKR 248
$1.50 ฿50.5
-50.00%
Eggs
$1.65 LKR 549
$2.17 ฿73.0
-23.96%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.19 LKR 5,051
$19.09 ฿641
-20.43%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.88 LKR 1,622
$3.40 ฿114
43.53%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.76 LKR 2,581
$10.90 ฿366
-28.81%
Apples (1kg)
$6.73 LKR 2,238
$2.94 ฿98.8
128.91%
Banana (1kg)
$0.82 LKR 273
$1.69 ฿56.8
-51.48%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.11 LKR 1,368
$2.19 ฿73.7
87.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.28 LKR 426
$2.12 ฿71.4
-39.62%
Potato (1kg)
$1.03 LKR 343
$1.46 ฿48.99
-29.45%
Onion (1kg)
$0.82 LKR 271
$1.37 ฿45.95
-40.15%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.24 LKR 413
$1.08 ฿36.14
14.81%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.46 LKR 152
$0.55 ฿18.32
-16.36%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.16 LKR 3,378
$4.43 ฿149
129.35%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.42 LKR 4,464
$18.25 ฿613
-26.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.87 LKR 623
$1.77 ฿59.5
5.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 LKR 988
$2.88 ฿96.8
3.13%
🚌 Getting Around
Kandana
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.45 ฿48.62
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$54.9 ฿1,844
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.38 LKR 126
$1.51 ฿50.8
-74.83%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.33 LKR 111
$0.78 ฿26.06
-57.69%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$0.86 LKR 288
$3.84 ฿129
-77.60%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.37 LKR 457
$1.49 ฿49.96
-8.05%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$44.2K LKR 14.7M
$26.9K ฿902.9K
64.35%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$45.5K LKR 15.1M
$26.3K ฿884.9K
72.78%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kandana
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$57.5 LKR 19.1K
$97.8 ฿3,285
-41.26%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.30 LKR 1,430
$11.29 ฿379
-61.91%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.55 LKR 6,835
$17.19 ฿577
19.55%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kandana
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$68.3 ฿2,295
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$10.92 ฿367
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.45 LKR 1,480
$7.43 ฿250
-40.11%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kandana
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$40.32 LKR 13.4K
$530 ฿17.8K
-92.40%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.2K LKR 5.7M
$18.8K ฿630.9K
-8.60%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kandana
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$18.24 LKR 6,065
$61.7 ฿2,072
-70.42%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$17.49 LKR 5,817
$28.25 ฿949
-38.09%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.9 LKR 26.6K
$96.0 ฿3,225
-16.77%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$40.94 LKR 13.6K
$86.8 ฿2,916
-52.84%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kandana
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$721 ฿24.2K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$509 ฿17.1K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,950 ฿65.5K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,397 ฿46.9K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$4,192 ฿140.8K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$3,298 ฿110.8K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kandana
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$492 ฿16.5K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
12.5
5.57
124.42%

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

Last update for Kandana: November 3, 2026

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Kandana
$243
Phuket
$267 9.9% $24
Eating Out
Kandana
$103
Phuket
$120 16.5% $17
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kandana
$82
Phuket
$126 53.5% $44
Clothing & Footwear
Kandana
$70
Phuket
$123 74.2% $52
Sport & Entertainment
Kandana
$8.9 *
Phuket
$83 835% $74
Getting Around
Kandana
$2.1 *
Phuket
$66 3123% $64
Accommodation & Living
Kandana
- *
Phuket
$509

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25 in Kandana versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $267 – making Kandana the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇱🇰 Kandana
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
13:10 1:10 PM
14:40 2:40 PM
1 h 30 min ahead of Kandana
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
15,000
79,308
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 333 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 374 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.68 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.75 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kandana Phuket 2,040 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Kandana
  • 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
Kandana vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kandana cheaper than Phuket?
Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 154%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $764 per month in Kandana and $1,940 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What are total monthly expenses in Kandana and in Phuket?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $509 in Kandana and $1,294 in Phuket. That makes Kandana about 61% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $40 per month in Kandana and $530 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Kandana or in Phuket?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kandana, where all-in costs run around $509, than in Phuket at $1,294. In Kandana it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city suits remote workers better?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kandana costs $509 versus $1,294 in Phuket. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Which city is safer, Kandana or Phuket?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

Kandana vs other spots: cost of living compared

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