Cost of Living Comparison Between Kandy and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Kandy and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $549 in Kandy versus $1,270 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $862 in Kandy versus $2,304 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,175 in Kandy versus $3,339 in Phuket.

Living in Kandy costs roughly 57% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kandy 59% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.77 LKR 877

$4.66 ฿150

-40.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.69 LKR 3,700

$46.44 ฿1,496

-74.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.60 LKR 2,087

$8.68 ฿280

-23.96%

Cappuccino

$2.61 LKR 825

$2.95 ฿95.0

-11.53%

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

$0.61 LKR 193

$0.70 ฿22.52

-12.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 LKR 94.5

$0.39 ฿12.70

-23.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.12 LKR 670

$2.53 ฿81.6

-16.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 LKR 1,067

$3.78 ฿122

-10.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 LKR 458

$2.22 ฿71.5

-34.68%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 LKR 177

$1.80 ฿57.8

-68.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.87 LKR 275

$2.19 ฿70.4

-60.27%

Eggs

$2.13 LKR 674

$2.31 ฿74.5

-7.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.95 LKR 2,832

$19.34 ฿623

-53.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.77 LKR 1,511

$3.77 ฿121

26.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.12 LKR 2,570

$13.22 ฿426

-38.58%

Apples (1kg)

$4.64 LKR 1,467

$3.33 ฿107

39.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 LKR 324

$1.65 ฿53.1

-38.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.63 LKR 1,150

$2.29 ฿73.7

58.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 LKR 398

$1.99 ฿64.1

-36.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 LKR 362

$1.53 ฿49.24

-25.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 LKR 390

$1.51 ฿48.77

-18.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 LKR 245

$1.03 ฿33.12

-25.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 LKR 177

$0.51 ฿16.57

9.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.25 LKR 2,928

$4.41 ฿142

109.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.05 LKR 3,814

$19.41 ฿625

-37.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 LKR 652

$1.80 ฿58.0

14.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 LKR 858

$2.68 ฿86.4

1.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 LKR 55.3

$1.43 ฿46.11

-88.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.20 LKR 4,810

$11.70 ฿377

29.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.42 LKR 132

$3.04 ฿97.9

-86.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 LKR 111

$1.04 ฿33.37

-66.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 LKR 128

$13.68 ฿441

-97.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 LKR 384

$1.30 ฿41.85

-6.92%

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

$17.7K LKR 5.6M

$27.9K ฿898.9K

-36.64%

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

$21.2K LKR 6.7M

$33.0K ฿1.1M

-35.95%

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

$40.48 LKR 12.8K

$123 ฿3,962

-67.08%

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

$4.27 LKR 1,353

$13.82 ฿445

-69.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.97 LKR 4,737

$18.86 ฿608

-20.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.12 LKR 4,784

$61.2 ฿1,970

-75.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.82 LKR 1,841

$16.81 ฿541

-65.38%

Cinema Ticket

$3.40 LKR 1,077

$8.87 ฿286

-61.67%

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

$36.64 LKR 11.6K

$696 ฿22.4K

-94.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$321 LKR 101.5K

$16.1K ฿517.4K

-98.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.83 LKR 8,808

$59.3 ฿1,910

-53.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$14.44 LKR 4,569

$34.85 ฿1,123

-58.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$57.1 LKR 18.1K

$113 ฿3,646

-49.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$29.77 LKR 9,423

$85.1 ฿2,740

-65.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$132 LKR 41.9K

$615 ฿19.8K

-78.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$85.3 LKR 27.0K

$448 ฿14.4K

-80.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$221 LKR 69.8K

$2,085 ฿67.2K

-89.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$161 LKR 51.0K

$1,496 ฿48.2K

-89.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$428 LKR 135.3K

$3,734 ฿120.3K

-88.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$417 LKR 132.0K

$2,662 ฿85.8K

-84.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$277 LKR 87.6K

$534 ฿17.2K

-48.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

181.43%

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

Last update for Kandy: April 21, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $132 in Kandy and $615 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 93% 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: $12 in Kandy vs $46 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $213 vs $291 per month, with Kandy cheaper across the board.

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

Kandy vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kandy is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 131% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Phuket earns 93% less. 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: $132 in Kandy versus $615 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $549 per month in Kandy versus $1,270 in Phuket – a 131% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kandy runs roughly 30% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $549 in Kandy versus $1,270 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kandy but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Kandy the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kandy 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, Kandy 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 Kandy gentler on the wallet – expenses run 131% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.