Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Katunayaka and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Katunayaka: $506 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Katunayaka
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Katunayaka Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

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Katunayaka

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$506

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $506 per month in Katunayaka vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

Katunayaka $506
Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $822 per month in Katunayaka vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

Katunayaka $822
Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $1,138 per month in Katunayaka vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

Katunayaka $1,138
Phuket $3,154

Katunayaka is about 60% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Katunayaka and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Katunayaka 63% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.84 LKR 1,278

$4.47 ฿151

-14.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.36 LKR 8,429

$32.41 ฿1,092

-21.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.49 LKR 2,491

$8.81 ฿297

-14.98%

Cappuccino

$2.55 LKR 848

$2.83 ฿95.3

-9.89%

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

$0.71 LKR 236

$0.87 ฿29.37

-18.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 89.9

$0.49 ฿16.64

-44.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 LKR 727

$2.56 ฿86.2

-14.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 LKR 1,023

$3.68 ฿124

-16.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 LKR 544

$1.66 ฿55.9

-1.20%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 LKR 190

$1.46 ฿49.25

-60.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.76 LKR 254

$1.50 ฿50.4

-49.33%

Eggs

$1.72 LKR 573

$2.09 ฿70.4

-17.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.55 LKR 4,503

$19.07 ฿642

-28.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.89 LKR 1,627

$3.30 ฿111

48.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.46 LKR 2,481

$10.91 ฿368

-31.62%

Apples (1kg)

$6.50 LKR 2,162

$2.93 ฿98.7

121.84%

Banana (1kg)

$0.84 LKR 281

$1.69 ฿56.9

-50.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.40 LKR 1,464

$2.25 ฿75.7

95.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.29 LKR 428

$2.08 ฿70.0

-37.98%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 LKR 329

$1.51 ฿50.9

-34.44%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 LKR 253

$1.38 ฿46.47

-44.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 LKR 316

$1.07 ฿35.91

-11.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 LKR 151

$0.52 ฿17.49

-13.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.25 LKR 3,409

$4.20 ฿142

144.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.79 LKR 4,251

$18.79 ฿633

-31.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 LKR 636

$1.82 ฿61.4

4.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 LKR 979

$2.84 ฿95.7

3.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.93

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,909

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 LKR 135

$3.02 ฿102

-86.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 LKR 123

$1.02 ฿34.29

-63.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 LKR 310

$3.69 ฿124

-74.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 LKR 464

$1.47 ฿49.70

-4.76%

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

$44.7K LKR 14.8M

$26.8K ฿902.4K

66.81%

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

$40.9K LKR 13.6M

$26.7K ฿899.5K

53.29%

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

$58.3 LKR 19.4K

$96.4 ฿3,247

-39.47%

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

$4.33 LKR 1,441

$11.26 ฿380

-61.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.11 LKR 7,019

$16.85 ฿568

25.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,266

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿361

Cinema Ticket

$4.40 LKR 1,462

$7.50 ฿253

-41.33%

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

$38.35 LKR 12.8K

$476 ฿16.0K

-91.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,203 LKR 399.9K

$11.3K ฿379.6K

-89.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.46 LKR 6,138

$62.4 ฿2,102

-70.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.89 LKR 5,616

$28.41 ฿957

-40.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.4 LKR 26.4K

$94.3 ฿3,178

-15.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.36 LKR 13.7K

$85.8 ฿2,892

-51.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿64.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

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 Katunayaka: October 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Katunayaka

$236 46.6%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 12.8% $30

Eating Out

Katunayaka

$105 20.7%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 16.1% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Katunayaka

$84 16.6%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 48.6% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Katunayaka

$70 13.9%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 73.6% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Katunayaka

$8.8 * 1.7%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 836% $73

Getting Around

Katunayaka

$2.3 * 0.5%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 3023% $68

Accommodation & Living

Katunayaka

- * 0%

Phuket

$491 38.4%

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 Katunayaka versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $236 vs $266 – making Katunayaka the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Katunayaka

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

06:51 6:51 AM

08:21 8:21 AM

1 h 30 min ahead of Katunayaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

84,643

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 = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 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 29, 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

USD to LKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Katunayaka Phuket 2,040 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Katunayaka
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

Katunayaka vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 153%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $759 per month in Katunayaka and $1,917 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $506 in Katunayaka and $1,278 in Phuket. That makes Katunayaka about 60% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $38 per month in Katunayaka and $476 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Katunayaka, where all-in costs run around $506, than in Phuket at $1,278. In Katunayaka it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $506 in Katunayaka to $1,278 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.