Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Badulla Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Badulla

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $531 in Badulla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $866 in Badulla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,201 in Badulla.

Living in Phuket is roughly 132% more expensive than Badulla, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Badulla 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$4.08 LKR 1,300

13.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$25.24 LKR 8,050

85.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$8.16 LKR 2,602

8.33%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.62 LKR 836

14.50%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.74 LKR 236

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.37 LKR 119

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.36 LKR 752

3.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$3.33 LKR 1,062

8.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.66 LKR 530

36.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.53 LKR 168

247.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$0.69 LKR 220

224.64%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.15 LKR 685

7.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$14.31 LKR 4,563

37.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$3.99 LKR 1,271

-8.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$7.86 LKR 2,505

66.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$7.67 LKR 2,447

-55.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.06 LKR 339

54.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$5.73 LKR 1,829

-57.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.21 LKR 387

67.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.11 LKR 355

40.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.43 LKR 455

4.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.20 LKR 383

-15.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.61 LKR 193

-19.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$9.86 LKR 3,145

-54.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$12.64 LKR 4,031

49.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.08 LKR 664

-14.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.84 LKR 905

-3.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.39 LKR 123

700.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.36 LKR 114

177.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$0.61 LKR 193

2209.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.20 LKR 382

12.50%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$27.2K LKR 8.7M

-0.01%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$35.0K LKR 11.2M

-6.07%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$60.1 LKR 19.2K

107.92%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$4.20 LKR 1,340

223.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$15.23 LKR 4,857

21.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$3.25 LKR 1,037

182.77%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$36.67 LKR 11.7K

1804.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$441 LKR 140.6K

3435.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$28.02 LKR 8,937

106.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$19.70 LKR 6,283

78.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$69.3 LKR 22.1K

63.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$38.65 LKR 12.3K

123.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-55.58%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Badulla: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $25.00 in Badulla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $253 per month, with Badulla 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

Phuket vs Badulla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Badulla is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 132% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $797 in Badulla 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.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $36.67 in Badulla. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Badulla – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $531 in Badulla versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Badulla but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Badulla the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Badulla 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, Phuket and Badulla 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 Badulla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 132% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.