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 $538 in Badulla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $877 in Badulla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,217 in Badulla.

Living in Phuket is roughly 129% more expensive than in Badulla, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Badulla 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$4.49 LKR 1,484

-1.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,074

$25.54 LKR 8,445

26.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$7.77 LKR 2,570

14.93%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.4

$2.48 LKR 820

16.94%

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

$0.88 ฿29.30

$0.68 LKR 226

29.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.01

$0.25 LKR 82.4

92.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.3

$2.27 LKR 749

3.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.95 LKR 976

26.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$1.58 LKR 524

18.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.81

$0.54 LKR 178

172.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$0.67 LKR 222

131.34%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.0

$1.63 LKR 539

28.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿652

$13.02 LKR 4,306

50.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$3.73 LKR 1,233

-8.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

$7.36 LKR 2,434

54.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.3

$6.69 LKR 2,213

-55.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$0.83 LKR 274

102.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$4.22 LKR 1,396

-47.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.0

$1.23 LKR 408

75.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$0.99 LKR 326

53.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.55

$0.80 LKR 265

67.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.57

$0.87 LKR 289

29.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.19

$0.45 LKR 150

22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$10.42 LKR 3,445

-59.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$13.52 LKR 4,469

41.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$1.89 LKR 625

-5.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.6

$2.87 LKR 948

-3.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.2

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.39 LKR 128

676.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.06

$0.35 LKR 115

191.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$0.88 LKR 292

342.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.63

$1.33 LKR 439

12.03%

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

$26.6K ฿884.9K

$36.6K LKR 12.1M

-27.35%

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

$27.0K ฿899.8K

$40.2K LKR 13.3M

-32.76%

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

$102 ฿3,411

$55.4 LKR 18.3K

84.90%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$4.12 LKR 1,361

175.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿579

$20.83 LKR 6,888

-16.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,734

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$4.32 LKR 1,427

78.01%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$38.72 LKR 12.8K

1347.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.0K

$1,238 LKR 409.3K

829.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,098

$19.84 LKR 6,561

217.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿983

$16.62 LKR 5,494

77.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,263

$78.8 LKR 26.1K

24.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,946

$42.27 LKR 14.0K

109.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$75.5 LKR 25.0K

877.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$46.29 LKR 15.3K

942.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$90.4 LKR 29.9K

1255.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

$4,574 LKR 1.5M

-20.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

$762 LKR 251.9K

241.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$228 LKR 75.4K

116.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

12.69

-56.11%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Badulla: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $75.5 in Badulla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 116% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $26.00 in Badulla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $227 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, Getting Around. The 129% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 116% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $738 in Phuket versus $75.5 in Badulla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $38.72 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 $26.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $538 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 129% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.