Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bentota Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bentota

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,223 in Phuket versus $670 in Bentota.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $878 in Bentota.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $1,087 in Bentota.

Living in Phuket is roughly 83% more expensive than Bentota, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Bentota 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$4.00 LKR 1,333

12.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$13.21 LKR 4,397

252.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$8.62 LKR 2,869

-1.51%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$2.65 LKR 881

16.23%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$0.70 LKR 232

-2.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$0.37 LKR 124

-2.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

$2.28 LKR 761

6.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

$3.43 LKR 1,142

5.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$1.71 LKR 571

28.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$0.55 LKR 185

229.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$0.80 LKR 268

178.75%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$2.21 LKR 734

1.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$14.07 LKR 4,685

39.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$3.75 LKR 1,248

-0.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

$4.89 LKR 1,627

175.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$7.59 LKR 2,526

-55.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$0.82 LKR 272

97.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$5.83 LKR 1,941

-58.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$1.01 LKR 337

97.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$1.12 LKR 372

36.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$1.42 LKR 475

2.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$1.14 LKR 379

-11.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$0.61 LKR 202

-21.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$9.99 LKR 3,327

-57.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

$12.81 LKR 4,266

49.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

$2.02 LKR 671

-8.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

$2.92 LKR 973

-6.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$0.23 LKR 75.1

517.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$0.42 LKR 139

614.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$0.35 LKR 117

200.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$0.58 LKR 193

2296.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$1.21 LKR 404

6.61%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$27.0K LKR 9.0M

3.65%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$34.9K LKR 11.6M

-3.89%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$60.5 LKR 20.1K

101.65%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$2.55 LKR 848

446.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$10.10 LKR 3,364

86.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$3.32 LKR 1,107

167.77%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$36.92 LKR 12.3K

1772.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$436 LKR 145.0K

3610.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$27.59 LKR 9,189

109.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$19.68 LKR 6,555

79.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$70.3 LKR 23.4K

61.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$39.28 LKR 13.1K

111.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$244 LKR 81.2K

148.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$149 LKR 49.6K

200.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

16.45

-67.60%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Last update for Bentota: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $244 in Bentota. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $13.00 in Bentota for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $241 per month, with Bentota 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 Bentota: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bentota is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 83% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,835 in Phuket and $1,005 in Bentota 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $607 in Phuket versus $244 in Bentota. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,223 per month in Phuket versus $670 in Bentota – a 83% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $670 in Bentota versus $1,223 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bentota but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Bentota the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bentota 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 Bentota 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 Bentota gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.