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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $649 in Bentota.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $865 in Bentota.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,081 in Bentota.

Living in Phuket is roughly 95% more expensive than in Bentota, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Bentota 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$4.11 LKR 1,381

9.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$13.59 LKR 4,559

235.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$8.44 LKR 2,831

3.79%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$2.66 LKR 891

11.65%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.73 LKR 246

-5.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.38 LKR 127

2.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$2.38 LKR 797

6.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$3.32 LKR 1,113

12.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.78 LKR 597

20.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.53 LKR 178

243.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$0.81 LKR 272

169.14%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.22 LKR 745

1.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$13.88 LKR 4,657

44.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$3.75 LKR 1,259

-3.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$5.08 LKR 1,704

166.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$7.50 LKR 2,517

-56.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$0.87 LKR 291

88.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$5.89 LKR 1,975

-60.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.03 LKR 345

100.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.15 LKR 387

34.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$1.41 LKR 472

3.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.20 LKR 404

-18.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.56 LKR 189

-14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$10.10 LKR 3,388

-56.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$12.86 LKR 4,315

44.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$2.01 LKR 675

-7.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.95 LKR 990

-10.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.20 LKR 68.5

610.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.41 LKR 139

673.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.35 LKR 119

194.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$0.58 LKR 194

2294.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.24 LKR 417

8.06%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$26.3K LKR 8.8M

5.85%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$34.1K LKR 11.5M

-2.23%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$61.1 LKR 20.5K

101.39%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$2.49 LKR 834

453.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$9.93 LKR 3,332

84.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$3.40 LKR 1,142

160.88%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$36.38 LKR 12.2K

1790.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$439 LKR 147.4K

3492.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$27.79 LKR 9,326

113.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$19.16 LKR 6,430

81.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$69.0 LKR 23.2K

66.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$38.05 LKR 12.8K

120.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$241 LKR 80.9K

157.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$153 LKR 51.4K

191.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Bentota: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $241 in Bentota. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $14.00 in Bentota for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $242 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 95% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,896 in Phuket and $974 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: $621 in Phuket versus $241 in Bentota. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,264 per month in Phuket versus $649 in Bentota – a 95% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $649 in Bentota versus $1,264 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 95% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.