Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Dambulla Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Dambulla

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,261 per month in Phuket vs $537 in Dambulla, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,286 per month in Phuket vs $876 in Dambulla, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,310 per month in Phuket vs $1,216 in Dambulla, rent included.

Phuket costs about 135% more than Dambulla, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Phuket and Dambulla are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Dambulla 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$3.90 LKR 1,315

16.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,535

$24.89 LKR 8,388

87.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿279

$8.24 LKR 2,777

2.79%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿99.7

$2.66 LKR 897

13.91%

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

$0.69 ฿22.69

$0.72 LKR 244

-4.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.04

$0.41 LKR 138

-9.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.9

$2.38 LKR 801

4.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿120

$3.27 LKR 1,102

11.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.8

$1.70 LKR 572

28.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.6

$0.53 LKR 178

258.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿72.4

$0.85 LKR 287

158.82%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿73.2

$2.14 LKR 722

3.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿658

$13.87 LKR 4,676

44.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿121

$4.72 LKR 1,592

-22.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿436

$8.09 LKR 2,725

63.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿106

$7.51 LKR 2,532

-56.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.9

$1.06 LKR 358

60.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.8

$5.69 LKR 1,919

-58.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$1.25 LKR 420

66.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿52.4

$1.10 LKR 371

44.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.83

$1.43 LKR 481

3.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.90

$1.15 LKR 389

-10.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.01

$0.56 LKR 188

-7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿140

$9.91 LKR 3,339

-57.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿618

$12.48 LKR 4,206

50.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.8

$2.04 LKR 686

-13.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿90.8

$2.96 LKR 996

-6.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.79

$0.10 LKR 34.62

1260.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿374

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿103

$0.38 LKR 128

726.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿34.10

$0.35 LKR 119

197.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿453

$0.61 LKR 207

2157.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.26

$1.22 LKR 410

9.84%

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

$27.7K ฿911.1K

$26.4K LKR 8.9M

4.76%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$34.3K LKR 11.6M

-1.22%

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

$124 ฿4,069

$60.4 LKR 20.3K

104.79%

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

$13.52 ฿445

$4.35 LKR 1,465

210.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿615

$14.92 LKR 5,027

25.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,035

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿568

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿301

$3.29 LKR 1,108

177.81%

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

$703 ฿23.1K

$36.67 LKR 12.4K

1816.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿522.5K

$449 LKR 151.4K

3432.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,958

$27.51 LKR 9,272

116.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,154

$19.71 LKR 6,643

77.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,795

$70.7 LKR 23.8K

62.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,767

$39.24 LKR 13.2K

114.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿120.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿86.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.7K

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 7, 2026

Last update for Dambulla: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Phuket versus $25.00 in Dambulla. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $255 – making Dambulla the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Dambulla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,261 in Phuket, $537 in Dambulla – roughly 135% apart. Phuket costs more across the board, with Sport & Entertainment showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,892 per month in Phuket and $806 in Dambulla. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Phuket and $25.00 in Dambulla. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 15% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Dambulla, where all-in costs run around $537, than in Phuket at $1,261. In Dambulla 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 $537 in Dambulla to $1,261 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Dambulla. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.