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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,270 per month in Phuket vs $533 in Dambulla, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,304 per month in Phuket vs $863 in Dambulla, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,339 per month in Phuket vs $1,193 in Dambulla, rent included.

Phuket costs about 138% more than Dambulla, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Phuket and Dambulla are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 5% lower, Dambulla 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿150

$3.92 LKR 1,240

18.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,496

$24.98 LKR 7,906

85.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿280

$8.53 LKR 2,701

1.76%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿95.0

$2.67 LKR 846

10.49%

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

$0.70 ฿22.52

$0.68 LKR 215

2.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.70

$0.37 LKR 118

5.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿81.6

$2.31 LKR 730

9.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿122

$3.25 LKR 1,030

16.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.5

$1.70 LKR 539

30.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿57.8

$0.56 LKR 178

221.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.4

$0.87 LKR 275

151.72%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.5

$2.20 LKR 696

5.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿623

$14.12 LKR 4,470

36.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿121

$4.79 LKR 1,516

-21.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿426

$8.26 LKR 2,613

60.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿107

$7.37 LKR 2,334

-54.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.1

$1.07 LKR 339

54.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿73.7

$5.82 LKR 1,841

-60.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.1

$1.20 LKR 378

65.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.24

$1.10 LKR 349

39.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿48.77

$1.43 LKR 452

5.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.12

$1.20 LKR 381

-14.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.57

$0.56 LKR 179

-8.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿142

$10.00 LKR 3,164

-55.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿625

$12.45 LKR 3,939

55.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.0

$2.03 LKR 642

-11.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿86.4

$2.98 LKR 942

-10.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿46.11

$0.10 LKR 32.08

1330.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿97.9

$0.38 LKR 122

700.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.37

$0.33 LKR 104

215.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿441

$0.60 LKR 191

2180.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.85

$1.20 LKR 381

8.33%

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

$27.9K ฿898.9K

$26.5K LKR 8.4M

5.46%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$35.1K LKR 11.1M

-5.86%

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

$123 ฿3,962

$60.8 LKR 19.2K

102.35%

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

$13.82 ฿445

$4.27 LKR 1,350

223.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 ฿608

$14.86 LKR 4,703

26.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,970

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿286

$3.28 LKR 1,037

170.43%

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

$696 ฿22.4K

$37.36 LKR 11.8K

1764.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿517.4K

$446 LKR 141.2K

3499.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,910

$27.46 LKR 8,691

115.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,123

$19.70 LKR 6,234

76.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,646

$70.6 LKR 22.3K

60.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,740

$38.78 LKR 12.3K

119.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿67.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿48.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿120.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Dambulla: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $615 in Phuket versus $0 in Dambulla. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46 in Phuket versus $25 in Dambulla. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $291 vs $257 – 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: $1,270 in Phuket, $533 in Dambulla – roughly 138% apart. Phuket costs more across the board, with Sport & Entertainment showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,904 per month in Phuket and $799 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 $46.00 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 13% 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 $533, than in Phuket at $1,270. 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 $533 in Dambulla to $1,270 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.