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 $528 in Dambulla, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,276 per month in Phuket vs $866 in Dambulla, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,291 per month in Phuket vs $1,204 in Dambulla, rent included.

Phuket costs about 139% 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

$4.53 ฿153

$3.95 LKR 1,328

14.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.36 ฿1,562

$24.74 LKR 8,315

87.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.65 ฿291

$8.48 LKR 2,850

2.00%

Cappuccino

$3.09 ฿104

$2.62 LKR 881

17.94%

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

$0.68 ฿22.85

$0.68 LKR 230

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.41

$0.37 LKR 125

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.4

$2.38 LKR 801

1.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 ฿128

$3.26 LKR 1,097

16.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿73.4

$1.69 LKR 569

28.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿61.2

$0.52 LKR 175

250.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.3

$0.87 LKR 292

150.57%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿75.3

$2.12 LKR 713

5.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.93 ฿671

$13.90 LKR 4,673

43.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.64 ฿123

$4.54 LKR 1,527

-19.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿457

$8.06 LKR 2,709

68.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ฿111

$7.43 LKR 2,497

-55.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.8

$1.11 LKR 374

52.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.6

$5.66 LKR 1,904

-58.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.3

$1.20 LKR 402

69.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.10 LKR 371

45.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 ฿50.4

$1.41 LKR 474

5.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿34.11

$1.19 LKR 399

-15.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.55 LKR 186

-12.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿150

$10.25 LKR 3,445

-56.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.63 ฿628

$12.70 LKR 4,268

46.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿60.2

$1.99 LKR 670

-10.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 ฿94.2

$2.97 LKR 998

-5.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.81

$0.09 LKR 30.78

1477.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.33 ฿382

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ฿104

$0.38 LKR 128

713.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.13

$0.36 LKR 120

188.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.63 ฿459

$0.58 LKR 194

2250.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.15

$1.21 LKR 405

8.26%

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

$27.3K ฿919.1K

$26.3K LKR 8.8M

3.90%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$34.5K LKR 11.6M

-3.68%

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

$123 ฿4,149

$60.6 LKR 20.4K

103.23%

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

$13.81 ฿465

$4.23 LKR 1,422

226.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿624

$15.24 LKR 5,122

21.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 ฿2,034

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ฿566

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿299

$3.28 LKR 1,102

171.04%

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

$687 ฿23.1K

$36.68 LKR 12.3K

1771.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿523.9K

$434 LKR 145.9K

3483.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 ฿1,942

$27.45 LKR 9,227

109.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.66 ฿1,168

$19.61 LKR 6,593

76.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,872

$68.9 LKR 23.1K

66.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.9 ฿2,860

$38.68 LKR 13.0K

119.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 ฿20.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 ฿14.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,047 ฿69.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 ฿50.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,568 ฿120.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,511 ฿84.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.9K

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 20, 2026

Last update for Dambulla: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Phuket versus $25.00 in Dambulla. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $254 – 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, $528 in Dambulla – roughly 139% apart. Phuket costs more across the board, with Sport & Entertainment showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,891 per month in Phuket and $792 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 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 $528, 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 $528 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.