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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,265 per month in Phuket vs $509 in Dambulla, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,089 per month in Phuket vs $838 in Dambulla, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,913 per month in Phuket vs $1,168 in Dambulla, rent included.

Phuket costs about 149% more than Dambulla, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Phuket and Dambulla are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 8% lower, Dambulla 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$4.37 LKR 1,436

6.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$25.85 LKR 8,495

24.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$7.79 LKR 2,561

11.42%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.49 LKR 818

16.47%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.74 LKR 243

13.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.27 LKR 88.8

81.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$2.16 LKR 711

14.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$2.96 LKR 973

26.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.56 LKR 512

21.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$0.57 LKR 188

147.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$0.75 LKR 248

116.00%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$1.67 LKR 549

34.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$13.42 LKR 4,409

47.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$5.13 LKR 1,687

-32.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$7.09 LKR 2,329

60.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$6.63 LKR 2,178

-56.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$0.88 LKR 290

95.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$4.38 LKR 1,439

-48.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$1.23 LKR 404

73.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$1.01 LKR 333

45.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$0.77 LKR 253

84.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$0.89 LKR 293

23.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.45 LKR 148

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$10.36 LKR 3,404

-58.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$13.55 LKR 4,451

37.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$2.00 LKR 656

-10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$2.78 LKR 913

6.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.10 LKR 32.56

2150.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$0.38 LKR 126

715.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$0.35 LKR 116

208.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$0.88 LKR 289

339.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.35 LKR 443

5.93%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$29.9K LKR 9.8M

-7.22%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$42.7K LKR 14.0M

-36.75%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$56.2 LKR 18.5K

86.61%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$4.28 LKR 1,408

166.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$21.00 LKR 6,900

-16.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$4.45 LKR 1,462

74.83%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$37.74 LKR 12.4K

1427.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$1,221 LKR 401.1K

848.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$19.87 LKR 6,530

220.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$16.88 LKR 5,548

72.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$80.4 LKR 26.4K

19.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$42.69 LKR 14.0K

110.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

12.69

-56.11%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Dambulla: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $26.00 in Dambulla. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $275 vs $236 – 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: $1,265 in Phuket, $509 in Dambulla – roughly 149% apart. Phuket costs more across the board, with Sport & Entertainment showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,898 per month in Phuket and $763 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 $32.00 in Phuket and $26.00 in Dambulla. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 16% 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 $509, than in Phuket at $1,265. 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 $509 in Dambulla to $1,265 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.