Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Galle Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Galle

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $510 in Galle.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $912 in Galle.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,314 in Galle.

Living in Phuket is roughly 142% more expensive than Galle, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Galle 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$3.04 LKR 970

52.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$25.04 LKR 7,985

87.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$8.03 LKR 2,560

10.09%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.71 LKR 865

10.70%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.73 LKR 234

1.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.40 LKR 128

-7.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.32 LKR 739

5.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.96 LKR 945

21.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.71 LKR 545

32.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.35 LKR 110

425.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$0.87 LKR 277

157.47%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.90 LKR 605

22.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$14.15 LKR 4,512

39.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$4.80 LKR 1,529

-23.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$7.84 LKR 2,501

67.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$7.51 LKR 2,396

-54.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$0.88 LKR 282

86.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$5.85 LKR 1,864

-58.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.22 LKR 389

66.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.10 LKR 352

41.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.38 LKR 439

8.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.18 LKR 377

-13.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.42 LKR 136

16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$9.96 LKR 3,175

-55.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$9.69 LKR 3,090

94.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.00 LKR 637

-11.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.90 LKR 924

-5.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.17 LKR 54.7

723.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.32 LKR 102

875.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.33 LKR 104

203.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$0.57 LKR 181

2371.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.22 LKR 389

10.66%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$26.5K LKR 8.5M

2.55%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$35.3K LKR 11.2M

-6.62%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$60.5 LKR 19.3K

106.75%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$4.45 LKR 1,418

204.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$13.51 LKR 4,308

37.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$3.27 LKR 1,044

181.04%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$36.53 LKR 11.7K

1811.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$441 LKR 140.7K

3434.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$27.53 LKR 8,779

109.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$19.42 LKR 6,192

81.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$69.5 LKR 22.2K

62.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$38.52 LKR 12.3K

124.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$197 LKR 62.8K

939.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$148 LKR 47.2K

909.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$325 LKR 103.5K

61.42%

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 27, 2026

Last update for Galle: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Phuket pays 61% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $25.00 in Galle for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $245 per month, with Galle 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 Galle: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Galle is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 142% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 61% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $36.53 in Galle. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Galle – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $510 in Galle versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Galle but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Galle the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Galle 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 Galle 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 Galle gentler on the wallet – expenses run 142% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.