Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Homagama Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Homagama

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $518 in Homagama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $795 in Homagama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,072 in Homagama.

Living in Phuket is roughly 141% more expensive than in Homagama, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Homagama 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$4.14 LKR 1,391

9.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$24.94 LKR 8,382

85.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$8.34 LKR 2,801

6.00%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.66 LKR 894

15.04%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.73 LKR 244

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.40 LKR 135

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.29 LKR 769

6.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$3.25 LKR 1,094

16.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.33 LKR 447

69.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.52 LKR 174

248.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.69 LKR 232

226.09%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.99 LKR 670

13.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$14.05 LKR 4,720

38.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$4.17 LKR 1,400

-12.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$7.99 LKR 2,686

63.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$7.43 LKR 2,496

-56.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.01 LKR 340

60.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$5.65 LKR 1,899

-57.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.21 LKR 407

67.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.11 LKR 373

37.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.99 LKR 333

51.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.20 LKR 402

-18.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.52 LKR 175

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$10.06 LKR 3,381

-55.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$11.76 LKR 3,952

55.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.98 LKR 665

-6.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.33 LKR 783

15.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.52 LKR 176

171.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.38 LKR 128

718.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.33 LKR 110

215.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$0.56 LKR 189

2419.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.20 LKR 402

9.17%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$15.0K LKR 5.0M

85.64%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$23.8K LKR 8.0M

39.55%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$23.90 LKR 8,031

412.30%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$3.43 LKR 1,153

296.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$14.90 LKR 5,008

25.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$6.79 LKR 2,283

790.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$3.27 LKR 1,099

419.27%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$3.44 LKR 1,157

163.66%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$37.46 LKR 12.6K

1785.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$447 LKR 150.0K

3439.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$27.87 LKR 9,366

110.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$13.13 LKR 4,413

169.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$27.30 LKR 9,175

322.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$30.11 LKR 10.1K

178.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$109 LKR 36.6K

474.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$49.71 LKR 16.7K

795.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$149 LKR 49.9K

236.28%

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 12, 2026

Last update for Homagama: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $109 in Homagama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 236% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $25.00 in Homagama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $242 per month, with Homagama 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 Homagama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Homagama is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 141% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 236% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $626 in Phuket versus $109 in Homagama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $37.46 in Homagama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Homagama – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $518 in Homagama versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Homagama but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Homagama the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Homagama 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 Homagama 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 Homagama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 141% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.