Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Horana Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Horana

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $522 in Horana.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $841 in Horana.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,160 in Horana.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$3.92 LKR 1,321

16.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,535

$24.66 LKR 8,312

89.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿279

$8.23 LKR 2,772

2.92%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿99.7

$2.68 LKR 902

13.06%

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

$0.69 ฿22.69

$0.73 LKR 244

-5.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.04

$0.41 LKR 137

-9.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.9

$2.28 LKR 769

9.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿120

$3.42 LKR 1,153

7.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.8

$1.73 LKR 582

26.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.6

$0.56 LKR 190

239.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿72.4

$0.87 LKR 294

152.87%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿73.2

$2.22 LKR 748

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿658

$14.06 LKR 4,737

42.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿121

$4.72 LKR 1,592

-22.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿436

$8.02 LKR 2,703

65.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿106

$7.31 LKR 2,465

-55.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.9

$1.11 LKR 374

53.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.8

$5.77 LKR 1,944

-58.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$1.26 LKR 425

65.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿52.4

$1.11 LKR 373

43.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.83

$1.36 LKR 458

8.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.90

$1.18 LKR 399

-12.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.01

$0.59 LKR 199

-11.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿140

$10.19 LKR 3,434

-58.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿618

$12.50 LKR 4,214

50.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.8

$2.03 LKR 685

-13.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿90.8

$2.87 LKR 968

-3.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.79

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿374

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿103

$0.38 LKR 128

726.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿34.10

$0.33 LKR 110

215.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿453

$0.56 LKR 190

2358.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.26

$1.25 LKR 422

7.20%

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

$27.7K ฿911.1K

$26.5K LKR 8.9M

4.52%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$34.5K LKR 11.6M

-1.73%

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

$124 ฿4,069

$59.3 LKR 20.0K

108.49%

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

$13.52 ฿445

$1.71 LKR 575

690.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿615

$5.14 LKR 1,732

263.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,035

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿568

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿301

$3.31 LKR 1,116

176.13%

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

$703 ฿23.1K

$37.10 LKR 12.5K

1793.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿522.5K

$449 LKR 151.4K

3433.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,958

$27.86 LKR 9,390

113.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,154

$19.55 LKR 6,590

79.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,795

$69.9 LKR 23.6K

64.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,767

$38.27 LKR 12.9K

119.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿120.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿86.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.7K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Horana: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $25.00 in Horana for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $256 per month, with Horana 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 Horana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Horana 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.

You'd need roughly $1,892 in Phuket and $782 in Horana to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $37.10 in Horana. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Horana – 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 $522 in Horana versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Horana but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Horana the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Horana 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 Horana 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 Horana 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.