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: $1,270 in Phuket versus $510 in Horana.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,304 in Phuket versus $834 in Horana.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,339 in Phuket versus $1,157 in Horana.

Living in Phuket is roughly 149% more expensive than Horana, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Horana 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿150

$3.96 LKR 1,254

17.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,496

$24.96 LKR 7,900

86.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿280

$8.59 LKR 2,718

1.05%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿95.0

$2.66 LKR 840

10.90%

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

$0.70 ฿22.52

$0.68 LKR 215

2.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.70

$0.40 LKR 128

-2.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿81.6

$2.31 LKR 732

9.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿122

$3.25 LKR 1,029

16.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.5

$1.78 LKR 562

24.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿57.8

$0.51 LKR 163

252.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.4

$0.86 LKR 273

154.65%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.5

$2.16 LKR 684

6.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿623

$14.34 LKR 4,539

34.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿121

$4.77 LKR 1,508

-20.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿426

$7.95 LKR 2,518

66.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿107

$7.68 LKR 2,430

-56.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.1

$1.06 LKR 335

55.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿73.7

$5.94 LKR 1,882

-61.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.1

$1.19 LKR 378

67.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.24

$1.16 LKR 367

31.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿48.77

$1.37 LKR 432

10.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.12

$1.19 LKR 377

-13.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.57

$0.56 LKR 178

-8.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿142

$10.20 LKR 3,230

-56.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿625

$12.40 LKR 3,924

56.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.0

$2.07 LKR 654

-13.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿86.4

$3.00 LKR 949

-10.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿46.11

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿97.9

$0.41 LKR 131

641.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.37

$0.33 LKR 104

215.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿441

$0.57 LKR 182

2300.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.85

$1.20 LKR 379

8.33%

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

$27.9K ฿898.9K

$26.3K LKR 8.3M

6.04%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$35.1K LKR 11.1M

-6.01%

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

$123 ฿3,962

$60.4 LKR 19.1K

103.66%

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

$13.82 ฿445

$1.65 LKR 522

737.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 ฿608

$5.07 LKR 1,605

271.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,970

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿286

$3.25 LKR 1,029

172.92%

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

$696 ฿22.4K

$36.75 LKR 11.6K

1795.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿517.4K

$433 LKR 137.0K

3609.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,910

$27.80 LKR 8,800

113.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,123

$19.11 LKR 6,049

82.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,646

$69.6 LKR 22.0K

62.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,740

$38.83 LKR 12.3K

119.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿67.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿48.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿120.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

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 20, 2026

Last update for Horana: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $615 in Phuket and $0 in Horana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46 in Phuket vs $25 in Horana for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $259 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 149% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,904 in Phuket and $765 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 $696 in Phuket versus $36.75 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 $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $510 in Horana versus $1,270 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 149% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.