Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kalutara

For one person, living is cheaper in Kalutara: $608 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Kalutara
Learn more

Kalutara Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Kalutara

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Kalutara

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Kalutara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $608 in Kalutara.

Phuket $1,278
Kalutara $608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $888 in Kalutara.

Phuket $2,216
Kalutara $888

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,168 in Kalutara.

Phuket $3,154
Kalutara $1,168

Living in Phuket is roughly 110% more expensive than in Kalutara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Kalutara 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$3.92 LKR 1,303

14.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,092

$24.40 LKR 8,112

32.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$7.72 LKR 2,566

14.12%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.3

$2.47 LKR 823

14.57%

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

$0.87 ฿29.37

$0.69 LKR 228

26.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.64

$0.25 LKR 82.7

96.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.2

$2.14 LKR 710

19.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$2.99 LKR 994

23.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.56 LKR 520

6.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.25

$0.53 LKR 175

175.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$0.81 LKR 269

85.19%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.4

$1.69 LKR 561

23.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿642

$13.98 LKR 4,649

36.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$4.93 LKR 1,638

-33.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$7.47 LKR 2,484

46.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.7

$6.52 LKR 2,167

-55.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$0.87 LKR 288

94.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$4.44 LKR 1,475

-49.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$1.33 LKR 441

56.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$1.04 LKR 346

45.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.47

$0.83 LKR 277

66.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.91

$0.89 LKR 295

20.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.49

$0.45 LKR 150

15.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$10.13 LKR 3,368

-58.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿633

$12.77 LKR 4,246

47.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$1.89 LKR 627

-3.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.7

$2.99 LKR 993

-5.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$0.12 LKR 41.31

1108.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,909

$9.12 LKR 3,031

521.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.38 LKR 125

694.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.29

$0.18 LKR 61.2

466.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$0.86 LKR 285

329.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.70

$1.32 LKR 438

11.36%

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

$26.8K ฿902.4K

$44.1K LKR 14.7M

-39.27%

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

$26.7K ฿899.5K

$40.0K LKR 13.3M

-33.24%

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

$96.4 ฿3,247

$58.3 LKR 19.4K

65.18%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$4.20 LKR 1,396

168.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$20.29 LKR 6,747

-16.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,266

$9.14 LKR 3,040

635.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿361

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$4.48 LKR 1,489

67.41%

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

$476 ฿16.0K

$37.10 LKR 12.3K

1182.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.6K

$1,220 LKR 405.6K

823.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,102

$18.31 LKR 6,088

240.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿957

$16.57 LKR 5,510

71.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,178

$77.7 LKR 25.8K

21.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,892

$42.30 LKR 14.1K

102.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.5K

$85.6 LKR 28.4K

473.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿64.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kalutara: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Kalutara

$86 14.1% 82.6% $405

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Kalutara

$237 38.9% 11.1% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Kalutara

$83 13.6% 33.5% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Kalutara

$70 11.5% 42.8% $52

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Kalutara

$105 17.2% 14.1% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Kalutara

$18 3% 78% $64

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Kalutara

$11 1.8% 84.5% $60

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $24 in Kalutara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $237 per month, with Kalutara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇱🇰 Kalutara

🕒 Local time

09:50 9:50 AM

08:20 8:20 AM

1 h 30 min behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

39,600

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 332 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 370 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Kalutara 2,040 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Kalutara

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Kalutara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kalutara wins on cost – living expenses run 52% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Kalutara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $913 in Kalutara 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.

A monthly transit pass in Kalutara runs roughly 84% less than in Phuket. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $37 in Kalutara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $608 in Kalutara versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $800 budget is realistic in Kalutara but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Kalutara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Kalutara are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.