Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kalutara Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kalutara

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $544 in Kalutara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $874 in Kalutara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,203 in Kalutara.

Living in Phuket is roughly 130% more expensive than in Kalutara, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Kalutara 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$3.93 LKR 1,320

15.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$25.56 LKR 8,588

80.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$8.26 LKR 2,776

7.02%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.71 LKR 910

12.92%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.73 LKR 246

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.41 LKR 137

-2.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.36 LKR 794

2.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$3.44 LKR 1,155

9.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.72 LKR 578

31.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.51 LKR 173

254.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.87 LKR 293

158.62%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.19 LKR 735

2.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$13.86 LKR 4,657

40.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$4.73 LKR 1,591

-22.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$7.93 LKR 2,665

64.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$7.66 LKR 2,575

-57.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.11 LKR 373

45.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$5.83 LKR 1,958

-59.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.22 LKR 408

66.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.14 LKR 384

34.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.38 LKR 464

8.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.14 LKR 383

-14.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.57 LKR 191

-8.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$10.08 LKR 3,387

-55.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$12.68 LKR 4,261

44.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$2.09 LKR 701

-11.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.85 LKR 958

-5.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.42 LKR 141

640.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.35 LKR 119

197.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$0.57 LKR 190

2375.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.21 LKR 407

8.26%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$26.8K LKR 9.0M

3.68%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$34.2K LKR 11.5M

-2.93%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$59.1 LKR 19.8K

107.35%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$4.43 LKR 1,489

206.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$14.99 LKR 5,036

24.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$9.93 LKR 3,338

509.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$3.37 LKR 1,131

169.14%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$36.12 LKR 12.1K

1855.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$436 LKR 146.6K

3521.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$27.88 LKR 9,369

110.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$19.76 LKR 6,639

78.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$70.2 LKR 23.6K

64.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$39.30 LKR 13.2K

113.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

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

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 Kalutara: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $26.00 in Kalutara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $257 per month, with Kalutara 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 Kalutara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kalutara wins on cost – living expenses run 130% 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 $1,875 in Phuket and $816 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.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $36.12 in Kalutara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kalutara – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $544 in Kalutara versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,000 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 work as nomad bases, but Kalutara delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $544 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kalutara hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Kalutara 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 Kalutara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 130% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.