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: $1,253 in Phuket versus $610 in Kalutara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $898 in Kalutara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $1,186 in Kalutara.

Living in Phuket is roughly 106% more expensive than in Kalutara, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Kalutara 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$4.38 LKR 1,438

4.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,072

$25.47 LKR 8,357

28.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$7.46 LKR 2,449

19.30%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$2.57 LKR 844

8.95%

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

$0.88 ฿28.93

$0.69 LKR 226

27.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.25 LKR 81.5

96.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$2.24 LKR 734

6.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$3.04 LKR 996

22.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.7

$1.65 LKR 540

8.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.38

$0.57 LKR 186

152.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$0.79 LKR 260

100.00%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$1.65 LKR 540

29.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$13.12 LKR 4,304

51.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$5.03 LKR 1,649

-31.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$7.23 LKR 2,372

56.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿96.9

$6.89 LKR 2,260

-57.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$0.89 LKR 292

93.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.4

$4.35 LKR 1,427

-46.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$1.22 LKR 401

70.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.33

$1.05 LKR 343

40.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.64

$0.80 LKR 264

70.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.12

$0.95 LKR 311

15.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.48 LKR 158

18.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$10.32 LKR 3,387

-58.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿605

$13.69 LKR 4,491

34.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$1.89 LKR 619

-1.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.0

$2.88 LKR 946

1.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿72.9

$0.13 LKR 41.87

1607.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$9.34 LKR 3,065

145.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$0.39 LKR 126

676.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.31

$0.20 LKR 67.0

435.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$0.95 LKR 310

313.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.04

$1.30 LKR 426

14.62%

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

$27.1K ฿891.7K

$30.7K LKR 10.1M

-11.62%

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

$27.5K ฿902.3K

$42.4K LKR 13.9M

-35.30%

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

$103 ฿3,379

$55.7 LKR 18.3K

84.69%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$4.23 LKR 1,387

159.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$20.58 LKR 6,753

-14.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$8.96 LKR 2,939

497.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$4.40 LKR 1,445

70.00%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$38.44 LKR 12.6K

1348.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.6K

$1,224 LKR 401.7K

868.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,106

$19.89 LKR 6,525

222.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$16.49 LKR 5,409

76.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,154

$78.4 LKR 25.7K

22.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$41.91 LKR 13.7K

115.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$84.4 LKR 27.7K

492.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.5K

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: August 31, 2026

Last update for Kalutara: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $33.00 in Phuket vs $25.00 in Kalutara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $238 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 106% 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 $1,880 in Phuket and $914 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 145% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $38.44 in Kalutara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $610 in Kalutara versus $1,253 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 $610 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 106% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.