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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $533 in Kalutara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $869 in Kalutara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,206 in Kalutara.

Living in Phuket is roughly 137% more expensive than Kalutara, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Kalutara 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$3.90 LKR 1,293

20.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$24.66 LKR 8,178

83.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$8.30 LKR 2,753

1.57%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$2.74 LKR 910

6.93%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.69 LKR 230

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.37 LKR 124

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.28 LKR 757

5.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.29 LKR 1,091

13.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.79 LKR 593

24.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.52 LKR 173

251.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$0.81 LKR 270

167.90%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.14 LKR 709

3.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$14.15 LKR 4,692

39.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$4.77 LKR 1,582

-23.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$7.85 LKR 2,603

72.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$7.37 LKR 2,444

-55.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.07 LKR 356

50.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$5.92 LKR 1,963

-59.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.26 LKR 418

65.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.10 LKR 366

39.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.43 LKR 474

3.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.20 LKR 397

-17.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.57 LKR 189

-10.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$9.91 LKR 3,287

-55.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$12.60 LKR 4,178

53.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.00 LKR 663

-11.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$2.94 LKR 975

-7.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$0.41 LKR 136

636.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.35 LKR 117

182.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$0.58 LKR 191

2331.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.26 LKR 417

7.94%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$26.6K LKR 8.8M

5.90%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$35.2K LKR 11.7M

-6.43%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$59.2 LKR 19.6K

105.61%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$4.41 LKR 1,463

207.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$15.11 LKR 5,009

21.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$9.94 LKR 3,294

505.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$3.25 LKR 1,079

167.38%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$37.46 LKR 12.4K

1751.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$441 LKR 146.1K

3459.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$27.58 LKR 9,147

115.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$19.16 LKR 6,353

81.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$70.0 LKR 23.2K

63.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$39.27 LKR 13.0K

112.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

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 2, 2026

Last update for Kalutara: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $25.00 in Kalutara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 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 137% 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 $1,898 in Phuket and $800 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 $693 in Phuket versus $37.46 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 $25.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $533 in Kalutara versus $1,265 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 $533 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 137% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.