Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kandana Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kandana

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,232 per month in Phuket vs $536 in Kandana, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,255 per month in Phuket vs $866 in Kandana, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,279 per month in Phuket vs $1,196 in Kandana, rent included.

Phuket costs about 130% more than Kandana, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Phuket and Kandana are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 8% lower, Kandana 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$3.94 LKR 1,257

17.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$24.82 LKR 7,915

88.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$8.24 LKR 2,627

7.28%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.64 LKR 841

13.64%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.74 LKR 235

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.38 LKR 120

-2.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.33 LKR 743

4.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$3.25 LKR 1,038

11.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.78 LKR 567

26.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.53 LKR 168

247.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$0.80 LKR 255

180.00%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.18 LKR 696

6.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$14.01 LKR 4,469

40.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$4.60 LKR 1,465

-20.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$7.83 LKR 2,498

67.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$7.55 LKR 2,407

-55.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.11 LKR 355

47.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$5.68 LKR 1,812

-57.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.21 LKR 386

67.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.11 LKR 354

40.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.37 LKR 437

9.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.20 LKR 384

-15.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.60 LKR 191

-18.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$10.23 LKR 3,262

-56.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$12.68 LKR 4,045

48.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.03 LKR 646

-12.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.86 LKR 912

-3.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.39 LKR 123

700.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.35 LKR 112

185.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$0.58 LKR 185

2329.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.22 LKR 388

10.66%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$26.5K LKR 8.5M

2.47%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$34.8K LKR 11.1M

-5.42%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$61.1 LKR 19.5K

104.62%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$4.42 LKR 1,411

207.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$15.36 LKR 4,897

20.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$3.31 LKR 1,054

177.64%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$36.31 LKR 11.6K

1822.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$446 LKR 142.1K

3399.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$27.14 LKR 8,655

112.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$19.00 LKR 6,060

85.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$70.4 LKR 22.4K

60.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$38.98 LKR 12.4K

121.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

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 27, 2026

Last update for Kandana: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Phuket versus $25.00 in Kandana. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $256 – making Kandana the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Kandana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 130%, and the gap shows up most in Sport & Entertainment. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,847 per month in Phuket and $804 in Kandana. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,232 in Phuket and $536 in Kandana. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $698 per month in Phuket and $36.31 in Kandana. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kandana, where all-in costs run around $536, than in Phuket at $1,232. In Kandana it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kandana – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Kandana. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.