Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kandy Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kandy

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $551 in Kandy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $860 in Kandy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,169 in Kandy.

Living in Phuket is roughly 129% more expensive than Kandy, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$2.82 LKR 950

61.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,535

$11.83 LKR 3,988

294.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿279

$6.58 LKR 2,216

28.72%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿99.7

$2.56 LKR 861

18.36%

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

$0.69 ฿22.69

$0.65 LKR 217

6.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.04

$0.33 LKR 110

12.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.9

$2.15 LKR 726

15.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿120

$3.43 LKR 1,154

6.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.8

$1.40 LKR 472

55.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.6

$0.52 LKR 175

265.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿72.4

$0.85 LKR 287

158.82%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿73.2

$2.19 LKR 737

1.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿658

$8.48 LKR 2,859

135.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿121

$4.64 LKR 1,565

-21.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿436

$8.15 LKR 2,746

62.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿106

$4.42 LKR 1,491

-26.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.9

$1.02 LKR 345

66.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.8

$3.63 LKR 1,222

-34.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$1.21 LKR 408

71.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿52.4

$1.16 LKR 390

37.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.83

$1.30 LKR 439

13.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.90

$0.74 LKR 248

39.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.01

$0.55 LKR 186

-5.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿140

$9.30 LKR 3,134

-54.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿618

$11.32 LKR 3,815

65.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.8

$1.99 LKR 671

-11.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿90.8

$2.77 LKR 934

-0.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.79

$0.17 LKR 58.1

700.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿374

$14.86 LKR 5,009

-23.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿103

$0.39 LKR 130

705.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿34.10

$0.33 LKR 110

215.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿453

$0.44 LKR 148

3029.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.26

$1.25 LKR 423

7.20%

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

$27.7K ฿911.1K

$17.9K LKR 6.0M

54.22%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$21.2K LKR 7.2M

59.59%

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

$124 ฿4,069

$40.82 LKR 13.8K

202.77%

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

$13.52 ฿445

$4.26 LKR 1,437

217.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿615

$15.41 LKR 5,194

21.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,035

$14.86 LKR 5,006

316.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿568

$5.62 LKR 1,895

206.94%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿301

$3.33 LKR 1,122

174.47%

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

$703 ฿23.1K

$37.50 LKR 12.6K

1773.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿522.5K

$328 LKR 110.5K

4739.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,958

$27.01 LKR 9,102

120.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,154

$14.32 LKR 4,826

144.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,795

$56.9 LKR 19.2K

102.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,767

$29.20 LKR 9,841

187.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.4K

$131 LKR 44.3K

371.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.2K

$83.3 LKR 28.1K

419.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.9K

$217 LKR 73.0K

852.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.7K

$160 LKR 53.8K

847.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿120.0K

$401 LKR 135.2K

808.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿86.4K

$394 LKR 132.8K

566.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.7K

$260 LKR 87.6K

95.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-64.47%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Kandy: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $131 in Kandy. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 95% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $12.00 in Kandy for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $207 per month, with Kandy 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 Kandy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kandy is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 129% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 95% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $619 in Phuket versus $131 in Kandy. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,261 per month in Phuket versus $551 in Kandy – a 129% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kandy runs roughly 31% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $551 in Kandy versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kandy but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Kandy the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kandy is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Kandy 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 Kandy gentler on the wallet – expenses run 129% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.