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: $1,270 in Phuket versus $549 in Kandy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,304 in Phuket versus $862 in Kandy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,339 in Phuket versus $1,175 in Kandy.

Living in Phuket is roughly 131% more expensive than Kandy, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Kandy 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿150

$2.77 LKR 877

68.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,496

$11.69 LKR 3,700

297.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿280

$6.60 LKR 2,087

31.52%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿95.0

$2.61 LKR 825

13.03%

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

$0.70 ฿22.52

$0.61 LKR 193

14.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.70

$0.30 LKR 94.5

30.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿81.6

$2.12 LKR 670

19.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿122

$3.37 LKR 1,067

12.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.5

$1.45 LKR 458

53.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿57.8

$0.56 LKR 177

221.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.4

$0.87 LKR 275

151.72%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.5

$2.13 LKR 674

8.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿623

$8.95 LKR 2,832

116.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿121

$4.77 LKR 1,511

-20.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿426

$8.12 LKR 2,570

62.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿107

$4.64 LKR 1,467

-28.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.1

$1.02 LKR 324

61.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿73.7

$3.63 LKR 1,150

-36.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.1

$1.26 LKR 398

57.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.24

$1.14 LKR 362

34.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿48.77

$1.23 LKR 390

22.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.12

$0.77 LKR 245

33.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.57

$0.56 LKR 177

-8.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿142

$9.25 LKR 2,928

-52.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿625

$12.05 LKR 3,814

61.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.0

$2.06 LKR 652

-12.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿86.4

$2.71 LKR 858

-1.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿46.11

$0.17 LKR 55.3

741.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

$15.20 LKR 4,810

-23.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿97.9

$0.42 LKR 132

623.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.37

$0.35 LKR 111

197.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿441

$0.40 LKR 128

3320.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.85

$1.21 LKR 384

7.44%

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

$27.9K ฿898.9K

$17.7K LKR 5.6M

57.82%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$21.2K LKR 6.7M

56.14%

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

$123 ฿3,962

$40.48 LKR 12.8K

203.78%

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

$13.82 ฿445

$4.27 LKR 1,353

223.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 ฿608

$14.97 LKR 4,737

25.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,970

$15.12 LKR 4,784

304.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

$5.82 LKR 1,841

188.83%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿286

$3.40 LKR 1,077

160.88%

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

$696 ฿22.4K

$36.64 LKR 11.6K

1800.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿517.4K

$321 LKR 101.5K

4909.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,910

$27.83 LKR 8,808

113.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,123

$14.44 LKR 4,569

141.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,646

$57.1 LKR 18.1K

98.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,740

$29.77 LKR 9,423

185.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.8K

$132 LKR 41.9K

365.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.4K

$85.3 LKR 27.0K

425.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿67.2K

$221 LKR 69.8K

845.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿48.2K

$161 LKR 51.0K

828.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿120.3K

$428 LKR 135.3K

773.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.8K

$417 LKR 132.0K

538.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

$277 LKR 87.6K

92.79%

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Kandy: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $615 in Phuket and $132 in Kandy. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 93% 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: $46 in Phuket vs $12 in Kandy for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $213 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 131% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 93% 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: $615 in Phuket versus $132 in Kandy. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,270 per month in Phuket versus $549 in Kandy – a 131% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kandy runs roughly 30% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $549 in Kandy versus $1,270 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 131% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.