Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kataragama

For one person, living is cheaper in Kataragama: $508 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Kataragama
Learn more

Kataragama Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Kataragama

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$508

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Kataragama

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Kataragama actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,294 per month in Phuket vs $508 in Kataragama, rent included.

Phuket $1,294
Kataragama $508

A couple spends around $2,204 per month in Phuket vs $824 in Kataragama, rent included.

Phuket $2,204
Kataragama $824

A family of three spends $3,115 per month in Phuket vs $1,140 in Kataragama, rent included.

Phuket $3,115
Kataragama $1,140

Phuket costs about 155% more than Kataragama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Phuket and Kataragama are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 4% lower, Kataragama 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿148

$3.87 LKR 1,286

13.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,090

$24.70 LKR 8,213

30.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿294

$7.34 LKR 2,440

18.53%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.9

$2.43 LKR 807

11.93%

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

$0.93 ฿31.38

$0.67 LKR 224

38.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.85

$0.27 LKR 90.8

85.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿85.4

$2.23 LKR 742

13.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

$3.08 LKR 1,025

17.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.7

$1.57 LKR 522

10.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$0.56 LKR 187

158.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$0.76 LKR 252

97.37%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.3

$1.63 LKR 543

33.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿644

$15.08 LKR 5,015

26.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿115

$4.89 LKR 1,626

-30.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿368

$7.66 LKR 2,546

42.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿99.2

$6.54 LKR 2,174

-55.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$0.83 LKR 276

103.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿74.0

$4.08 LKR 1,358

-46.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.6

$1.31 LKR 437

61.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿49.19

$1.08 LKR 360

35.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿46.14

$0.83 LKR 276

65.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.29

$1.24 LKR 414

-12.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.40

$0.45 LKR 150

22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿149

$10.29 LKR 3,422

-56.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿616

$13.61 LKR 4,527

34.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.8

$1.96 LKR 652

-9.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿97.2

$2.94 LKR 978

-2.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.82

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,851

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.40 LKR 134

277.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿26.17

$0.31 LKR 103

151.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿129

$0.86 LKR 285

346.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿50.2

$1.34 LKR 445

11.19%

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

$26.9K ฿906.7K

$43.6K LKR 14.5M

-38.29%

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

$26.3K ฿888.6K

$45.6K LKR 15.2M

-42.27%

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

$97.8 ฿3,299

$56.8 LKR 18.9K

72.08%

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

$11.29 ฿381

$4.15 LKR 1,380

172.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿580

$20.61 LKR 6,856

-16.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,305

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿251

$4.50 LKR 1,495

65.11%

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

$530 ฿17.9K

$39.71 LKR 13.2K

1235.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿633.5K

$17.3K LKR 5.8M

8.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,080

$18.27 LKR 6,075

237.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿953

$17.51 LKR 5,824

61.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,238

$77.6 LKR 25.8K

23.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,928

$41.79 LKR 13.9K

107.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿47.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿141.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿111.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

12.5

-55.44%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Kataragama: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Kataragama

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Kataragama

$242 47.7% 9.2% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Kataragama

$82 16.1% 35.4% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Kataragama

$70 13.8% 43.1% $53

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Kataragama

$103 20.3% 13.7% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Kataragama

$9 * 1.8% 89.2% $74

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Kataragama

$2 * 0.4% 97% $64

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $25 in Kataragama. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $267 vs $242 – making Kataragama the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇱🇰 Kataragama

🕒 Local time

23:57 11:57 PM

22:27 10:27 PM

1 h 30 min behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

20,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.68 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 333 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 373 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.68 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Kataragama 1,890 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Kataragama

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Kataragama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 155% more than Kataragama, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Phuket and $762 in Kataragama. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,294 in Phuket and $508 in Kataragama. That makes Kataragama about 61% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $530 per month in Phuket and $40 in Kataragama. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Kataragama, where all-in costs run around $508, than in Phuket at $1,294. In Kataragama it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $508 in Kataragama to $1,294 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.