Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kegalle Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kegalle

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,253 in Phuket versus $512 in Kegalle.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $828 in Kegalle.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $1,143 in Kegalle.

Living in Phuket is roughly 145% more expensive than in Kegalle, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Kegalle 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$4.43 LKR 1,452

2.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,072

$23.88 LKR 7,834

36.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$7.71 LKR 2,530

15.43%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$2.49 LKR 817

12.45%

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

$0.88 ฿28.93

$0.73 LKR 240

20.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.25 LKR 82.0

96.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$2.26 LKR 743

5.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$3.10 LKR 1,016

19.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.7

$1.67 LKR 549

7.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.38

$0.53 LKR 174

171.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$0.78 LKR 256

102.56%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$1.66 LKR 546

28.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$13.36 LKR 4,383

49.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$4.85 LKR 1,590

-29.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$7.36 LKR 2,415

53.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿96.9

$6.66 LKR 2,185

-55.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$0.87 LKR 286

97.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.4

$4.25 LKR 1,394

-45.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$1.23 LKR 403

69.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.33

$1.05 LKR 344

40.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.64

$0.80 LKR 264

70.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.12

$0.88 LKR 290

25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.49 LKR 160

16.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$10.54 LKR 3,458

-59.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿605

$13.80 LKR 4,526

33.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$2.00 LKR 655

-6.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.0

$2.81 LKR 923

3.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿72.9

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$0.42 LKR 136

621.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.31

$0.35 LKR 115

205.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$0.93 LKR 306

322.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.04

$1.31 LKR 431

13.74%

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

$27.1K ฿891.7K

$29.9K LKR 9.8M

-9.14%

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

$27.5K ฿902.3K

$42.4K LKR 13.9M

-35.23%

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

$103 ฿3,379

$53.9 LKR 17.7K

90.65%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$4.17 LKR 1,368

163.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$20.61 LKR 6,762

-15.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$4.47 LKR 1,467

67.34%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$38.27 LKR 12.6K

1355.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.6K

$1,203 LKR 394.5K

885.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,106

$20.08 LKR 6,588

219.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$16.76 LKR 5,497

73.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,154

$81.1 LKR 26.6K

18.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$42.80 LKR 14.0K

111.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

12.69

-56.11%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Kegalle: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $33.00 in Phuket vs $24.00 in Kegalle for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $237 per month, with Kegalle 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 Kegalle: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kegalle wins on cost – living expenses run 145% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kegalle the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,880 in Phuket and $768 in Kegalle 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 $557 in Phuket versus $38.27 in Kegalle. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kegalle – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $33.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $512 in Kegalle versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kegalle but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Kegalle the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kegalle delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $512 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kegalle hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Kegalle 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 Kegalle gentler on the wallet – expenses run 145% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.