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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $527 in Kegalle.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $862 in Kegalle.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,196 in Kegalle.

Living in Phuket is roughly 137% more expensive than in Kegalle, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Kegalle 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$3.95 LKR 1,328

15.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$25.37 LKR 8,526

82.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$8.62 LKR 2,896

2.55%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.76 LKR 928

10.87%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.70 LKR 235

4.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.37 LKR 125

8.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.39 LKR 802

1.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$3.38 LKR 1,136

11.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.79 LKR 602

26.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.55 LKR 186

229.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.87 LKR 292

158.62%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.22 LKR 746

1.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$14.33 LKR 4,815

36.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$4.58 LKR 1,540

-20.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$8.17 LKR 2,745

59.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$7.51 LKR 2,525

-56.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.11 LKR 374

45.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$5.68 LKR 1,910

-58.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.20 LKR 404

69.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.15 LKR 387

33.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.42 LKR 478

5.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.20 LKR 402

-18.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.60 LKR 201

-13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$10.22 LKR 3,435

-56.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$12.41 LKR 4,171

47.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$2.03 LKR 683

-8.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.98 LKR 1,002

-10.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.38 LKR 129

718.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.35 LKR 118

197.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$0.61 LKR 207

2213.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.21 LKR 407

8.26%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$26.9K LKR 9.0M

3.42%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$35.3K LKR 11.9M

-6.01%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$59.9 LKR 20.1K

104.41%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$4.23 LKR 1,422

221.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$14.94 LKR 5,021

25.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$3.29 LKR 1,104

175.68%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$37.10 LKR 12.5K

1804.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$447 LKR 150.3K

3434.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$27.49 LKR 9,237

112.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$19.74 LKR 6,632

79.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$68.7 LKR 23.1K

67.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$39.27 LKR 13.2K

113.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Kegalle: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $25.00 in Kegalle for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $258 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 137% 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 $1,875 in Phuket and $791 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 $706 in Phuket versus $37.10 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 $25.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $527 in Kegalle versus $1,250 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 $527 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 137% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.