Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kolonnawa Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kolonnawa

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,265 per month in Phuket vs $483 in Kolonnawa, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,089 per month in Phuket vs $805 in Kolonnawa, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,913 per month in Phuket vs $1,128 in Kolonnawa, rent included.

Phuket costs about 162% more than Kolonnawa, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Phuket and Kolonnawa are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 8% lower, Kolonnawa 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$4.46 LKR 1,464

4.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$25.94 LKR 8,523

24.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$7.51 LKR 2,468

15.58%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.56 LKR 841

13.28%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.73 LKR 241

15.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.25 LKR 81.9

96.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$2.20 LKR 723

12.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$3.14 LKR 1,032

18.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.65 LKR 541

14.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$0.56 LKR 184

151.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$0.59 LKR 193

174.58%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$1.67 LKR 550

34.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$10.52 LKR 3,456

88.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$4.50 LKR 1,478

-22.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$7.12 LKR 2,340

59.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$7.00 LKR 2,299

-58.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$0.89 LKR 291

93.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$4.37 LKR 1,436

-48.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$1.24 LKR 407

71.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$1.02 LKR 334

44.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$0.76 LKR 251

86.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$0.88 LKR 290

25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.44 LKR 145

36.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$10.55 LKR 3,467

-59.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$10.57 LKR 3,472

75.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.78 LKR 586

1.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$2.25 LKR 738

32.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.15 LKR 50.2

1400.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$0.42 LKR 137

638.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$0.36 LKR 118

200.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$0.87 LKR 287

344.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.35 LKR 443

5.93%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$30.0K LKR 9.9M

-7.38%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$41.9K LKR 13.8M

-35.65%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$55.0 LKR 18.1K

90.65%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$4.24 LKR 1,394

168.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$21.30 LKR 7,000

-17.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$4.49 LKR 1,475

73.27%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$37.65 LKR 12.4K

1431.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$1,231 LKR 404.6K

840.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$19.88 LKR 6,533

220.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$16.84 LKR 5,533

72.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$80.0 LKR 26.3K

20.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$42.07 LKR 13.8K

113.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

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: September 6, 2026

Last update for Kolonnawa: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $26.00 in Kolonnawa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $275 vs $218 – making Kolonnawa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Kolonnawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 162% more than Kolonnawa, with the gap driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,898 per month in Phuket and $724 in Kolonnawa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,265 in Phuket and $483 in Kolonnawa. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $576 per month in Phuket and $37.65 in Kolonnawa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kolonnawa, where all-in costs run around $483, than in Phuket at $1,265. In Kolonnawa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kolonnawa costs $483 versus $1,265 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Kolonnawa. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.