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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,264 per month in Phuket vs $520 in Kolonnawa, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,256 per month in Phuket vs $833 in Kolonnawa, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,248 per month in Phuket vs $1,147 in Kolonnawa, rent included.

Phuket costs about 143% more than Kolonnawa, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Phuket and Kolonnawa are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 5% lower, Kolonnawa 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$4.09 LKR 1,370

9.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,525

$24.71 LKR 8,280

84.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$8.12 LKR 2,721

7.88%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.3

$2.76 LKR 923

7.61%

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

$0.69 ฿22.96

$0.68 LKR 228

1.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.07

$0.41 LKR 136

-4.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.7

$2.31 LKR 773

9.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$3.43 LKR 1,148

9.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.8

$1.68 LKR 564

27.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.7

$0.53 LKR 176

243.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.1

$0.72 LKR 240

202.78%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.2

$2.11 LKR 706

6.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿669

$8.26 LKR 2,766

142.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$4.64 LKR 1,553

-21.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$8.22 LKR 2,753

64.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿109

$7.60 LKR 2,548

-57.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.7

$1.12 LKR 375

46.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.0

$5.82 LKR 1,949

-59.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.3

$1.21 LKR 404

71.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.10 LKR 369

40.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.67

$1.41 LKR 472

3.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.94

$1.16 LKR 388

-15.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.13

$0.48 LKR 161

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿146

$9.94 LKR 3,330

-56.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿621

$10.28 LKR 3,443

80.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.1

$1.96 LKR 657

-5.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.8

$2.33 LKR 781

13.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.40

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.38 LKR 128

734.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.51

$0.33 LKR 110

212.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿465

$0.61 LKR 204

2177.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.96

$1.25 LKR 419

7.20%

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

$27.8K ฿929.6K

$26.6K LKR 8.9M

4.32%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$34.2K LKR 11.5M

-2.38%

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

$123 ฿4,116

$59.1 LKR 19.8K

108.07%

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

$13.77 ฿461

$4.25 LKR 1,423

224.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿613

$15.11 LKR 5,062

21.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,030

$10.22 LKR 3,426

493.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿574

$1.70 LKR 571

909.41%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿297

$3.37 LKR 1,128

163.20%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$37.46 LKR 12.6K

1736.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿527.8K

$439 LKR 147.0K

3496.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,984

$27.58 LKR 9,241

115.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,160

$19.31 LKR 6,471

79.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,853

$69.6 LKR 23.3K

65.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,802

$38.41 LKR 12.9K

118.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿68.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

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 27, 2026

Last update for Kolonnawa: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Phuket versus $25.00 in Kolonnawa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $291 vs $232 – 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 143% more than Kolonnawa, with the gap driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,896 per month in Phuket and $780 in Kolonnawa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,264 in Phuket and $520 in Kolonnawa. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $688 per month in Phuket and $37.46 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 $520, than in Phuket at $1,264. 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 $520 versus $1,264 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.