Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kurunegala Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kurunegala

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $447 in Kurunegala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $745 in Kurunegala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,043 in Kurunegala.

Living in Phuket is roughly 183% more expensive than in Kurunegala, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Kurunegala 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$1.91 LKR 641

134.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$25.33 LKR 8,500

79.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$4.91 LKR 1,648

78.41%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$2.72 LKR 913

9.19%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.43 LKR 144

60.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.37 LKR 125

5.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.97 LKR 662

28.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.96 LKR 992

26.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.63 LKR 547

31.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.48 LKR 161

279.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$0.88 LKR 295

147.73%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.21 LKR 742

1.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$13.94 LKR 4,679

43.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$4.74 LKR 1,592

-23.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$7.84 LKR 2,630

72.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$7.29 LKR 2,448

-55.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.07 LKR 358

53.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$5.69 LKR 1,908

-59.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.26 LKR 424

64.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.11 LKR 372

39.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$1.43 LKR 479

2.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.15 LKR 387

-14.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.56 LKR 189

-14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$10.11 LKR 3,392

-56.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$12.60 LKR 4,229

47.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.99 LKR 669

-6.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.83 LKR 950

-6.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.31 LKR 106

358.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.38 LKR 129

734.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.33 LKR 110

212.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$0.61 LKR 204

2177.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.25 LKR 418

7.20%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$27.3K LKR 9.1M

1.93%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$34.1K LKR 11.5M

-2.22%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$26.32 LKR 8,832

367.52%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$1.96 LKR 657

602.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$14.79 LKR 4,962

23.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$8.54 LKR 2,867

610.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$1.36 LKR 456

552.21%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$36.93 LKR 12.4K

1762.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$433 LKR 145.4K

3540.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$11.78 LKR 3,952

403.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$19.46 LKR 6,530

78.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$43.91 LKR 14.7K

162.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$37.99 LKR 12.7K

120.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$102 LKR 34.3K

508.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$204 LKR 68.4K

897.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$149 LKR 50.2K

230.25%

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 Kurunegala: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $102 in Kurunegala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 230% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $25.00 in Kurunegala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $253 per month, with Kurunegala 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 Kurunegala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kurunegala is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 183% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 230% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $621 in Phuket versus $102 in Kurunegala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $36.93 in Kurunegala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kurunegala – 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 $447 in Kurunegala versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kurunegala but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Kurunegala the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kurunegala is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Kurunegala 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 Kurunegala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 183% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.