Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Maharagama

For one person, living is cheaper in Maharagama: $131 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Maharagama

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$131

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Maharagama

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Maharagama actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,294 per month in Phuket vs $131 in Maharagama, rent included.

Phuket $1,294
Maharagama $131

A couple spends around $2,204 per month in Phuket vs $246 in Maharagama, rent included.

Phuket $2,204
Maharagama $246

A family of three spends $3,115 per month in Phuket vs $361 in Maharagama, rent included.

Phuket $3,115
Maharagama $361

Phuket costs about 889% more than Maharagama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Maharagama are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 4% lower, Maharagama 90% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿147

$5.30 LKR 1,761

-17.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,085

$20.24 LKR 6,733

59.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿292

$6.67 LKR 2,220

30.43%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.5

$2.11 LKR 702

28.91%

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

$0.93 ฿31.25

$0.64 LKR 213

45.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.78

$0.29 LKR 95.3

72.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿85.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.4

$0.87 LKR 288

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.73

$0.23 LKR 76.1

530.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.50 LKR 167

200.00%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.0

$1.42 LKR 474

52.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿641

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿366

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.8

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.8

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.7

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.4

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.99

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.95

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.14

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.32

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿149

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿613

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.62

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,844

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿50.8

$0.44 LKR 146

243.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿26.06

$0.46 LKR 154

69.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿129

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.96

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

$26.9K ฿902.9K

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

$26.3K ฿884.9K

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

$97.8 ฿3,285

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

$11.29 ฿379

$4.55 LKR 1,514

148.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿577

$13.38 LKR 4,450

28.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,295

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿367

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿250

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

$530 ฿17.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿630.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,072

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿949

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,225

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,916

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.5K

$198 LKR 65.9K

883.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿46.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿140.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.5K

$240 LKR 79.7K

105.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Maharagama: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Maharagama

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Maharagama

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Maharagama

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Maharagama

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Maharagama

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Maharagama

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Maharagama

–

Cost Breakdown

Salaries in Phuket are about 2.1 times higher, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $20 in Maharagama. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $267 vs $19 – making Maharagama the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇱🇰 Maharagama

🕒 Local time

14:53 2:53 PM

13:23 1:23 PM

1 h 30 min behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

196,400

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.68 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.75 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 333 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 374 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.68 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Maharagama 2,040 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Maharagama

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Maharagama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 889%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Phuket and $196 in Maharagama. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 1332% more in Phuket, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $20 in Maharagama. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Maharagama, where all-in costs run around $131, than in Phuket at $1,294. In Maharagama it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Maharagama costs $131 versus $1,294 in Phuket. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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