Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Matara

For one person, living is cheaper in Matara: $576 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
28

Cost of Living Index in Matara
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Matara Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Matara

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$576

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Matara

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 Matara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $576 in Matara, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Matara $576

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $839 in Matara, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Matara $839

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $1,102 in Matara, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Matara $1,102

Phuket costs about 122% more than Matara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Phuket and Matara are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Matara 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$3.73 LKR 1,241

19.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,092

$24.54 LKR 8,159

32.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$7.53 LKR 2,503

17.00%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.3

$2.44 LKR 810

15.98%

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

$0.87 ฿29.37

$0.67 LKR 222

29.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.64

$0.25 LKR 83.1

96.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.2

$2.23 LKR 741

14.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$3.06 LKR 1,017

20.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.56 LKR 519

6.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.25

$0.53 LKR 177

175.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$0.76 LKR 253

97.37%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.4

$1.53 LKR 509

36.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿642

$13.58 LKR 4,514

40.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$4.84 LKR 1,609

-31.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$7.26 LKR 2,415

50.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.7

$6.71 LKR 2,230

-56.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$0.43 LKR 142

293.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$4.46 LKR 1,481

-49.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$0.91 LKR 302

128.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$0.92 LKR 306

64.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.47

$0.58 LKR 193

137.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.91

$0.89 LKR 295

20.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.49

$0.46 LKR 151

13.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$9.85 LKR 3,276

-57.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿633

$12.94 LKR 4,303

45.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$1.79 LKR 596

1.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.7

$3.00 LKR 997

-5.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$0.31 LKR 104

367.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,909

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.40 LKR 133

655.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.29

$0.35 LKR 115

191.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$0.95 LKR 317

288.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.70

$1.38 LKR 458

6.52%

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

$26.8K ฿902.4K

$44.2K LKR 14.7M

-39.47%

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

$26.7K ฿899.5K

$41.3K LKR 13.7M

-35.44%

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

$96.4 ฿3,247

$46.17 LKR 15.4K

108.69%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$4.22 LKR 1,403

166.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$20.99 LKR 6,977

-19.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,266

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿361

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$4.60 LKR 1,530

63.04%

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

$476 ฿16.0K

$38.17 LKR 12.7K

1146.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.6K

$1,204 LKR 400.4K

835.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,102

$18.04 LKR 5,997

245.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿957

$16.90 LKR 5,618

68.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,178

$78.9 LKR 26.2K

19.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,892

$41.70 LKR 13.9K

105.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$179 LKR 59.6K

299.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.5K

$90.1 LKR 30.0K

444.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿64.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$105 LKR 34.8K

380.09%

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Matara: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Matara

$90 15.7% 81.6% $401

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Matara

$229 39.8% 14% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Matara

$71 12.4% 42.7% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Matara

$70 12.2% 42.6% $52

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Matara

$103 17.8% 15.7% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Matara

$9.2 * 1.6% 88.8% $73

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Matara

$3.4 * 0.6% 95.2% $67

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $179 in Matara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Phuket are about 4.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $25 in Matara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $229 – making Matara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇱🇰 Matara

🕒 Local time

08:21 8:21 AM

06:51 6:51 AM

1 h 30 min behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

100,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 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 October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 332 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 370 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Matara 1,980 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Matara

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 Matara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 122%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $864 in Matara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Matara, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $179 there versus $716 in Phuket.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $576 in Matara. That makes Matara about 55% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $476 per month in Phuket and $38 in Matara. 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 Matara, where all-in costs run around $576, than in Phuket at $1,278. In Matara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Matara – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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