Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Piliyandala Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Piliyandala

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $513 in Piliyandala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $811 in Piliyandala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,109 in Piliyandala.

Living in Phuket is roughly 140% more expensive than Piliyandala, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Piliyandala 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$3.41 LKR 1,086

35.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$13.47 LKR 4,297

247.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$8.55 LKR 2,728

3.39%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.75 LKR 876

9.09%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.73 LKR 234

1.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.37 LKR 119

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.06 LKR 657

18.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$3.26 LKR 1,039

10.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.70 LKR 541

32.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.52 LKR 165

253.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$0.82 LKR 262

173.17%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.14 LKR 681

8.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$14.10 LKR 4,496

39.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$4.78 LKR 1,526

-23.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$8.27 LKR 2,638

58.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$7.62 LKR 2,429

-55.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.11 LKR 353

47.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$5.64 LKR 1,799

-57.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.25 LKR 400

62.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.12 LKR 357

39.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.38 LKR 440

8.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.15 LKR 368

-11.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.55 LKR 177

-10.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$10.09 LKR 3,217

-55.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$12.71 LKR 4,052

48.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.01 LKR 642

-11.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.93 LKR 933

-6.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.42 LKR 133

642.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.33 LKR 105

203.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$0.56 LKR 180

2416.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.21 LKR 385

11.57%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$27.1K LKR 8.7M

0.14%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$35.2K LKR 11.2M

-6.59%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$60.0 LKR 19.1K

108.20%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$4.32 LKR 1,377

214.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$15.44 LKR 4,923

19.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$3.43 LKR 1,095

167.93%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$36.22 LKR 11.6K

1827.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$448 LKR 142.8K

3382.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$27.73 LKR 8,844

108.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$19.58 LKR 6,244

79.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$68.9 LKR 22.0K

64.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$38.69 LKR 12.3K

123.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Piliyandala: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $13.00 in Piliyandala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $257 per month, with Piliyandala 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 Piliyandala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Piliyandala is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 140% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $769 in Piliyandala to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $36.22 in Piliyandala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Piliyandala – a meal for two runs $13.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $513 in Piliyandala versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Piliyandala but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Piliyandala the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Piliyandala 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 Piliyandala 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 Piliyandala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 140% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.