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 $575 in Piliyandala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $905 in Piliyandala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,236 in Piliyandala.

Living in Phuket is roughly 114% more expensive than in Piliyandala, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Piliyandala 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$2.99 LKR 989

47.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,074

$12.31 LKR 4,070

162.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$7.69 LKR 2,542

16.12%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.4

$2.56 LKR 845

13.28%

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

$0.88 ฿29.30

$0.68 LKR 225

29.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.01

$0.25 LKR 82.2

92.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.3

$1.84 LKR 607

27.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.02 LKR 999

23.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$1.63 LKR 540

14.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.81

$0.53 LKR 176

177.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$0.74 LKR 243

109.46%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.0

$1.65 LKR 546

27.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿652

$12.97 LKR 4,287

51.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$4.97 LKR 1,644

-31.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

$7.43 LKR 2,457

53.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.3

$6.87 LKR 2,271

-56.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$0.88 LKR 292

90.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$4.25 LKR 1,406

-48.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.0

$1.30 LKR 428

66.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$0.98 LKR 325

55.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.55

$0.76 LKR 252

76.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.57

$0.95 LKR 314

18.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.19

$0.48 LKR 160

14.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$10.50 LKR 3,471

-59.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$13.84 LKR 4,578

37.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$2.00 LKR 661

-11.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.6

$2.78 LKR 921

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.2

$0.35 LKR 115

537.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.38 LKR 127

697.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.06

$0.29 LKR 95.3

251.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$0.89 LKR 294

337.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.63

$1.34 LKR 443

11.19%

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

$26.6K ฿884.9K

$37.8K LKR 12.5M

-29.63%

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

$27.0K ฿899.8K

$41.0K LKR 13.6M

-34.05%

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

$102 ฿3,411

$54.1 LKR 17.9K

89.37%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$4.22 LKR 1,397

168.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿579

$20.81 LKR 6,881

-16.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,734

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$4.32 LKR 1,429

78.01%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$37.80 LKR 12.5K

1383.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.0K

$1,234 LKR 408.2K

832.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,098

$19.90 LKR 6,581

216.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿983

$16.80 LKR 5,556

75.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,263

$81.0 LKR 26.8K

20.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,946

$43.20 LKR 14.3K

104.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$106 LKR 34.9K

599.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$76.8 LKR 25.4K

528.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.1K

$261 LKR 86.2K

708.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$179 LKR 59.2K

585.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$300 LKR 99.1K

64.64%

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: September 15, 2026

Last update for Piliyandala: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $106 in Piliyandala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 65% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $12.00 in Piliyandala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $238 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, Getting Around. The 114% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 65% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $106 in Piliyandala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $37.80 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 $12.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $575 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 114% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.