Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Polonnaruwa Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Polonnaruwa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $538 in Polonnaruwa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $857 in Polonnaruwa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,176 in Polonnaruwa.

Living in Phuket is roughly 135% more expensive than Polonnaruwa, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Polonnaruwa 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$4.00 LKR 1,333

14.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$25.54 LKR 8,518

82.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$8.60 LKR 2,870

-1.51%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.74 LKR 913

10.58%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.73 LKR 242

-5.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.40 LKR 134

-7.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$2.29 LKR 763

8.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.39 LKR 1,130

7.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.79 LKR 597

21.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.53 LKR 176

258.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$0.85 LKR 285

158.82%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.19 LKR 732

1.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$13.94 LKR 4,650

43.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$4.65 LKR 1,550

-21.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$8.10 LKR 2,702

63.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$7.54 LKR 2,514

-57.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.06 LKR 354

60.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$5.95 LKR 1,985

-59.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.24 LKR 415

67.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.16 LKR 387

37.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.42 LKR 474

4.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.15 LKR 382

-10.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.57 LKR 190

-8.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$10.23 LKR 3,411

-58.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$12.46 LKR 4,156

50.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$2.08 LKR 694

-15.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.88 LKR 961

-4.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$0.38 LKR 128

726.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.32 LKR 108

225.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$0.57 LKR 190

2315.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.26 LKR 421

6.35%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$27.1K LKR 9.0M

2.17%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$34.2K LKR 11.4M

-1.05%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$59.4 LKR 19.8K

108.13%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$4.43 LKR 1,479

205.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$15.22 LKR 5,077

22.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$3.40 LKR 1,134

168.82%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$37.28 LKR 12.4K

1784.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$442 LKR 147.3K

3493.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$27.70 LKR 9,239

114.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$19.51 LKR 6,508

79.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$70.2 LKR 23.4K

64.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$38.00 LKR 12.7K

121.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Polonnaruwa: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $26.00 in Polonnaruwa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $258 per month, with Polonnaruwa 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 Polonnaruwa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Polonnaruwa is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 135% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,892 in Phuket and $807 in Polonnaruwa 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 $703 in Phuket versus $37.28 in Polonnaruwa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Polonnaruwa – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $538 in Polonnaruwa versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Polonnaruwa but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Polonnaruwa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Polonnaruwa 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 Polonnaruwa 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 Polonnaruwa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 135% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.