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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $518 in Polonnaruwa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $855 in Polonnaruwa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,192 in Polonnaruwa.

Living in Phuket is roughly 144% more expensive than in Polonnaruwa, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Polonnaruwa 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$3.99 LKR 1,338

12.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,523

$25.15 LKR 8,434

81.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$8.33 LKR 2,792

5.16%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.1

$2.67 LKR 895

11.24%

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

$0.69 ฿22.93

$0.68 LKR 227

1.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.05

$0.40 LKR 135

-2.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.5

$2.29 LKR 768

10.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$3.37 LKR 1,130

11.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.7

$1.72 LKR 576

25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.53 LKR 177

243.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.0

$0.82 LKR 275

165.85%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.1

$2.15 LKR 720

4.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿668

$14.34 LKR 4,807

39.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$4.65 LKR 1,558

-21.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$7.87 LKR 2,638

72.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$7.44 LKR 2,495

-56.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.07 LKR 360

53.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.9

$5.72 LKR 1,916

-59.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.2

$1.21 LKR 407

71.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$1.16 LKR 390

33.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.60

$1.42 LKR 477

2.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.89

$1.20 LKR 401

-18.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.11

$0.57 LKR 190

-15.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$9.98 LKR 3,345

-56.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$12.40 LKR 4,158

49.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.0

$2.02 LKR 677

-7.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.7

$2.96 LKR 991

-10.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.33

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.39 LKR 129

712.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.46

$0.33 LKR 109

212.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿464

$0.57 LKR 191

2336.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.89

$1.19 LKR 400

12.61%

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

$27.8K ฿928.2K

$26.5K LKR 8.9M

4.81%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$35.4K LKR 11.9M

-5.65%

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

$123 ฿4,110

$60.6 LKR 20.3K

102.95%

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

$13.77 ฿460

$4.20 LKR 1,409

227.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿612

$15.37 LKR 5,155

19.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,027

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$3.37 LKR 1,131

163.20%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$37.12 LKR 12.4K

1753.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿527.0K

$436 LKR 146.0K

3523.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,981

$27.64 LKR 9,269

114.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,159

$19.24 LKR 6,451

80.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,847

$69.2 LKR 23.2K

66.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,798

$38.58 LKR 12.9K

117.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Polonnaruwa: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $25.00 in Polonnaruwa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $255 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 144% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,896 in Phuket and $776 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 $688 in Phuket versus $37.12 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 $25.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $518 in Polonnaruwa versus $1,264 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 144% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.