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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $522 in Polonnaruwa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $863 in Polonnaruwa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,204 in Polonnaruwa.

Living in Phuket is roughly 136% more expensive than Polonnaruwa, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Polonnaruwa 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$3.95 LKR 1,261

17.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$25.04 LKR 7,987

87.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$8.26 LKR 2,636

7.02%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.62 LKR 834

14.50%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.68 LKR 216

8.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.37 LKR 118

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.29 LKR 731

6.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$3.30 LKR 1,053

9.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.72 LKR 548

31.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.56 LKR 179

228.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$0.81 LKR 257

176.54%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.18 LKR 697

6.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$13.95 LKR 4,448

41.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$4.53 LKR 1,446

-19.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$7.83 LKR 2,497

67.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$7.55 LKR 2,407

-55.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.08 LKR 343

51.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$5.95 LKR 1,897

-59.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.24 LKR 396

63.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.14 LKR 365

36.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.36 LKR 433

10.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.16 LKR 370

-12.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.60 LKR 192

-18.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$9.98 LKR 3,183

-55.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$12.50 LKR 3,988

51.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.06 LKR 658

-13.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.85 LKR 909

-3.51%

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

$0.39 LKR 124

700.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.33 LKR 104

203.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$0.60 LKR 192

2248.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.24 LKR 396

8.87%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$26.9K LKR 8.6M

0.93%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$35.2K LKR 11.2M

-6.34%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$59.5 LKR 19.0K

110.05%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$4.42 LKR 1,409

207.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$15.08 LKR 4,808

22.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$3.38 LKR 1,078

171.89%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$36.48 LKR 11.6K

1814.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$436 LKR 138.9K

3480.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$27.88 LKR 8,892

107.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$19.48 LKR 6,214

80.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$68.7 LKR 21.9K

64.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$38.46 LKR 12.3K

124.60%

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 Polonnaruwa: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $25.00 in Polonnaruwa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $256 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 136% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $783 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 $698 in Phuket versus $36.48 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 $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $522 in Polonnaruwa versus $1,232 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 136% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.