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 $500 in Polonnaruwa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $830 in Polonnaruwa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,161 in Polonnaruwa.

Living in Phuket is roughly 146% more expensive than in Polonnaruwa, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Polonnaruwa 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$4.29 LKR 1,418

2.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,074

$25.83 LKR 8,542

24.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$7.83 LKR 2,588

14.05%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.4

$2.47 LKR 816

17.41%

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

$0.88 ฿29.30

$0.73 LKR 241

20.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.01

$0.25 LKR 82.6

92.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.3

$2.19 LKR 724

7.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.10 LKR 1,024

20.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$1.56 LKR 516

19.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.81

$0.53 LKR 175

177.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$0.81 LKR 267

91.36%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.0

$1.64 LKR 543

28.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿652

$13.05 LKR 4,315

50.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$5.12 LKR 1,694

-33.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

$7.39 LKR 2,444

53.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.3

$6.87 LKR 2,270

-56.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$0.88 LKR 292

90.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$4.20 LKR 1,389

-47.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.0

$1.24 LKR 411

74.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$1.01 LKR 335

50.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.55

$0.76 LKR 252

76.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.57

$0.93 LKR 308

21.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.19

$0.48 LKR 160

14.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$10.43 LKR 3,447

-59.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$13.76 LKR 4,550

38.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$1.91 LKR 630

-6.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.6

$2.83 LKR 937

-1.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.2

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.41 LKR 137

639.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.06

$0.38 LKR 126

168.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$0.92 LKR 305

322.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.63

$1.28 LKR 423

16.41%

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

$26.6K ฿884.9K

$31.1K LKR 10.3M

-14.43%

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

$27.0K ฿899.8K

$41.9K LKR 13.9M

-35.56%

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

$102 ฿3,411

$54.5 LKR 18.0K

87.88%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$4.09 LKR 1,351

177.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿579

$21.14 LKR 6,990

-17.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,734

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$4.55 LKR 1,505

69.01%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$38.55 LKR 12.7K

1354.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.0K

$1,217 LKR 402.5K

845.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,098

$20.29 LKR 6,710

210.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿983

$16.85 LKR 5,570

75.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,263

$80.0 LKR 26.5K

22.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,946

$41.76 LKR 13.8K

111.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

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

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 Polonnaruwa: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $26.00 in Polonnaruwa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $237 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, Getting Around. The 146% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $750 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 $561 in Phuket versus $38.55 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 $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $500 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 146% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.