Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Puttalam

For one person, living is cheaper in Puttalam: $62.9 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $14,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Puttalam

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$62.9

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Puttalam

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Puttalam actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $63 in Puttalam.

Phuket $1,278
Puttalam $63

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $109 in Puttalam.

Phuket $2,216
Puttalam $109

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $156 in Puttalam.

Phuket $3,154
Puttalam $156

Living in Phuket is roughly 1932% more expensive than in Puttalam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Puttalam 95% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$0.51 LKR 171

186.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.75 LKR 249

100.00%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.23 LKR 410

69.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$3.64 LKR 1,209

-9.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$7.47 LKR 2,485

46.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$0.79 LKR 262

113.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.37 LKR 124

40.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$7.41 LKR 2,466

-43.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

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

$11.26 ฿380

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

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

$476 ฿16.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Puttalam: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Puttalam

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Puttalam

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Puttalam

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Puttalam

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Puttalam

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Puttalam

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Puttalam

–

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇱🇰 Puttalam

🕒 Local time

11:30 11:30 AM

10:00 10:00 AM

1 h 30 min behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

45,400

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 333 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 371 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Puttalam 2,040 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Puttalam

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Puttalam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Puttalam is about 95% cheaper overall, especially in groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $94 in Puttalam 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 323% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $63 in Puttalam – Puttalam is about 95% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $63 in Puttalam versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Puttalam but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Puttalam the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Puttalam are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.