Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ratnapura Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ratnapura

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $531 in Ratnapura.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $838 in Ratnapura.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,145 in Ratnapura.

Living in Phuket is roughly 137% more expensive than Ratnapura, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$2.21 LKR 737

106.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$10.19 LKR 3,399

357.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$6.55 LKR 2,184

29.31%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.40 LKR 800

26.25%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.80 LKR 267

-13.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.52 LKR 173

-28.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$2.12 LKR 706

17.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.02 LKR 1,008

21.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.98 LKR 661

10.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.83 LKR 277

128.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$0.72 LKR 239

205.56%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.19 LKR 399

86.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$16.56 LKR 5,523

20.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$7.21 LKR 2,404

-49.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$17.39 LKR 5,799

-23.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$4.59 LKR 1,532

-29.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$0.78 LKR 259

117.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$4.74 LKR 1,583

-49.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.08 LKR 361

92.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.17 LKR 389

35.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.58 LKR 528

-6.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.53 LKR 176

94.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.48 LKR 159

8.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$14.80 LKR 4,936

-71.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$12.63 LKR 4,214

48.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$2.31 LKR 771

-23.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$3.20 LKR 1,067

-13.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.41 LKR 137

231.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$0.41 LKR 138

665.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.52 LKR 175

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$0.34 LKR 114

3950.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.07 LKR 356

25.23%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$21.9K LKR 7.3M

26.22%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$21.6K LKR 7.2M

56.87%

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

$124 ฿4,025

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

$13.52 ฿440

$2.26 LKR 754

498.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$7.81 LKR 2,605

139.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$10.22 LKR 3,410

504.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$2.60 LKR 869

251.54%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$11.64 LKR 3,883

410.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$8.47 LKR 2,824

314.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$94.7 LKR 31.6K

21.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$28.23 LKR 9,416

197.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$82.6 LKR 27.6K

648.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$59.9 LKR 20.0K

622.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$94.1 LKR 31.4K

1506.35%

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

$165 LKR 55.0K

207.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Ratnapura: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $82.6 in Ratnapura. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 207% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $10.00 in Ratnapura for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $283 per month, with Ratnapura 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 Ratnapura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ratnapura is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 137% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 207% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $619 in Phuket versus $82.6 in Ratnapura. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Ratnapura – a meal for two runs $10.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $531 in Ratnapura versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ratnapura but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Ratnapura the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ratnapura 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 Ratnapura 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 Ratnapura gentler on the wallet – expenses run 137% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.