Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

For one person, living is cheaper in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte: $707 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
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Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$707

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

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 Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $707 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.

Phuket $1,208
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte $707

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $1,096 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.

Phuket $2,027
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte $1,096

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $1,485 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.

Phuket $2,845
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte $1,485

Living in Phuket is roughly 71% more expensive than in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$3.84 LKR 1,271

14.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$25.15 LKR 8,331

28.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$7.65 LKR 2,533

14.51%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$2.57 LKR 852

10.12%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$0.73 LKR 241

23.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$0.25 LKR 81.8

88.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$2.22 LKR 735

14.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$2.98 LKR 989

28.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$1.27 LKR 421

36.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$0.58 LKR 191

153.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$0.74 LKR 246

104.05%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$1.72 LKR 568

26.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$13.81 LKR 4,576

42.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$4.41 LKR 1,462

-24.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$5.29 LKR 1,754

110.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$6.21 LKR 2,058

-54.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$0.84 LKR 279

102.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$4.36 LKR 1,445

-49.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$1.20 LKR 397

70.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$0.87 LKR 288

66.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$0.82 LKR 270

68.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$0.88 LKR 291

21.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$0.46 LKR 151

10.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$9.15 LKR 3,031

-53.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$12.73 LKR 4,216

45.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$1.95 LKR 645

-8.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$3.02 LKR 1,001

-5.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$0.31 LKR 103

870.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$0.38 LKR 125

178.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$0.88 LKR 292

338.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$1.15 LKR 381

26.09%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$43.5K LKR 14.4M

-39.46%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$41.0K LKR 13.6M

-34.26%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$45.62 LKR 15.1K

111.27%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$4.36 LKR 1,445

153.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$12.16 LKR 4,028

40.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$14.89 LKR 4,933

250.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$3.08 LKR 1,020

153.57%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$37.61 LKR 12.5K

1378.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

$896 LKR 296.9K

1191.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$18.40 LKR 6,093

248.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$16.89 LKR 5,593

69.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$79.3 LKR 26.3K

20.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$41.35 LKR 13.7K

112.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$307 LKR 101.7K

140.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$224 LKR 74.1K

106.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$445 LKR 147.4K

370.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$382 LKR 126.4K

214.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$692 LKR 229.3K

403.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$531 LKR 175.9K

375.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

$298 LKR 98.8K

67.93%

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: October 19, 2026

Last update for Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$224 31.7% 51.6% $239

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$222 31.4% 17.5% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$62 8.8% 50.1% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$70 9.9% 43.6% $54

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$105 14.9% 13% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$21 3% 68.9% $47

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$2.2 * 0.3% 94.4% $37

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Phuket and $307 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 68% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $25.00 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $222 per month, with Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇱🇰 Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

🕒 Local time

20:17 8:17 PM

18:47 6:47 PM

1 h 30 min behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

115,826 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.02 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 October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte 2,040 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

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 Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 71% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 68% higher in Phuket, 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: $737 in Phuket versus $307 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $556 in Phuket versus $37.61 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $707 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte 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 Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte 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 Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.