Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $734 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,153 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,572 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.

Living in Phuket is roughly 72% more expensive than Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$4.12 LKR 1,368

14.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$24.76 LKR 8,211

83.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$8.48 LKR 2,811

-0.59%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$2.67 LKR 884

9.74%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.75 LKR 247

-8.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.38 LKR 125

-2.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.28 LKR 757

5.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.29 LKR 1,092

13.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.50 LKR 497

48.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.53 LKR 175

245.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$0.85 LKR 283

155.29%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.13 LKR 705

3.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$10.28 LKR 3,410

92.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$4.55 LKR 1,507

-20.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$5.85 LKR 1,940

131.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$6.17 LKR 2,046

-46.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.11 LKR 367

45.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$5.71 LKR 1,894

-57.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.25 LKR 415

66.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.01 LKR 334

51.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.93 LKR 309

59.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.14 LKR 379

-13.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.50 LKR 166

2.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$8.46 LKR 2,805

-47.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$12.57 LKR 4,167

54.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.47 LKR 486

21.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.81 LKR 600

49.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.32 LKR 105

328.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$10.23 LKR 3,392

11.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$0.34 LKR 114

788.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.35 LKR 117

182.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$0.44 LKR 145

3104.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.27 LKR 419

7.09%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$27.2K LKR 9.0M

3.62%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$34.4K LKR 11.4M

-4.32%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$30.64 LKR 10.2K

297.19%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$4.22 LKR 1,399

221.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$14.91 LKR 4,943

22.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$21.06 LKR 6,984

185.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$3.42 LKR 1,135

154.09%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$36.74 LKR 12.2K

1787.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$433 LKR 143.6K

3523.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$28.02 LKR 9,290

112.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$19.05 LKR 6,317

82.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$69.0 LKR 22.9K

66.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$38.31 LKR 12.7K

117.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$335 LKR 111.0K

83.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$254 LKR 84.1K

72.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$512 LKR 169.8K

308.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$418 LKR 138.5K

261.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$686 LKR 227.4K

446.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$528 LKR 175.1K

395.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$303 LKR 100.3K

67.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-64.47%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $335 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $25.00 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $221 per month, with Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte 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 Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 72% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 68% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $335 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $36.74 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $734 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte versus $1,265 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 72% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.