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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $754 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,171 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,588 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.

Living in Phuket is roughly 66% more expensive than in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$4.00 LKR 1,345

13.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$25.03 LKR 8,411

84.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$8.14 LKR 2,737

8.60%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.71 LKR 910

12.92%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.74 LKR 250

-1.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.38 LKR 127

5.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.41 LKR 809

0.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$3.39 LKR 1,138

11.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.49 LKR 499

51.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.53 LKR 177

241.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.86 LKR 289

161.63%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.11 LKR 709

6.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$10.41 LKR 3,497

87.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$4.58 LKR 1,540

-20.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$5.87 LKR 1,972

122.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$6.42 LKR 2,156

-49.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.11 LKR 373

45.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$5.80 LKR 1,950

-58.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.19 LKR 401

70.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.95 LKR 319

61.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.91 LKR 304

64.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.19 LKR 400

-17.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.53 LKR 178

-1.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$8.59 LKR 2,886

-48.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$12.53 LKR 4,212

46.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.52 LKR 512

22.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.79 LKR 601

49.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.34 LKR 115

314.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$10.23 LKR 3,439

14.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.32 LKR 106

871.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.32 LKR 109

225.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$0.47 LKR 157

2902.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.21 LKR 406

8.26%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$26.7K LKR 9.0M

4.25%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$34.5K LKR 11.6M

-3.84%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$30.12 LKR 10.1K

306.51%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$4.42 LKR 1,486

207.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$14.96 LKR 5,028

25.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$20.63 LKR 6,933

193.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$3.33 LKR 1,120

172.37%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$37.30 LKR 12.5K

1793.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$436 LKR 146.5K

3524.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$27.06 LKR 9,093

116.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$19.44 LKR 6,533

81.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$68.9 LKR 23.2K

67.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$38.41 LKR 12.9K

117.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$341 LKR 114.6K

83.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$254 LKR 85.4K

75.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$501 LKR 168.3K

307.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$424 LKR 142.5K

251.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$671 LKR 225.5K

419.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$512 LKR 172.1K

403.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$303 LKR 101.8K

65.03%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $341 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 65% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $25.00 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $224 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 66% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 65% 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: $626 in Phuket versus $341 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $37.30 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 29% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $754 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte versus $1,250 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 66% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.