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: $1,253 in Phuket versus $718 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $1,086 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $1,454 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.

Living in Phuket is roughly 74% more expensive than in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$4.35 LKR 1,427

4.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,072

$24.79 LKR 8,133

31.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$7.54 LKR 2,473

18.04%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$2.51 LKR 823

11.55%

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

$0.88 ฿28.93

$0.68 LKR 224

29.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.25 LKR 81.4

96.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$2.19 LKR 720

9.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$3.10 LKR 1,018

19.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.7

$1.31 LKR 430

36.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.38

$0.57 LKR 186

152.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$0.69 LKR 227

128.99%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$1.60 LKR 524

33.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$13.31 LKR 4,368

49.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$4.38 LKR 1,438

-21.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$5.31 LKR 1,742

113.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿96.9

$6.25 LKR 2,050

-52.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$0.88 LKR 288

95.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.4

$4.31 LKR 1,415

-46.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$1.19 LKR 390

74.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.33

$0.93 LKR 306

58.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.64

$0.75 LKR 246

81.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.12

$0.89 LKR 293

23.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.49 LKR 160

16.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$9.19 LKR 3,017

-53.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿605

$12.48 LKR 4,093

47.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$1.92 LKR 630

-2.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.0

$2.81 LKR 923

3.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿72.9

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$0.31 LKR 102

877.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.31

$0.37 LKR 122

189.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$0.88 LKR 290

346.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.04

$1.16 LKR 379

28.45%

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

$27.1K ฿891.7K

$30.9K LKR 10.1M

-12.31%

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

$27.5K ฿902.3K

$42.0K LKR 13.8M

-34.62%

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

$103 ฿3,379

$45.15 LKR 14.8K

127.69%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$4.29 LKR 1,408

156.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$12.22 LKR 4,009

43.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$14.98 LKR 4,915

257.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$3.10 LKR 1,017

141.29%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$38.65 LKR 12.7K

1341.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.6K

$896 LKR 293.9K

1223.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,106

$19.93 LKR 6,540

221.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$16.57 LKR 5,438

75.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,154

$78.7 LKR 25.8K

21.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$41.75 LKR 13.7K

116.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$307 LKR 100.8K

137.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$228 LKR 74.8K

119.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$448 LKR 146.9K

366.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.7K

$385 LKR 126.5K

213.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$671 LKR 220.0K

436.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$542 LKR 177.9K

363.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.5K

$309 LKR 101.4K

62.93%

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: August 31, 2026

Last update for Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $307 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 63% 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: $33.00 in Phuket vs $25.00 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $219 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, Getting Around. The 74% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 63% 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: $730 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 $557 in Phuket versus $38.65 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 $33.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $718 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte versus $1,253 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 74% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.