Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Trincomalee

For one person, living is cheaper in Trincomalee: $509 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Trincomalee
Learn more

Trincomalee Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Trincomalee

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$509

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Trincomalee

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 Trincomalee actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $509 in Trincomalee.

Phuket $1,278
Trincomalee $509

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $826 in Trincomalee.

Phuket $2,216
Trincomalee $826

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,143 in Trincomalee.

Phuket $3,154
Trincomalee $1,143

Living in Phuket is roughly 151% more expensive than in Trincomalee, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Trincomalee 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$3.91 LKR 1,300

14.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,092

$25.21 LKR 8,380

28.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$7.75 LKR 2,575

13.68%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.3

$2.53 LKR 840

11.86%

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

$0.87 ฿29.37

$0.73 LKR 242

19.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.64

$0.25 LKR 82.3

96.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.2

$2.25 LKR 749

13.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$2.98 LKR 992

23.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.62 LKR 538

2.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.25

$0.52 LKR 174

180.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$0.74 LKR 247

102.70%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.4

$1.64 LKR 545

27.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿642

$14.05 LKR 4,670

35.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$4.98 LKR 1,655

-33.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$7.30 LKR 2,425

49.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.7

$6.62 LKR 2,201

-55.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$0.87 LKR 289

94.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$4.46 LKR 1,481

-49.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$1.33 LKR 441

56.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$1.03 LKR 344

46.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.47

$0.76 LKR 254

81.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.91

$0.95 LKR 315

12.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.49

$0.42 LKR 140

23.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$10.11 LKR 3,362

-58.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿633

$13.10 LKR 4,354

43.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$1.90 LKR 631

-4.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.7

$2.90 LKR 965

-2.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.93

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,909

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.40 LKR 134

655.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.29

$0.35 LKR 116

191.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$0.88 LKR 293

319.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.70

$1.34 LKR 446

9.70%

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

$26.8K ฿902.4K

$44.0K LKR 14.6M

-39.12%

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

$26.7K ฿899.5K

$40.1K LKR 13.3M

-33.43%

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

$96.4 ฿3,247

$58.2 LKR 19.3K

65.61%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$4.17 LKR 1,388

170.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$20.63 LKR 6,858

-18.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,266

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿361

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$4.45 LKR 1,479

68.54%

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

$476 ฿16.0K

$38.13 LKR 12.7K

1148.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.6K

$1,193 LKR 396.6K

844.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,102

$17.98 LKR 5,976

246.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿957

$16.87 LKR 5,608

68.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,178

$80.5 LKR 26.8K

17.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,892

$42.56 LKR 14.1K

101.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿64.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

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 26, 2026

Last update for Trincomalee: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Trincomalee

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Trincomalee

$238 46.7% 10.8% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Trincomalee

$83 16.3% 33.3% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Trincomalee

$71 14% 41.7% $51

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Trincomalee

$106 20.8% 12.9% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Trincomalee

$8.9 * 1.8% 89.2% $73

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Trincomalee

$2.1 * 0.4% 97% $68

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $25 in Trincomalee for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $238 per month, with Trincomalee cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇱🇰 Trincomalee

🕒 Local time

11:25 11:25 AM

09:55 9:55 AM

1 h 30 min behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

99,100

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 332 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 370 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Trincomalee 1,890 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Trincomalee

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 Trincomalee: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Trincomalee is about 60% cheaper overall, especially in leisure, transport, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $763 in Trincomalee to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $38 in Trincomalee. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Trincomalee – a meal for two runs $25 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $509 in Trincomalee versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Trincomalee but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Trincomalee the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Trincomalee are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.