Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Wattala Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Wattala

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $535 in Wattala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $884 in Wattala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,234 in Wattala.

Living in Phuket is roughly 136% more expensive than in Wattala, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Wattala 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$4.07 LKR 1,366

10.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$24.66 LKR 8,273

84.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$8.49 LKR 2,847

3.18%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$2.61 LKR 877

13.79%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.69 LKR 232

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.37 LKR 124

5.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$2.29 LKR 769

10.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$3.43 LKR 1,152

9.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.71 LKR 573

25.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.52 LKR 174

250.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$0.83 LKR 278

162.65%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.13 LKR 714

5.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$14.34 LKR 4,811

39.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$4.69 LKR 1,575

-22.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$8.02 LKR 2,691

69.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$7.29 LKR 2,446

-55.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.07 LKR 359

53.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$5.67 LKR 1,902

-58.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.26 LKR 423

64.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.11 LKR 372

39.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$1.37 LKR 459

6.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.19 LKR 398

-17.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.61 LKR 203

-21.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$9.99 LKR 3,353

-56.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$12.47 LKR 4,184

48.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$2.00 LKR 670

-7.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.87 LKR 964

-7.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.38 LKR 128

734.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.36 LKR 120

186.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$0.58 LKR 194

2294.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.26 LKR 424

6.35%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$26.5K LKR 8.9M

4.83%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$35.3K LKR 11.8M

-5.44%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$59.7 LKR 20.0K

106.15%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$4.27 LKR 1,434

222.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$15.04 LKR 5,046

21.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$13.54 LKR 4,543

348.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$3.41 LKR 1,146

160.12%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$36.65 LKR 12.3K

1776.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$446 LKR 149.5K

3441.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$27.18 LKR 9,122

118.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$19.38 LKR 6,502

79.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$69.7 LKR 23.4K

65.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$39.12 LKR 13.1K

114.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

16.45

-67.60%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Wattala: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $25.00 in Wattala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $255 per month, with Wattala 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 Wattala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wattala is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 136% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,896 in Phuket and $802 in Wattala 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 $688 in Phuket versus $36.65 in Wattala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Wattala – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $535 in Wattala versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Wattala but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Wattala the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Wattala 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 Wattala 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 Wattala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 136% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.