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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $534 in Wattala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $873 in Wattala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,213 in Wattala.

Living in Phuket is roughly 131% more expensive than Wattala, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Wattala 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$3.98 LKR 1,270

16.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$25.17 LKR 8,027

86.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$8.46 LKR 2,699

4.49%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.73 LKR 870

9.89%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.72 LKR 230

2.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.41 LKR 129

-9.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.30 LKR 735

6.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$3.37 LKR 1,076

7.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.69 LKR 539

33.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.53 LKR 168

247.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$0.85 LKR 272

163.53%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.20 LKR 702

5.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$14.02 LKR 4,470

40.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$4.73 LKR 1,509

-22.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$7.83 LKR 2,498

67.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$7.43 LKR 2,370

-54.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.08 LKR 344

51.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$5.71 LKR 1,822

-57.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.22 LKR 388

66.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.11 LKR 354

40.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.41 LKR 451

6.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.20 LKR 382

-15.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.60 LKR 192

-18.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$9.91 LKR 3,160

-55.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$12.67 LKR 4,040

49.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.00 LKR 639

-11.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.96 LKR 945

-7.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.39 LKR 123

700.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.35 LKR 112

185.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$0.61 LKR 195

2209.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.20 LKR 383

12.50%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$27.3K LKR 8.7M

-0.36%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$34.5K LKR 11.0M

-4.49%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$60.9 LKR 19.4K

105.32%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$4.20 LKR 1,341

223.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$15.44 LKR 4,925

19.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$13.20 LKR 4,209

365.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$3.43 LKR 1,092

167.93%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$36.78 LKR 11.7K

1798.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$441 LKR 140.7K

3433.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$27.37 LKR 8,728

111.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$19.36 LKR 6,175

82.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$68.4 LKR 21.8K

65.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$39.12 LKR 12.5K

120.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Wattala: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $25.00 in Wattala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $256 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 131% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $801 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 $698 in Phuket versus $36.78 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 $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $534 in Wattala versus $1,232 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 131% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.