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 $571 in Wattala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $960 in Wattala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,349 in Wattala.

Living in Phuket is roughly 116% more expensive than in Wattala, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Wattala 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$4.47 LKR 1,479

-1.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,074

$25.94 LKR 8,578

24.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$7.46 LKR 2,468

19.71%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.4

$2.55 LKR 842

13.73%

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

$0.88 ฿29.30

$0.69 LKR 227

27.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.01

$0.27 LKR 89.3

77.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.3

$2.21 LKR 730

6.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.10 LKR 1,025

20.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$1.59 LKR 524

17.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.81

$0.56 LKR 186

162.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$0.74 LKR 246

109.46%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.0

$1.57 LKR 520

33.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿652

$13.31 LKR 4,399

47.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$4.93 LKR 1,630

-30.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

$7.16 LKR 2,367

58.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.3

$6.80 LKR 2,249

-56.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$0.82 LKR 272

104.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$4.23 LKR 1,397

-47.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.0

$1.23 LKR 407

75.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$0.99 LKR 328

53.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.55

$0.76 LKR 252

76.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.57

$0.96 LKR 316

17.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.19

$0.49 LKR 160

12.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$10.52 LKR 3,478

-59.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$13.44 LKR 4,444

42.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$2.00 LKR 660

-11.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.6

$2.82 LKR 932

-1.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.2

$0.20 LKR 66.1

1015.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.39 LKR 129

676.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.06

$0.35 LKR 114

191.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$0.87 LKR 287

347.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.63

$1.18 LKR 392

26.27%

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

$26.6K ฿884.9K

$37.8K LKR 12.5M

-29.67%

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

$27.0K ฿899.8K

$40.6K LKR 13.4M

-33.46%

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

$102 ฿3,411

$54.1 LKR 17.9K

89.27%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$4.09 LKR 1,353

177.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿579

$20.56 LKR 6,797

-15.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,734

$13.50 LKR 4,465

285.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

$4.69 LKR 1,551

136.03%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$3.12 LKR 1,033

146.47%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$38.31 LKR 12.7K

1363.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.0K

$1,236 LKR 408.8K

830.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,098

$20.27 LKR 6,702

210.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿983

$16.95 LKR 5,603

74.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,263

$78.7 LKR 26.0K

24.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,946

$42.99 LKR 14.2K

105.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$105 LKR 34.9K

600.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$61.3 LKR 20.3K

687.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.1K

$239 LKR 79.1K

780.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$182 LKR 60.3K

572.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

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: September 15, 2026

Last update for Wattala: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $105 in Wattala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $26.00 in Wattala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $235 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, Getting Around. The 116% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $857 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $738 in Phuket versus $105 in Wattala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $38.31 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 $26.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $571 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 116% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.