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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $547 in Wattala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $876 in Wattala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,205 in Wattala.

Living in Phuket is roughly 130% more expensive than Wattala, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Wattala 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$3.94 LKR 1,316

15.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$24.94 LKR 8,320

86.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$8.20 LKR 2,735

3.29%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.68 LKR 892

13.06%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.70 LKR 233

-1.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.40 LKR 134

-7.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$2.39 LKR 798

4.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.42 LKR 1,141

7.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.71 LKR 569

27.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.55 LKR 184

245.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$0.86 LKR 287

155.81%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.21 LKR 737

0.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$13.91 LKR 4,641

43.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$4.78 LKR 1,594

-23.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$7.81 LKR 2,606

69.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$7.52 LKR 2,509

-57.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.07 LKR 357

58.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$5.92 LKR 1,974

-59.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.25 LKR 418

66.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.10 LKR 367

44.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.36 LKR 455

8.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.19 LKR 396

-13.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.55 LKR 184

-5.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$9.88 LKR 3,296

-56.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$12.79 LKR 4,265

46.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$2.02 LKR 675

-12.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.86 LKR 954

-3.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$0.38 LKR 128

726.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.35 LKR 118

197.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$0.58 LKR 193

2274.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.20 LKR 399

11.67%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$26.5K LKR 8.8M

4.45%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$35.3K LKR 11.8M

-4.19%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$60.5 LKR 20.2K

104.42%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$4.32 LKR 1,440

212.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$15.44 LKR 5,151

21.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$13.58 LKR 4,528

355.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$3.43 LKR 1,143

166.47%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$36.18 LKR 12.1K

1842.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$433 LKR 144.3K

3569.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$27.34 LKR 9,119

117.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$19.27 LKR 6,428

81.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$69.0 LKR 23.0K

67.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$39.20 LKR 13.1K

114.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Wattala: June 9, 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 $293 vs $257 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 130% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,892 in Phuket and $821 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 $703 in Phuket versus $36.18 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 $547 in Wattala versus $1,261 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 130% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.