Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Weligama

For one person, living is cheaper in Weligama: $512 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Weligama
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Weligama Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Weligama

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$512

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Weligama

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $512 in Weligama.

Phuket $1,294
Weligama $512

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $832 in Weligama.

Phuket $2,204
Weligama $832

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $1,151 in Weligama.

Phuket $3,115
Weligama $1,151

Living in Phuket is roughly 153% more expensive than in Weligama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 4% lower, Weligama 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿147

$3.72 LKR 1,238

18.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,085

$25.11 LKR 8,353

28.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿292

$7.73 LKR 2,571

12.55%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.5

$2.57 LKR 856

5.84%

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

$0.93 ฿31.25

$0.67 LKR 223

38.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.78

$0.25 LKR 82.9

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿85.0

$2.25 LKR 749

12.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

$2.96 LKR 985

22.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.4

$1.58 LKR 525

10.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.73

$0.54 LKR 179

168.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.77 LKR 255

94.81%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.0

$1.70 LKR 567

27.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿641

$15.12 LKR 5,028

26.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$5.02 LKR 1,670

-32.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿366

$7.51 LKR 2,499

45.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.8

$6.75 LKR 2,244

-56.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.8

$0.89 LKR 295

89.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.7

$4.25 LKR 1,412

-48.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.4

$1.32 LKR 438

60.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.99

$1.05 LKR 349

39.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.95

$0.81 LKR 271

69.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.14

$1.20 LKR 399

-10.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.32

$0.46 LKR 152

19.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿149

$10.14 LKR 3,373

-56.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿613

$13.46 LKR 4,477

35.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.5

$1.95 LKR 650

-9.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.8

$2.87 LKR 953

0.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.62

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,844

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿50.8

$0.40 LKR 133

277.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿26.06

$0.31 LKR 102

151.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿129

$0.93 LKR 309

312.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.96

$1.38 LKR 458

7.97%

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

$26.9K ฿902.9K

$43.7K LKR 14.5M

-38.49%

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

$26.3K ฿884.9K

$45.1K LKR 15.0M

-41.54%

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

$97.8 ฿3,285

$56.8 LKR 18.9K

72.20%

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

$11.29 ฿379

$4.19 LKR 1,392

169.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿577

$21.11 LKR 7,023

-18.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,295

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿367

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿250

$4.44 LKR 1,478

67.34%

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

$530 ฿17.8K

$39.98 LKR 13.3K

1226.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿630.9K

$17.4K LKR 5.8M

7.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,072

$17.72 LKR 5,895

248.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿949

$17.50 LKR 5,821

61.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,225

$80.2 LKR 26.7K

19.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,916

$41.15 LKR 13.7K

110.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿46.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿140.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

12.5

-55.44%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Weligama: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Weligama

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Weligama

$244 47.7% 8.5% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Weligama

$82 16% 35% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Weligama

$70 13.8% 42.6% $52

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Weligama

$105 20.4% 12.4% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Weligama

$8.9 * 1.7% 89.3% $74

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Weligama

$1.9 * 0.4% 97.1% $64

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 Weligama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $244 per month, with Weligama cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇱🇰 Weligama

🕒 Local time

14:53 2:53 PM

13:23 1:23 PM

1 h 30 min behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

20,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.68 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 November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.75 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 333 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 374 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.68 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Weligama 1,990 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Weligama

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 Weligama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Weligama 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 $1,940 in Phuket and $768 in Weligama 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 $530 in Phuket versus $40 in Weligama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Weligama – 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 $512 in Weligama versus $1,294 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Weligama but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Weligama 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 Weligama are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.