Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte: $707 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
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Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$707

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $707 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte versus $1,208 in Phuket.

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte $707
Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,096 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte versus $2,027 in Phuket.

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte $1,096
Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,485 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte versus $2,845 in Phuket.

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte $1,485
Phuket $2,845

Living in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte costs roughly 42% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte 48% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.84 LKR 1,271

$4.40 ฿147

-12.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.15 LKR 8,331

$32.26 ฿1,078

-22.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.65 LKR 2,533

$8.76 ฿293

-12.67%

Cappuccino

$2.57 LKR 852

$2.83 ฿94.5

-9.19%

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

$0.73 LKR 241

$0.90 ฿30.14

-18.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 LKR 81.8

$0.47 ฿15.56

-46.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 LKR 735

$2.55 ฿85.2

-12.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 LKR 989

$3.83 ฿128

-22.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 LKR 421

$1.73 ฿57.7

-26.59%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 LKR 191

$1.47 ฿49.11

-60.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.74 LKR 246

$1.51 ฿50.6

-50.99%

Eggs

$1.72 LKR 568

$2.17 ฿72.7

-20.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.81 LKR 4,576

$19.70 ฿658

-29.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 LKR 1,462

$3.34 ฿112

32.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.29 LKR 1,754

$11.16 ฿373

-52.60%

Apples (1kg)

$6.21 LKR 2,058

$2.85 ฿95.1

117.89%

Banana (1kg)

$0.84 LKR 279

$1.70 ฿56.9

-50.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.36 LKR 1,445

$2.19 ฿73.3

99.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 LKR 397

$2.05 ฿68.4

-41.46%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 LKR 288

$1.45 ฿48.57

-40.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 LKR 270

$1.38 ฿46.16

-40.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 LKR 291

$1.07 ฿35.69

-17.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 LKR 151

$0.51 ฿16.91

-9.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.15 LKR 3,031

$4.26 ฿142

114.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.73 LKR 4,216

$18.58 ฿621

-31.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 LKR 645

$1.78 ฿59.7

9.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 LKR 1,001

$2.85 ฿95.2

5.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.31 LKR 103

$3.01 ฿101

-89.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 LKR 125

$1.06 ฿35.34

-64.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 LKR 292

$3.86 ฿129

-77.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 LKR 381

$1.45 ฿48.45

-20.69%

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

$43.5K LKR 14.4M

$26.3K ฿879.9K

65.18%

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

$41.0K LKR 13.6M

$26.9K ฿900.4K

52.11%

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

$45.62 LKR 15.1K

$96.4 ฿3,221

-52.67%

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

$4.36 LKR 1,445

$11.04 ฿369

-60.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.16 LKR 4,028

$17.14 ฿573

-29.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.89 LKR 4,933

$52.2 ฿1,744

-71.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$3.08 LKR 1,020

$7.81 ฿261

-60.56%

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

$37.61 LKR 12.5K

$556 ฿18.6K

-93.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$896 LKR 296.9K

$11.6K ฿387.0K

-92.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.40 LKR 6,093

$64.2 ฿2,146

-71.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.89 LKR 5,593

$28.69 ฿959

-41.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 LKR 26.3K

$95.4 ฿3,187

-16.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.35 LKR 13.7K

$88.0 ฿2,940

-53.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$307 LKR 101.7K

$737 ฿24.6K

-58.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$224 LKR 74.1K

$462 ฿15.5K

-51.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$445 LKR 147.4K

$2,095 ฿70.0K

-78.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 LKR 126.4K

$1,201 ฿40.1K

-68.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$692 LKR 229.3K

$3,488 ฿116.6K

-80.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$531 LKR 175.9K

$2,523 ฿84.3K

-78.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$298 LKR 98.8K

$501 ฿16.7K

-40.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.69

5.57

127.83%

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

Last update for Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte: October 19, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$224 31.7%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 107% $239

Groceries & Markets

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$222 31.4%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 21.1% $47

Eating Out

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$105 14.9%

Phuket

$121 10% 15% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$70 9.9%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 77.2% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$62 8.8%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 100% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$21 3%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 222% $47

Getting Around

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$2.2 * 0.3%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 1693% $37

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $307 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte and $737 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 68% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $25.00 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $269 per month, with Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

15:52 3:52 PM

17:22 5:22 PM

1 h 30 min ahead of Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

115,826 Capital

79,308

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to LKR – Sri Lankan Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇰 Sri Lankan Rupee (Rs)

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to LKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte Phuket 2,040 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
Phuket

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

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 71% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 68% lower in Phuket. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $307 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte versus $737 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $37.61 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte versus $556 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $707 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte 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, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte and Phuket 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 Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.