Cost of Living Comparison Between Wattala and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Wattala and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $571 in Wattala versus $1,232 in Phuket.

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

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

Living in Wattala costs roughly 54% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 LKR 1,479

$4.41 ฿147

1.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.94 LKR 8,578

$32.26 ฿1,074

-19.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.46 LKR 2,468

$8.93 ฿297

-16.46%

Cappuccino

$2.55 LKR 842

$2.90 ฿96.4

-12.07%

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

$0.69 LKR 227

$0.88 ฿29.30

-21.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 89.3

$0.48 ฿16.01

-43.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 LKR 730

$2.35 ฿78.3

-5.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 LKR 1,025

$3.72 ฿124

-16.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 LKR 524

$1.87 ฿62.1

-14.97%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 LKR 186

$1.47 ฿48.81

-61.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.74 LKR 246

$1.55 ฿51.7

-52.26%

Eggs

$1.57 LKR 520

$2.10 ฿70.0

-25.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.31 LKR 4,399

$19.59 ฿652

-32.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 LKR 1,630

$3.42 ฿114

44.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.16 LKR 2,367

$11.38 ฿379

-37.08%

Apples (1kg)

$6.80 LKR 2,249

$2.98 ฿99.3

128.19%

Banana (1kg)

$0.82 LKR 272

$1.68 ฿56.1

-51.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.23 LKR 1,397

$2.21 ฿73.5

91.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.23 LKR 407

$2.16 ฿72.0

-43.06%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 LKR 328

$1.52 ฿50.8

-34.87%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 LKR 252

$1.34 ฿44.55

-43.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 LKR 316

$1.13 ฿37.57

-15.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 LKR 160

$0.55 ฿18.19

-10.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.52 LKR 3,478

$4.26 ฿142

146.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.44 LKR 4,444

$19.09 ฿635

-29.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 LKR 660

$1.78 ฿59.2

12.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 LKR 932

$2.78 ฿92.6

1.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 LKR 66.1

$2.23 ฿74.2

-91.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.39 LKR 129

$3.03 ฿101

-87.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 LKR 114

$1.02 ฿34.06

-65.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 LKR 287

$3.89 ฿130

-77.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 LKR 392

$1.49 ฿49.63

-20.81%

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

$37.8K LKR 12.5M

$26.6K ฿884.9K

42.18%

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

$40.6K LKR 13.4M

$27.0K ฿899.8K

50.28%

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

$54.1 LKR 17.9K

$102 ฿3,411

-47.17%

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

$4.09 LKR 1,353

$11.33 ฿377

-63.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.56 LKR 6,797

$17.40 ฿579

18.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.50 LKR 4,465

$52.1 ฿1,734

-74.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.69 LKR 1,551

$11.07 ฿369

-57.63%

Cinema Ticket

$3.12 LKR 1,033

$7.69 ฿256

-59.43%

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

$38.31 LKR 12.7K

$561 ฿18.7K

-93.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,236 LKR 408.8K

$11.5K ฿383.0K

-89.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.27 LKR 6,702

$63.0 ฿2,098

-67.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.95 LKR 5,603

$29.52 ฿983

-42.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.7 LKR 26.0K

$98.0 ฿3,263

-19.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.99 LKR 14.2K

$88.5 ฿2,946

-51.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$105 LKR 34.9K

$738 ฿24.6K

-85.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$61.3 LKR 20.3K

$482 ฿16.1K

-87.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$239 LKR 79.1K

$2,107 ฿70.1K

-88.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$182 LKR 60.3K

$1,226 ฿40.8K

-85.13%

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 %)

12.69

5.57

127.83%

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

Last update for Wattala: September 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

Dining out: $26.00 in Wattala vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $274 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

Wattala vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wattala is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 116% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $857 in Wattala and $1,847 in Phuket 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: $105 in Wattala versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $38.31 in Wattala versus $561 in Phuket. 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, Wattala 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 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.