Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Weligama and Phuket

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.

24

Cost of Living Index in Weligama
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Weligama Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

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Weligama

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$512

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Weligama 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 Weligama and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Weligama $512
Phuket $1,294

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

Weligama $832
Phuket $2,204

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

Weligama $1,151
Phuket $3,115

Living in Weligama costs roughly 60% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.72 LKR 1,238

$4.39 ฿148

-15.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.11 LKR 8,353

$32.31 ฿1,086

-22.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.73 LKR 2,571

$8.70 ฿293

-11.15%

Cappuccino

$2.57 LKR 856

$2.72 ฿91.6

-5.51%

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

$0.67 LKR 223

$0.93 ฿31.28

-27.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 LKR 82.9

$0.50 ฿16.79

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 LKR 749

$2.53 ฿85.1

-11.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 LKR 985

$3.63 ฿122

-18.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 LKR 525

$1.74 ฿58.5

-9.20%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 LKR 179

$1.45 ฿48.77

-62.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 LKR 255

$1.50 ฿50.5

-48.67%

Eggs

$1.70 LKR 567

$2.17 ฿73.0

-21.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.12 LKR 5,028

$19.09 ฿642

-20.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.02 LKR 1,670

$3.40 ฿114

47.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.51 LKR 2,499

$10.90 ฿366

-31.10%

Apples (1kg)

$6.75 LKR 2,244

$2.94 ฿98.9

129.59%

Banana (1kg)

$0.89 LKR 295

$1.69 ฿56.9

-47.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.25 LKR 1,412

$2.19 ฿73.8

94.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.32 LKR 438

$2.12 ฿71.4

-37.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 LKR 349

$1.46 ฿49.03

-28.08%

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 271

$1.37 ฿45.99

-40.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 LKR 399

$1.08 ฿36.17

11.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 LKR 152

$0.55 ฿18.34

-16.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.14 LKR 3,373

$4.43 ฿149

128.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.46 LKR 4,477

$18.25 ฿614

-26.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 LKR 650

$1.77 ฿59.6

10.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 LKR 953

$2.88 ฿96.8

-0.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.66

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,845

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 LKR 133

$1.51 ฿50.9

-73.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 LKR 102

$0.78 ฿26.08

-60.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 LKR 309

$3.84 ฿129

-75.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 LKR 458

$1.49 ฿50.0

-7.38%

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

$43.7K LKR 14.5M

$26.9K ฿903.7K

62.59%

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

$45.1K LKR 15.0M

$26.3K ฿885.7K

71.07%

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

$56.8 LKR 18.9K

$97.8 ฿3,288

-41.93%

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

$4.19 LKR 1,392

$11.29 ฿380

-62.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.11 LKR 7,023

$17.19 ฿578

22.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,297

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿367

Cinema Ticket

$4.44 LKR 1,478

$7.43 ฿250

-40.24%

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

$39.98 LKR 13.3K

$530 ฿17.8K

-92.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K LKR 5.8M

$18.8K ฿631.4K

-7.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.72 LKR 5,895

$61.7 ฿2,073

-71.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.50 LKR 5,821

$28.25 ฿950

-38.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 LKR 26.7K

$96.0 ฿3,228

-16.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.15 LKR 13.7K

$86.8 ฿2,919

-52.60%

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 ฿65.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿47.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿140.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.5

5.57

124.42%

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

Last update for Weligama: November 2, 2026

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Weligama

$244 47.7%

Phuket

$267 20.6% 9.3% $23

Eating Out

Weligama

$105 20.4%

Phuket

$120 9.2% 14.2% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Weligama

$82 16%

Phuket

$126 9.8% 53.8% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Weligama

$70 13.8%

Phuket

$123 9.5% 74.2% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Weligama

$8.9 * 1.7%

Phuket

$83 6.4% 836% $74

Getting Around

Weligama

$1.9 * 0.4%

Phuket

$66 5.1% 3323% $64

Accommodation & Living

Weligama

- * 0%

Phuket

$509 39.3%

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $25 in Weligama vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $267 per month, with Weligama cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Weligama

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

05:34 5:34 AM

07:04 7:04 AM

1 h 30 min ahead of Weligama

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,000

79,308

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.67 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.64 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 November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 333 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 374 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.67 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.85 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

USD to LKR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Weligama Phuket 1,990 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Weligama
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

Weligama vs Phuket: 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 $768 in Weligama and $1,940 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.

Childcare runs $40 in Weligama versus $530 in Phuket. 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, Weligama and Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.