Cost of Living Comparison Between Durres and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Durres and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,053 in Durres versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,608 in Durres versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,163 in Durres versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Durres costs roughly 14% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Durres 21% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.39 ALL 767

$4.63 ฿151

102.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.05 ALL 2,862

$46.84 ฿1,532

-25.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.18 ALL 586

$8.84 ฿289

-18.78%

Cappuccino

$1.92 ALL 157

$3.00 ฿98.0

-36.00%

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

$1.62 ALL 132

$0.74 ฿24.25

118.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 ALL 68.3

$0.37 ฿11.95

127.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 ALL 191

$2.44 ฿79.8

-4.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 ALL 275

$3.61 ฿118

-6.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ALL 165

$2.26 ฿73.9

-10.62%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 ALL 70.6

$1.84 ฿60.1

-53.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 ALL 158

$2.24 ฿73.4

-13.84%

Eggs

$2.94 ALL 240

$2.32 ฿75.7

26.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ALL 851

$19.67 ฿643

-47.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.78 ALL 635

$3.65 ฿119

113.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.18 ALL 1,076

$13.10 ฿428

0.61%

Apples (1kg)

$1.19 ALL 97.5

$3.39 ฿111

-64.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 ALL 191

$1.64 ฿53.7

42.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.30 ALL 106

$2.41 ฿79.0

-46.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ALL 93.5

$2.03 ฿66.4

-43.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 ALL 90.4

$1.56 ฿50.9

-28.85%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 ALL 80.5

$1.50 ฿48.94

-34.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ALL 92.6

$1.02 ฿33.50

10.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 ALL 50.7

$0.49 ฿16.00

26.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 ALL 326

$4.45 ฿145

-10.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.27 ALL 920

$18.88 ฿617

-40.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 ALL 137

$1.78 ฿58.1

-5.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ALL 143

$2.75 ฿90.1

-36.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.45 ALL 36.74

$1.40 ฿45.81

-67.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.03 ALL 1,472

$11.48 ฿376

57.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 ALL 292

$3.12 ฿102

14.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 ALL 174

$1.00 ฿32.67

113.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.76 ALL 1,450

$14.09 ฿461

26.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 ALL 180

$1.35 ฿44.19

63.70%

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

$15.4K ALL 1.3M

$27.2K ฿888.9K

-43.35%

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

$25.7K ALL 2.1M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-21.80%

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

$66.3 ALL 5,414

$125 ฿4,087

-46.94%

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

$17.73 ALL 1,447

$13.57 ฿444

30.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.07 ALL 1,312

$18.52 ฿606

-13.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.33 ALL 3,048

$61.5 ฿2,010

-39.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$60.1 ALL 4,903

$16.84 ฿551

256.59%

Cinema Ticket

$7.26 ALL 593

$9.19 ฿300

-21.00%

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

$180 ALL 14.7K

$698 ฿22.8K

-74.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,417 ALL 360.6K

$15.6K ฿509.9K

-71.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.32 ALL 3,128

$57.8 ฿1,889

-33.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.82 ALL 3,251

$35.24 ฿1,152

13.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.0 ALL 6,856

$113 ฿3,699

-25.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 ALL 12.5K

$86.4 ฿2,825

77.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$426 ALL 34.8K

$616 ฿20.1K

-30.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$316 ALL 25.8K

$446 ฿14.6K

-29.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$598 ALL 48.9K

$2,048 ฿67.0K

-70.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$422 ALL 34.5K

$1,492 ฿48.8K

-71.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,824 ALL 149.0K

$3,779 ฿123.6K

-51.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,142 ALL 93.2K

$2,649 ฿86.6K

-56.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$844 ALL 68.9K

$524 ฿17.1K

61.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

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

Last update for Durres: April 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $426 in Durres and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Durres pays 61% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Durres vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $241 vs $292 per month, with Durres 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

Durres vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Durres wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Durres the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Durres pays 61% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $426 in Durres versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,053 per month in Durres versus $1,232 in Phuket – a 17% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Durres runs roughly 57% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,053 in Durres versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Durres but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Durres the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Durres delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,053 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Durres hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Durres 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 Durres gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.