Cost of Living Comparison Between Elbasan and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Elbasan and Phuket

Name: Phuket
Address: Phuket, TH

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $919 per month in Elbasan vs $1,261 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,443 per month in Elbasan vs $2,286 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,967 per month in Elbasan vs $3,310 in Phuket, rent included.

Elbasan is about 27% cheaper than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Elbasan and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Elbasan 32% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.64 ALL 787

$4.56 ฿149

111.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.11 ALL 2,624

$46.63 ฿1,519

-31.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.21 ALL 589

$8.47 ฿276

-14.88%

Cappuccino

$1.79 ALL 146

$3.03 ฿98.6

-40.92%

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

$1.29 ALL 105

$0.69 ฿22.45

86.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 ALL 55.9

$0.37 ฿11.92

83.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ALL 146

$2.49 ฿81.0

-28.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 ALL 198

$3.66 ฿119

-33.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ALL 150

$2.18 ฿71.0

-15.60%

White Bread (500g)

$0.93 ALL 76.3

$1.90 ฿62.0

-51.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 ALL 128

$2.20 ฿71.6

-29.09%

Eggs

$3.04 ALL 249

$2.22 ฿72.4

36.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.05 ALL 821

$19.99 ฿651

-49.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.21 ALL 426

$3.66 ฿119

42.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 ALL 992

$13.25 ฿432

-8.38%

Apples (1kg)

$0.85 ALL 69.5

$3.23 ฿105

-73.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 ALL 202

$1.70 ฿55.3

45.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.25 ALL 102

$2.39 ฿78.0

-47.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.97 ALL 79.0

$2.08 ฿67.7

-53.37%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 ALL 78.1

$1.59 ฿51.8

-39.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ALL 88.8

$1.48 ฿48.31

-26.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 ALL 73.5

$1.03 ฿33.54

-12.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ALL 46.46

$0.52 ฿16.83

9.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 ALL 323

$4.25 ฿138

-6.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.70 ALL 629

$18.79 ฿612

-59.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ALL 73.6

$1.76 ฿57.2

-48.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 ALL 123

$2.76 ฿89.8

-45.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.48 ALL 39.39

$1.36 ฿44.32

-64.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 ALL 1,567

$11.36 ฿370

68.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 ALL 283

$3.14 ฿102

10.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 ALL 101

$1.04 ฿33.74

19.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ALL 1,136

$13.77 ฿448

0.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 ALL 172

$1.34 ฿43.79

57.46%

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

$21.0K ALL 1.7M

$27.7K ฿901.4K

-24.00%

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

$27.2K ALL 2.2M

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-19.80%

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

$68.5 ALL 5,596

$124 ฿4,025

-44.58%

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

$17.59 ALL 1,437

$13.52 ฿440

30.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.13 ALL 1,236

$18.69 ฿609

-19.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.0 ALL 5,392

$61.8 ฿2,013

6.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.22 ALL 1,325

$17.25 ฿562

-5.97%

Cinema Ticket

$5.74 ALL 469

$9.14 ฿298

-37.20%

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

$142 ALL 11.6K

$703 ฿22.9K

-79.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,761 ALL 143.9K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-88.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.55 ALL 3,804

$59.5 ฿1,937

-21.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.60 ALL 2,827

$35.07 ฿1,142

-1.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 ALL 7,650

$115 ฿3,754

-18.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$177 ALL 14.5K

$84.1 ฿2,737

110.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$284 ALL 23.2K

$619 ฿20.1K

-54.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$196 ALL 16.0K

$433 ฿14.1K

-54.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 ALL 34.5K

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-79.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$296 ALL 24.2K

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-80.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,350 ALL 110.3K

$3,646 ฿118.7K

-62.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$862 ALL 70.5K

$2,626 ฿85.5K

-67.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$536 ALL 43.8K

$507 ฿16.5K

5.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

5.33

14.45%

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

Last update for Elbasan: June 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $284 in Elbasan versus $619 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 6% higher in Elbasan, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Elbasan versus $47.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $206 vs $293 – making Elbasan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Elbasan vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 37%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,378 per month in Elbasan and $1,892 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Elbasan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 42% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Elbasan and $47.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Elbasan, where all-in costs run around $919, than in Phuket at $1,261. In Elbasan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Elbasan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Elbasan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.