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

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Living in Phuket is roughly 17% more expensive than Durres, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$9.39 ALL 767

-50.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$35.05 ALL 2,862

33.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$7.18 ALL 586

23.12%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.92 ALL 157

56.25%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.62 ALL 132

-54.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.84 ALL 68.3

-55.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.34 ALL 191

4.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$3.36 ALL 275

7.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$2.02 ALL 165

11.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.86 ALL 70.6

113.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.93 ALL 158

16.06%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.94 ALL 240

-21.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$10.42 ALL 851

88.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$7.78 ALL 635

-53.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$13.18 ALL 1,076

-0.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.19 ALL 97.5

184.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$2.34 ALL 191

-29.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.30 ALL 106

85.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.14 ALL 93.5

78.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.11 ALL 90.4

40.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.99 ALL 80.5

51.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.13 ALL 92.6

-9.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.62 ALL 50.7

-20.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$3.99 ALL 326

11.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$11.27 ALL 920

67.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.68 ALL 137

5.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.75 ALL 143

57.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.45 ALL 36.74

211.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$18.03 ALL 1,472

-36.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$3.57 ALL 292

-12.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$2.13 ALL 174

-53.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$17.76 ALL 1,450

-20.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$2.21 ALL 180

-38.91%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$15.4K ALL 1.3M

76.51%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$25.7K ALL 2.1M

27.88%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$66.3 ALL 5,414

88.48%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$17.73 ALL 1,447

-23.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$16.07 ALL 1,312

15.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$37.33 ALL 3,048

64.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$60.1 ALL 4,903

-71.96%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$7.26 ALL 593

26.58%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$180 ALL 14.7K

287.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$4,417 ALL 360.6K

253.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$38.32 ALL 3,128

50.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$39.82 ALL 3,251

-11.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$84.0 ALL 6,856

34.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$153 ALL 12.5K

-43.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$426 ALL 34.8K

44.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$316 ALL 25.8K

41.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$598 ALL 48.9K

242.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$422 ALL 34.5K

253.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,824 ALL 149.0K

107.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,142 ALL 93.2K

131.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$844 ALL 68.9K

-37.97%

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 Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Durres: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $426 in Durres. 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $35.00 in Durres for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $241 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

Phuket vs Durres: 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.

On paper, Durres earns 61% less. 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: $616 in Phuket versus $426 in Durres. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $1,053 in Durres – 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, Phuket and Durres 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.