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 $1,179 in Durres.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,788 in Durres.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,396 in Durres.

Living in Phuket is roughly 4% more expensive than in Durres, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Durres 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$10.60 ALL 840

-58.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,073

$38.30 ALL 3,037

-15.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$10.50 ALL 833

-14.95%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.3

$2.08 ALL 165

39.42%

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

$0.88 ฿29.27

$2.05 ALL 162

-57.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.00

$1.03 ALL 81.5

-53.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.2

$3.13 ALL 248

-24.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$4.50 ALL 357

-17.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.0

$2.20 ALL 175

-15.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.75

$1.09 ALL 86.8

34.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$2.38 ALL 189

-34.87%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿69.9

$3.97 ALL 315

-47.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿651

$12.95 ALL 1,027

51.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$7.93 ALL 629

-56.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿378

$15.04 ALL 1,193

-24.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.2

$1.18 ALL 93.5

152.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.0

$2.45 ALL 194

-31.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$1.59 ALL 126

38.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿71.9

$1.34 ALL 106

61.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$0.87 ALL 69.2

74.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.49

$0.96 ALL 76.1

39.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.53

$1.27 ALL 101

-11.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.17

$0.72 ALL 57.0

-23.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.43 ALL 351

-3.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$11.44 ALL 907

66.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$1.52 ALL 120

17.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.5

$2.09 ALL 166

33.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.1

$0.52 ALL 41.43

328.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

$19.12 ALL 1,516

18.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$3.79 ALL 300

-20.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.02

$2.55 ALL 202

-60.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿129

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.57

$2.26 ALL 179

-34.07%

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

$26.6K ฿883.8K

$16.1K ALL 1.3M

65.27%

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

$27.0K ฿898.7K

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

$102 ฿3,407

$98.0 ALL 7,773

4.52%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$17.04 ALL 1,351

-33.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿578

$17.04 ALL 1,351

2.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,732

$41.99 ALL 3,329

24.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

$61.9 ALL 4,907

-82.11%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$7.51 ALL 595

2.40%

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

$561 ฿18.6K

$188 ALL 14.9K

198.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿382.6K

$4,691 ALL 372.0K

145.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,096

$39.91 ALL 3,164

57.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿982

$41.87 ALL 3,320

-29.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,259

$90.8 ALL 7,196

8.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,943

$166 ALL 13.1K

-46.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.5K

$459 ALL 36.4K

60.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.0K

$342 ALL 27.1K

41.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.0K

$716 ALL 56.8K

194.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$472 ALL 37.4K

159.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.3K

$1,835 ALL 145.5K

97.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.5K

$1,155 ALL 91.6K

125.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$969 ALL 76.8K

-49.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.25

6.10%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Durres: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $459 in Durres. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Durres pays 96% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $38.00 in Durres. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $269, with Durres cheaper for home cooking.

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 4% 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, salaries run 96% lower in Durres. 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: $738 in Phuket versus $459 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 $1,179 in Durres – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Durres runs roughly 19% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,179 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 $1,179 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 4% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.