Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Lushnje Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Lushnje

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,233 in Lushnje.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,862 in Lushnje.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,491 in Lushnje.

Living in Phuket is roughly 3% more expensive than Lushnje, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Lushnje 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$11.92 ALL 975

-60.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$59.5 ALL 4,870

-23.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$9.69 ALL 793

-13.00%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.96 ALL 160

49.49%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$1.88 ALL 154

-63.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.97 ALL 79.0

-61.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.99 ALL 245

-19.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$4.03 ALL 330

-7.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$2.08 ALL 170

7.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.14 ALL 93.5

60.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$2.16 ALL 177

0.46%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$3.88 ALL 318

-43.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$13.23 ALL 1,082

49.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$7.97 ALL 652

-54.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$15.72 ALL 1,286

-13.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.79 ALL 147

83.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$2.70 ALL 221

-40.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.97 ALL 161

22.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.91 ALL 156

8.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.38 ALL 113

10.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.33 ALL 109

11.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.52 ALL 124

-34.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.74 ALL 60.8

-31.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$4.33 ALL 354

1.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$11.08 ALL 906

74.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.62 ALL 133

9.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$2.16 ALL 177

25.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.45 ALL 36.80

204.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$18.93 ALL 1,549

-39.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$3.56 ALL 292

-15.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$3.05 ALL 250

-67.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$17.93 ALL 1,467

-21.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$2.15 ALL 176

-36.74%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$39.6K ALL 3.2M

-28.81%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$36.0K ALL 2.9M

-8.52%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$108 ALL 8,814

12.96%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$18.00 ALL 1,472

-24.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$18.31 ALL 1,498

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$56.2 ALL 4,594

7.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$25.07 ALL 2,051

-31.63%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$9.40 ALL 769

-7.55%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$157 ALL 12.9K

340.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$5,645 ALL 461.8K

177.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$67.2 ALL 5,496

-11.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$49.61 ALL 4,059

-29.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$106 ALL 8,657

8.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$128 ALL 10.5K

-34.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$459 ALL 37.5K

33.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$345 ALL 28.2K

26.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$611 ALL 50.0K

242.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$442 ALL 36.1K

241.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$2,098 ALL 171.7K

78.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$1,163 ALL 95.1K

124.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$612 ALL 50.1K

-17.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.52

-3.44%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Lushnje: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $459 in Lushnje. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lushnje pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $60.0 in Lushnje. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $282, with Lushnje 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 Lushnje: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lushnje wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lushnje the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Lushnje earns 21% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $459 in Lushnje. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Lushnje – a meal for two runs $60.0 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,265 per month in Phuket versus $1,233 in Lushnje – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,233 in Lushnje versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Lushnje but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Lushnje the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lushnje delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,233 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lushnje hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Lushnje 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 Lushnje gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.