Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Pogradec Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Pogradec

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,012 in Pogradec.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,536 in Pogradec.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,059 in Pogradec.

Living in Phuket is roughly 25% more expensive than in Pogradec, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Pogradec 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$8.45 ALL 687

-46.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$37.70 ALL 3,063

20.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$7.24 ALL 588

20.99%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$0.95 ALL 77.2

212.63%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$1.60 ALL 130

-56.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.69 ALL 55.9

-43.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.39 ALL 113

82.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.62 ALL 213

43.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$2.00 ALL 162

7.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.90 ALL 73.0

102.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.94 ALL 157

12.37%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.06 ALL 168

9.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$7.47 ALL 607

167.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$4.22 ALL 343

-13.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$13.30 ALL 1,080

1.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$1.17 ALL 95.0

176.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$2.44 ALL 199

-32.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.43 ALL 117

62.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.15 ALL 93.6

80.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.92 ALL 74.8

68.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$0.95 ALL 77.6

53.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.98 ALL 79.6

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.77 ALL 62.8

-37.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$4.02 ALL 327

8.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$10.00 ALL 813

85.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.15 ALL 93.8

61.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$1.73 ALL 141

53.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.48 ALL 39.04

195.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$19.10 ALL 1,551

-39.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$3.44 ALL 279

-7.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$1.55 ALL 126

-33.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$17.75 ALL 1,442

-21.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$2.17 ALL 177

-38.25%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$34.9K ALL 2.8M

-20.31%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$24.9K ALL 2.0M

34.07%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$68.4 ALL 5,557

79.90%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$17.21 ALL 1,398

-19.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$16.15 ALL 1,312

13.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$55.9 ALL 4,544

8.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$24.92 ALL 2,025

-31.14%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$7.99 ALL 649

11.01%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$95.1 ALL 7,724

623.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$47.49 ALL 3,858

24.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$53.0 ALL 4,308

-34.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$93.7 ALL 7,609

23.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$141 ALL 11.5K

-40.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$455 ALL 37.0K

36.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$339 ALL 27.5K

31.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$618 ALL 50.2K

228.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$431 ALL 35.0K

246.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$1,551 ALL 126.0K

122.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$1,448 ALL 117.7K

74.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$465 ALL 37.8K

6.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

33.25%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Pogradec: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $455 in Pogradec. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 6% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $38.00 in Pogradec for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $207 per month, with Pogradec 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 Pogradec: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pogradec is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 6% higher in Phuket, 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: $621 in Phuket versus $455 in Pogradec. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $95.1 in Pogradec. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,012 in Pogradec versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Pogradec but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Pogradec the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Pogradec is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Pogradec 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 Pogradec gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.