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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $847 in Pogradec.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,393 in Pogradec.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,938 in Pogradec.

Living in Phuket is roughly 45% more expensive than in Pogradec, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Pogradec 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$10.19 ALL 805

-56.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$39.39 ALL 3,112

-18.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$7.74 ALL 611

15.37%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$1.57 ALL 124

84.71%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$1.94 ALL 153

-54.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.65 ALL 51.1

-26.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$1.47 ALL 116

59.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.69 ALL 213

38.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$2.05 ALL 162

-8.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.92 ALL 72.7

59.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$2.10 ALL 166

-26.19%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$2.21 ALL 175

-4.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$8.41 ALL 664

132.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$4.49 ALL 355

-23.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$14.24 ALL 1,125

-20.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$1.23 ALL 97.5

142.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$2.35 ALL 186

-28.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.55 ALL 122

42.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$1.24 ALL 98.2

74.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.02 ALL 80.9

49.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.04 ALL 81.9

28.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.03 ALL 81.3

9.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.85 ALL 67.1

-35.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.28 ALL 338

-0.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$10.13 ALL 800

88.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.23 ALL 96.8

44.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$1.92 ALL 152

44.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.52 ALL 41.43

328.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$19.24 ALL 1,520

18.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$3.70 ALL 292

-18.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$1.92 ALL 152

-46.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$18.83 ALL 1,487

-79.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$2.24 ALL 177

-33.48%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$34.1K ALL 2.7M

-22.00%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$25.7K ALL 2.0M

5.01%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$63.4 ALL 5,011

61.57%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$16.30 ALL 1,288

-30.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$17.24 ALL 1,362

0.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$35.85 ALL 2,832

45.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$19.00 ALL 1,501

-41.74%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$9.05 ALL 715

-15.03%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$101 ALL 7,962

456.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$50.9 ALL 4,020

23.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$57.0 ALL 4,499

-48.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$101 ALL 8,000

-3.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$148 ALL 11.7K

-40.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$185 ALL 14.6K

298.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$126 ALL 9,954

282.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$378 ALL 29.9K

457.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$248 ALL 19.6K

393.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$1,604 ALL 126.7K

125.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$1,534 ALL 121.2K

69.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$490 ALL 38.7K

0.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.40%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Pogradec: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $185 in Pogradec. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 1% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $39.00 in Pogradec. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $220, with Pogradec 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 Pogradec: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pogradec is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 45% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $185 in Pogradec. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $101 in Pogradec. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $847 in Pogradec versus $1,232 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 45% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.