Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sarande Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sarande

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,332 in Sarande.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $2,224 in Sarande.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $3,116 in Sarande.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 5% less than in Sarande, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Sarande 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$10.21 ALL 806

-54.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$53.6 ALL 4,233

-39.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$11.27 ALL 890

-22.98%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.24 ALL 177

29.46%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$2.43 ALL 192

-65.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$1.16 ALL 91.7

-57.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$3.74 ALL 295

-33.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$4.29 ALL 339

-13.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$2.34 ALL 185

-19.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$1.23 ALL 97.4

14.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$2.52 ALL 199

-35.71%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$3.91 ALL 309

-42.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$13.61 ALL 1,075

45.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$9.18 ALL 725

-62.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$17.48 ALL 1,381

-34.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.97 ALL 155

47.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$2.57 ALL 203

-33.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$2.07 ALL 163

9.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$1.95 ALL 154

9.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$1.09 ALL 86.2

34.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$1.30 ALL 103

9.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$1.44 ALL 114

-23.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.84 ALL 66.0

-28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$4.81 ALL 380

-10.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$7.37 ALL 582

152.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.76 ALL 139

2.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$2.06 ALL 163

44.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$1.15 ALL 90.7

95.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$22.82 ALL 1,802

2.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$3.88 ALL 306

-20.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$3.83 ALL 303

-71.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$18.76 ALL 1,482

-79.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$2.15 ALL 170

-33.49%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$35.4K ALL 2.8M

-21.43%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$29.3K ALL 2.3M

-7.88%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$102 ALL 8,024

3.15%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$19.07 ALL 1,506

-40.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$20.62 ALL 1,628

-14.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$91.7 ALL 7,241

-40.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$41.13 ALL 3,248

-72.19%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$10.07 ALL 795

-22.74%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$307 ALL 24.3K

87.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$8,429 ALL 665.7K

37.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$74.5 ALL 5,882

-14.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$47.45 ALL 3,747

-38.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$126 ALL 9,958

-23.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$114 ALL 8,993

-20.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$896 ALL 70.8K

-18.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$391 ALL 30.9K

28.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$1,137 ALL 89.8K

86.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$955 ALL 75.4K

31.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$4,685 ALL 370.0K

-24.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$2,908 ALL 229.7K

-9.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$804 ALL 63.5K

-36.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.64

-1.24%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Sarande: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $896 in Sarande. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sarande pays 58% 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 $54.0 in Sarande for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $293 per month, with Phuket 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 Sarande: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 58% lower in Sarande. 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: $733 in Phuket versus $896 in Sarande. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $307 in Sarande. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Sarande. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,332 in Sarande, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Sarande. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Phuket and Sarande 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Sarande. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.