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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,287 in Sarande.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $2,177 in Sarande.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $3,067 in Sarande.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 3% less than in Sarande, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Sarande 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$11.94 ALL 974

-61.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$58.4 ALL 4,763

-20.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$9.39 ALL 766

-5.86%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.97 ALL 160

55.33%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$1.83 ALL 149

-60.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.93 ALL 75.5

-56.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.92 ALL 239

-16.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$3.42 ALL 279

10.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$2.08 ALL 170

8.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.14 ALL 92.8

58.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.21 ALL 180

1.81%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$3.83 ALL 312

-41.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$13.15 ALL 1,072

48.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$7.65 ALL 624

-52.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$15.64 ALL 1,276

-16.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.69 ALL 138

91.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$2.78 ALL 227

-41.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.95 ALL 159

22.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.98 ALL 161

2.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.37 ALL 112

11.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.27 ALL 103

18.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.44 ALL 117

-31.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.73 ALL 59.7

-28.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$4.22 ALL 344

5.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$6.48 ALL 529

182.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.64 ALL 134

13.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.15 ALL 175

24.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$1.16 ALL 94.6

21.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$22.72 ALL 1,853

-48.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$3.59 ALL 293

-13.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$3.10 ALL 252

-66.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$17.88 ALL 1,458

-21.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$2.05 ALL 167

-36.10%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$35.1K ALL 2.9M

-20.84%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$29.2K ALL 2.4M

13.82%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$101 ALL 8,221

21.47%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$18.07 ALL 1,474

-24.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$18.78 ALL 1,532

-0.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$89.2 ALL 7,275

-32.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$41.83 ALL 3,412

-59.41%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$9.65 ALL 787

-6.01%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$287 ALL 23.4K

146.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$5,616 ALL 458.0K

181.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$67.7 ALL 5,519

-13.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$49.81 ALL 4,062

-29.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$108 ALL 8,820

6.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$127 ALL 10.4K

-34.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$880 ALL 71.8K

-28.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$391 ALL 31.9K

13.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$1,135 ALL 92.6K

79.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$948 ALL 77.3K

57.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$4,652 ALL 379.4K

-25.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$2,937 ALL 239.5K

-12.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$776 ALL 63.3K

-35.61%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Sarande: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $880 in Sarande. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sarande pays 55% 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 $58.0 in Sarande. Groceries flip the comparison at $289 vs $270, with Sarande 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 Sarande: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 55% 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: $626 in Phuket versus $880 in Sarande. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $287 in Sarande. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Sarande pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,287 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 3% less than in Sarande. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.