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 $1,308 in Sarande.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $2,199 in Sarande.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $3,090 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 2% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$11.90 ALL 973

-60.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$58.0 ALL 4,742

-21.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$9.50 ALL 778

-11.26%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$2.05 ALL 167

42.93%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$1.91 ALL 156

-63.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.97 ALL 79.4

-61.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.92 ALL 239

-17.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.45 ALL 282

7.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$2.06 ALL 168

8.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.08 ALL 88.7

69.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$2.22 ALL 182

-2.25%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$4.02 ALL 329

-45.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$13.23 ALL 1,083

49.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$7.61 ALL 623

-52.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$15.84 ALL 1,296

-14.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.79 ALL 146

83.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$2.80 ALL 229

-42.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.99 ALL 163

21.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.92 ALL 157

8.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.32 ALL 108

15.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.32 ALL 108

12.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.44 ALL 118

-31.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.74 ALL 60.9

-31.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$4.29 ALL 351

2.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$6.66 ALL 545

190.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.65 ALL 135

7.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$2.08 ALL 170

30.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$1.14 ALL 93.1

20.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$22.80 ALL 1,865

-50.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$3.49 ALL 286

-13.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$3.17 ALL 259

-68.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$17.69 ALL 1,447

-20.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$2.05 ALL 168

-33.66%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$34.9K ALL 2.9M

-19.11%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$29.2K ALL 2.4M

12.83%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$102 ALL 8,362

19.06%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$18.17 ALL 1,487

-25.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$18.44 ALL 1,509

-0.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$92.4 ALL 7,557

-34.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$41.04 ALL 3,358

-58.24%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$9.53 ALL 780

-8.81%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$290 ALL 23.8K

138.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$5,487 ALL 448.9K

185.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$68.3 ALL 5,588

-12.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$51.1 ALL 4,179

-31.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$108 ALL 8,852

5.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$128 ALL 10.5K

-35.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$852 ALL 69.7K

-28.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$379 ALL 31.0K

15.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$1,099 ALL 89.9K

90.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$951 ALL 77.8K

58.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$4,646 ALL 380.1K

-19.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$2,976 ALL 243.4K

-12.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$776 ALL 63.5K

-34.51%

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 Sarande: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $852 in Sarande. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sarande pays 53% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $58.0 in Sarande. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $272, 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, Sarande earns 53% 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 $852 in Sarande. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $290 in Sarande. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Sarande pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,308 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.