Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Shkoder Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Shkoder

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $927 in Shkoder.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,350 in Shkoder.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,772 in Shkoder.

Living in Phuket is roughly 35% more expensive than in Shkoder, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Shkoder 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$5.95 ALL 486

-23.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$32.15 ALL 2,622

43.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$4.84 ALL 395

82.64%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.81 ALL 148

69.06%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$1.60 ALL 130

-54.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.82 ALL 66.5

-51.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.31 ALL 189

5.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$3.36 ALL 274

12.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$2.06 ALL 168

9.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.87 ALL 71.2

108.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.95 ALL 159

15.38%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.94 ALL 239

-23.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$6.87 ALL 560

183.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$4.99 ALL 407

-26.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$10.33 ALL 842

26.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.52 ALL 124

112.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$2.37 ALL 193

-31.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.74 ALL 142

36.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.38 ALL 112

47.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.01 ALL 82.5

51.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.21 ALL 98.7

23.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.11 ALL 90.2

-11.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.74 ALL 60.2

-29.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$4.09 ALL 334

8.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$6.02 ALL 491

204.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.44 ALL 118

29.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.72 ALL 141

55.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.49 ALL 39.86

187.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$11.40 ALL 930

2.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$3.46 ALL 282

-10.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$3.12 ALL 255

-66.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$17.64 ALL 1,439

-20.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$2.10 ALL 171

-37.62%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$35.2K ALL 2.9M

-20.89%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$25.0K ALL 2.0M

33.07%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$66.9 ALL 5,455

83.07%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$16.83 ALL 1,373

-19.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$16.08 ALL 1,311

16.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$41.52 ALL 3,386

45.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$11.87 ALL 969

43.05%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$7.02 ALL 573

29.20%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$87.5 ALL 7,138

707.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$1,756 ALL 143.2K

800.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$46.51 ALL 3,793

25.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$11.56 ALL 943

205.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$69.6 ALL 5,672

66.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$142 ALL 11.6K

-41.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$306 ALL 24.9K

104.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$298 ALL 24.3K

49.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$357 ALL 29.1K

471.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$339 ALL 27.6K

340.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$1,825 ALL 148.9K

90.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,223 ALL 99.7K

110.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$572 ALL 46.7K

-12.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.60%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Shkoder: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $306 in Shkoder. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shkoder pays 14% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $32.00 in Shkoder for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $203 per month, with Shkoder 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 Shkoder: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shkoder is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 35% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 14% lower in Shkoder. 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 $306 in Shkoder. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $87.5 in Shkoder. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $927 in Shkoder versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shkoder but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Shkoder the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Shkoder 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 Shkoder 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 Shkoder gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.