Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tirana

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,190 a month against $1,372 in Tirana, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Tirana
Learn more

Tirana Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,190

/mo nomad

Tirana

🇦🇱 Albania

$1,372

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Tirana

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Tirana actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,190 in Phuket versus $1,372 in Tirana.

Phuket $1,190
Tirana $1,372

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,006 in Phuket versus $2,167 in Tirana.

Phuket $2,006
Tirana $2,167

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,822 in Phuket versus $2,961 in Tirana.

Phuket $2,822
Tirana $2,961

Living in Phuket costs roughly 13% less than in Tirana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 11% below, Tirana is 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.35 ฿146

$9.80 ALL 797

-55.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.45 ฿1,087

$55.6 ALL 4,525

-41.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 ฿282

$11.01 ALL 896

-23.52%

Cappuccino

$2.81 ฿94.0

$2.26 ALL 184

24.34%

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

$0.87 ฿29.29

$2.42 ALL 197

-64.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ฿15.39

$1.28 ALL 104

-64.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$3.56 ALL 290

-27.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 ฿122

$4.10 ALL 334

-11.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿57.2

$2.18 ALL 177

-21.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.42

$1.15 ALL 93.7

26.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.3

$2.35 ALL 191

-33.62%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.3

$3.84 ALL 313

-45.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.53 ฿654

$12.66 ALL 1,030

54.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$8.92 ALL 725

-61.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿373

$17.17 ALL 1,397

-35.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 ฿94.8

$1.92 ALL 156

47.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.3

$2.49 ALL 203

-34.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 ฿74.5

$2.22 ALL 181

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 ฿71.9

$1.80 ALL 146

19.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 ฿49.95

$1.05 ALL 85.6

41.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.40

$1.30 ALL 106

2.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.72

$1.45 ALL 118

-26.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.01

$0.73 ALL 59.5

-30.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 ฿147

$4.88 ALL 397

-10.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.77 ฿629

$10.45 ALL 851

79.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.3

$1.57 ALL 128

10.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.06 ALL 167

34.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 ฿72.6

$0.51 ALL 41.53

325.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.28 ฿746

$19.78 ALL 1,609

12.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿101

$3.58 ALL 291

-15.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.43

$3.75 ALL 305

-71.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 ฿124

$18.40 ALL 1,497

-79.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.88

$2.26 ALL 184

-36.73%

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

$26.3K ฿882.1K

$33.8K ALL 2.7M

-21.97%

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

$26.2K ฿877.3K

$34.9K ALL 2.8M

-24.99%

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

$96.7 ฿3,236

$96.8 ALL 7,877

-0.17%

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

$11.41 ฿382

$17.91 ALL 1,457

-36.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.11 ฿573

$19.96 ALL 1,624

-14.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 ฿1,768

$56.3 ALL 4,580

-6.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿371

$19.34 ALL 1,573

-42.76%

Cinema Ticket

$7.65 ฿256

$9.90 ALL 805

-22.73%

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

$555 ฿18.6K

$340 ALL 27.6K

63.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿377.7K

$8,356 ALL 679.8K

35.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 ฿2,123

$69.8 ALL 5,676

-9.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.61 ฿958

$47.16 ALL 3,837

-39.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 ฿3,238

$124 ALL 10.1K

-22.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 ฿2,967

$117 ALL 9,530

-24.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$735 ฿24.6K

$819 ALL 66.6K

-10.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$458 ฿15.3K

$473 ALL 38.4K

-3.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 ฿70.4K

$1,585 ALL 129.0K

32.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 ฿39.7K

$891 ALL 72.5K

33.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,493 ฿116.9K

$4,310 ALL 350.7K

-18.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,491 ฿83.4K

$2,090 ALL 170.0K

19.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.8K

$895 ALL 72.8K

-44.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.39

3.34%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 4, 2026

Last update for Tirana: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$458 38.1%

Tirana

$473 34.9% 3.2% $15

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.3%

Tirana

$288 21.2% 7.4% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Tirana

$135 9.9% 7.6% $9.5

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Tirana

$161 11.9% 29.2% $36

Eating Out

Phuket

$119 9.9%

Tirana

$179 13.2% 50.3% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.7%

Tirana

$76 5.6% 11.7% $8

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Tirana

$44 3.3% 12.5% $4.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $735 in Phuket and $819 in Tirana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tirana pays 79% 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 $56.0 in Tirana for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $288 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇦🇱 Tirana

🕒 Local time

15:17 3:17 PM

10:17 10:17 AM

5 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

418,495 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Albanian Lek ALL L

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 ALL = 1.23 USD

100 ALL = 1.1 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ALL, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.55 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Albanian Lek exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 81.36 ALL (100 ALL = 1.23 USD). 1 EUR = 91.25 ALL (100 ALL = 1.1 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Tirana 8,480 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Tirana

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Tirana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 79% lower in Tirana. 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: $735 in Phuket versus $819 in Tirana. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $555 in Phuket versus $340 in Tirana. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

At $1,190 in Phuket versus $1,372 in Tirana, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Tirana. 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 Tirana, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Tirana 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 15% less than in Tirana. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.