Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Vlore Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Vlore

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,140 in Vlore.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,694 in Vlore.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,248 in Vlore.

Living in Phuket is roughly 8% more expensive than Vlore, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Vlore 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$9.61 ALL 785

-51.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$37.39 ALL 3,053

25.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$7.27 ALL 593

21.60%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.86 ALL 152

61.29%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.57 ALL 128

-52.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.87 ALL 71.0

-57.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.32 ALL 189

5.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$3.19 ALL 261

13.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$2.05 ALL 167

10.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.86 ALL 70.2

113.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$2.03 ALL 166

10.34%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$3.01 ALL 245

-22.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$10.08 ALL 823

95.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$7.65 ALL 625

-52.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$13.14 ALL 1,073

-0.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.85 ALL 151

83.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$2.43 ALL 199

-32.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.71 ALL 140

40.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.39 ALL 113

46.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.05 ALL 85.6

48.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.23 ALL 100

21.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.10 ALL 89.6

-7.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.72 ALL 59.0

-31.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$4.02 ALL 328

10.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$10.03 ALL 819

88.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.70 ALL 139

4.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.74 ALL 142

58.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.49 ALL 39.75

185.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$23.89 ALL 1,951

-51.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$3.56 ALL 291

-12.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$4.65 ALL 379

-78.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$17.65 ALL 1,441

-20.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$2.12 ALL 173

-36.32%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$34.8K ALL 2.8M

-21.80%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$25.2K ALL 2.1M

30.82%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$68.3 ALL 5,575

83.04%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$17.11 ALL 1,397

-20.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$16.12 ALL 1,316

14.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$55.9 ALL 4,564

9.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$27.73 ALL 2,264

-39.27%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$8.02 ALL 655

14.59%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$93.5 ALL 7,636

646.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$47.33 ALL 3,864

22.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$53.7 ALL 4,381

-34.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$93.1 ALL 7,604

21.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$139 ALL 11.3K

-37.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$480 ALL 39.2K

28.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$365 ALL 29.8K

22.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$617 ALL 50.3K

232.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$442 ALL 36.1K

237.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$2,111 ALL 172.4K

78.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,400 ALL 114.3K

89.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$854 ALL 69.8K

-38.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

33.25%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Vlore: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $480 in Vlore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vlore pays 63% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $37.00 in Vlore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $245 per month, with Vlore 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 Vlore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vlore is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Vlore earns 63% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $480 in Vlore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $93.5 in Vlore. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,140 in Vlore versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Vlore but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Vlore the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Vlore 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 Vlore 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 Vlore gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.