Cost of Living Comparison Between Pogradec and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Pogradec and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,007 in Pogradec versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,499 in Pogradec versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,991 in Pogradec versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Pogradec costs roughly 20% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Pogradec 25% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 ALL 655

$4.56 ฿149

75.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.69 ALL 3,079

$46.63 ฿1,519

-19.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.28 ALL 595

$8.47 ฿276

-14.05%

Cappuccino

$0.93 ALL 75.7

$3.03 ฿98.6

-69.31%

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

$1.60 ALL 131

$0.69 ฿22.45

131.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 ALL 56.8

$0.37 ฿11.92

89.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.37 ALL 112

$2.49 ฿81.0

-44.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 ALL 206

$3.66 ฿119

-31.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ALL 165

$2.18 ฿71.0

-7.34%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 ALL 69.5

$1.90 ฿62.0

-55.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 ALL 165

$2.20 ฿71.6

-8.18%

Eggs

$2.06 ALL 168

$2.22 ฿72.4

-7.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ALL 607

$19.99 ฿651

-62.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.14 ALL 338

$3.66 ฿119

13.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.17 ALL 1,076

$13.25 ฿432

-0.60%

Apples (1kg)

$1.16 ALL 94.9

$3.23 ฿105

-64.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 ALL 193

$1.70 ฿55.3

39.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.39 ALL 113

$2.39 ฿78.0

-41.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 ALL 98.2

$2.08 ฿67.7

-42.31%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 ALL 75.8

$1.59 ฿51.8

-41.51%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 ALL 79.1

$1.48 ฿48.31

-34.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 ALL 79.3

$1.03 ฿33.54

-5.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ALL 58.6

$0.52 ฿16.83

38.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 ALL 324

$4.25 ฿138

-6.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.93 ALL 811

$18.79 ฿612

-47.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 ALL 95.3

$1.76 ฿57.2

-33.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 ALL 144

$2.76 ฿89.8

-36.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.48 ALL 39.34

$1.36 ฿44.32

-64.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 ALL 1,557

$11.36 ฿370

67.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.47 ALL 283

$3.14 ฿102

10.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 ALL 130

$1.04 ฿33.74

53.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.57 ALL 1,436

$13.77 ฿448

27.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 ALL 172

$1.34 ฿43.79

57.46%

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

$34.0K ALL 2.8M

$27.7K ฿901.4K

22.75%

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

$25.0K ALL 2.0M

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-26.30%

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

$67.0 ALL 5,476

$124 ฿4,025

-45.76%

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

$17.67 ALL 1,444

$13.52 ฿440

30.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.99 ALL 1,306

$18.69 ฿609

-14.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.3 ALL 4,520

$61.8 ฿2,013

-10.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.27 ALL 2,064

$17.25 ฿562

46.49%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ALL 658

$9.14 ฿298

-11.93%

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

$94.0 ALL 7,680

$703 ฿22.9K

-86.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.63 ALL 3,810

$59.5 ฿1,937

-21.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.6 ALL 4,378

$35.07 ฿1,142

52.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.8 ALL 7,830

$115 ฿3,754

-16.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 ALL 11.6K

$84.1 ฿2,737

69.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$443 ALL 36.2K

$619 ฿20.1K

-28.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$338 ALL 27.6K

$433 ฿14.1K

-21.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$611 ALL 49.9K

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-70.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ALL 35.7K

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-71.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,552 ALL 126.8K

$3,646 ฿118.7K

-57.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,451 ALL 118.6K

$2,626 ฿85.5K

-44.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$462 ALL 37.7K

$507 ฿16.5K

-8.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-24.95%

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

Last update for Pogradec: June 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $443 in Pogradec and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 10% 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: $38.00 in Pogradec vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $293 per month, with Pogradec 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

Pogradec vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pogradec is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Phuket earns 10% 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: $443 in Pogradec versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $94.0 in Pogradec versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,007 in Pogradec versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Pogradec but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Pogradec the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Pogradec 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, Pogradec and Phuket 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 Pogradec gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.