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: $1,006 in Pogradec versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,536 in Pogradec versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,066 in Pogradec versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Pogradec costs roughly 18% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Pogradec 25% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 ALL 656

$4.63 ฿151

73.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.74 ALL 3,003

$46.84 ฿1,523

-21.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.91 ALL 565

$8.84 ฿287

-21.83%

Cappuccino

$0.90 ALL 73.7

$3.00 ฿97.4

-70.00%

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

$1.62 ALL 133

$0.74 ฿24.11

118.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 ALL 59.8

$0.37 ฿11.88

97.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.42 ALL 116

$2.44 ฿79.3

-41.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 ALL 209

$3.61 ฿117

-29.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ALL 167

$2.26 ฿73.5

-9.73%

White Bread (500g)

$0.84 ALL 68.7

$1.84 ฿59.8

-54.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 ALL 159

$2.24 ฿73.0

-13.39%

Eggs

$2.17 ALL 177

$2.32 ฿75.3

-6.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.49 ALL 612

$19.67 ฿639

-61.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.22 ALL 345

$3.65 ฿119

15.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ALL 1,071

$13.10 ฿426

Apples (1kg)

$1.15 ALL 94.2

$3.39 ฿110

-66.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 ALL 201

$1.64 ฿53.4

49.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.39 ALL 113

$2.41 ฿78.5

-42.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.21 ALL 99.2

$2.03 ฿66.0

-40.39%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 ALL 78.0

$1.56 ฿50.6

-39.10%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ALL 75.0

$1.50 ฿48.66

-38.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ALL 80.4

$1.02 ฿33.30

-3.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ALL 59.0

$0.49 ฿15.91

46.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 ALL 327

$4.45 ฿145

-10.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.21 ALL 834

$18.88 ฿614

-45.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 ALL 97.7

$1.78 ฿57.7

-32.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 ALL 147

$2.75 ฿89.5

-34.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 ALL 39.77

$1.40 ฿45.54

-65.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.07 ALL 1,559

$11.48 ฿373

66.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 ALL 288

$3.12 ฿101

12.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 ALL 126

$1.00 ฿32.48

54.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.85 ALL 1,459

$14.09 ฿458

26.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 ALL 179

$1.35 ฿43.93

62.22%

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

$34.7K ALL 2.8M

$27.2K ฿883.7K

27.49%

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

$25.7K ALL 2.1M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-21.99%

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

$66.6 ALL 5,440

$125 ฿4,063

-46.74%

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

$17.43 ALL 1,425

$13.57 ฿441

28.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.65 ALL 1,279

$18.52 ฿602

-15.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 ALL 4,556

$61.5 ฿1,999

-9.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.57 ALL 2,089

$16.84 ฿547

51.84%

Cinema Ticket

$8.20 ALL 670

$9.19 ฿299

-10.77%

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

$95.4 ALL 7,800

$698 ฿22.7K

-86.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿506.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.50 ALL 3,882

$57.8 ฿1,878

-17.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.8 ALL 4,318

$35.24 ฿1,146

49.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 ALL 7,632

$113 ฿3,677

-17.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 ALL 11.4K

$86.4 ฿2,808

61.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$442 ALL 36.1K

$616 ฿20.0K

-28.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$342 ALL 28.0K

$446 ฿14.5K

-23.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 ALL 50.5K

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-69.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$431 ALL 35.2K

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-71.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,599 ALL 130.7K

$3,779 ฿122.8K

-57.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,462 ALL 119.5K

$2,649 ฿86.1K

-44.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$464 ALL 38.0K

$524 ฿17.0K

-11.32%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $442 in Pogradec and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 13% 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: $37.00 in Pogradec vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $208 vs $292 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 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Phuket earns 13% 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: $442 in Pogradec versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $95.4 in Pogradec versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,006 in Pogradec versus $1,232 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 22% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.