Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarande and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarande and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,308 in Sarande versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,199 in Sarande versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,090 in Sarande versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Sarande is roughly 3% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sarande 2% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.90 ALL 973

$4.70 ฿153

153.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.0 ALL 4,742

$45.37 ฿1,482

27.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 ALL 778

$8.43 ฿275

12.69%

Cappuccino

$2.05 ALL 167

$2.93 ฿95.6

-30.03%

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

$1.91 ALL 156

$0.69 ฿22.40

176.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 ALL 79.4

$0.37 ฿11.99

162.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 ALL 239

$2.41 ฿78.6

21.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 ALL 282

$3.72 ฿122

-7.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 ALL 168

$2.23 ฿72.9

-7.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 ALL 88.7

$1.83 ฿59.8

-40.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 ALL 182

$2.17 ฿70.8

2.30%

Eggs

$4.02 ALL 329

$2.21 ฿72.3

81.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.23 ALL 1,083

$19.74 ฿645

-32.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.61 ALL 623

$3.63 ฿119

109.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.84 ALL 1,296

$13.53 ฿442

17.07%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 ALL 146

$3.28 ฿107

-45.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.80 ALL 229

$1.61 ฿52.6

73.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 ALL 163

$2.41 ฿78.6

-17.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.92 ALL 157

$2.08 ฿68.1

-7.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 ALL 108

$1.53 ฿49.93

-13.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 ALL 108

$1.48 ฿48.36

-10.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 ALL 118

$0.99 ฿32.29

45.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ALL 60.9

$0.51 ฿16.67

45.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 ALL 351

$4.41 ฿144

-2.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.66 ALL 545

$19.38 ฿633

-65.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 ALL 135

$1.78 ฿58.1

-7.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 ALL 170

$2.71 ฿88.6

-23.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ALL 93.1

$1.37 ฿44.79

-16.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.80 ALL 1,865

$11.39 ฿372

100.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ALL 286

$3.02 ฿98.6

15.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.17 ALL 259

$0.99 ฿32.48

220.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.69 ALL 1,447

$14.10 ฿461

25.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 ALL 168

$1.36 ฿44.51

50.74%

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

$34.9K ALL 2.9M

$28.2K ฿921.1K

23.63%

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

$29.2K ALL 2.4M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-11.37%

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

$102 ALL 8,362

$122 ฿3,975

-16.01%

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

$18.17 ALL 1,487

$13.57 ฿443

33.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.44 ALL 1,509

$18.31 ฿598

0.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$92.4 ALL 7,557

$60.2 ฿1,967

53.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.04 ALL 3,358

$17.14 ฿560

139.44%

Cinema Ticket

$9.53 ALL 780

$8.69 ฿284

9.67%

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

$290 ALL 23.8K

$693 ฿22.6K

-58.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,487 ALL 448.9K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-65.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.3 ALL 5,588

$59.5 ฿1,944

14.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.1 ALL 4,179

$34.77 ฿1,136

46.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 ALL 8,852

$115 ฿3,743

-5.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 ALL 10.5K

$83.3 ฿2,720

54.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$852 ALL 69.7K

$613 ฿20.0K

38.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 ALL 31.0K

$437 ฿14.3K

-13.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,099 ALL 89.9K

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-47.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$951 ALL 77.8K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-37.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,646 ALL 380.1K

$3,749 ฿122.5K

23.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,976 ALL 243.4K

$2,616 ฿85.4K

13.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$776 ALL 63.5K

$508 ฿16.6K

52.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.52

5.33

3.56%

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

Last update for Sarande: June 2, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $852 in Sarande and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sarande pays 53% 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: $58.0 in Sarande vs $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $272 vs $293, with Sarande cheaper for home cooking.

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

Sarande vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Sarande pays 53% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $852 in Sarande versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $290 in Sarande versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Sarande pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,308 in Sarande, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Sarande. 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 Sarande, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sarande 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Sarande. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.