Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarande and Phuket

For one person, living costs are similar in Sarande and in Phuket: $1,295 and $1,294 a month, rent and utilities included.

Sarande, Albania
Phuket, Thailand
Sarande
🇦🇱 Albania
$1,295
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,294
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sarande and in Phuket

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,295 in Sarande versus $1,294 in Phuket.

  • Sarande $1,295
  • Phuket $1,294

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,193 in Sarande versus $2,204 in Phuket.

  • Sarande $2,193
  • Phuket $2,204

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,092 in Sarande versus $3,115 in Phuket.

  • Sarande $3,092
  • Phuket $3,115

Monthly costs are close between Sarande and Phuket; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sarande 4% lower, Phuket 4% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sarande
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.01 ALL 806
$4.39 ฿147
128.02%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$55.4 ALL 4,464
$32.31 ฿1,083
71.49%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.18 ALL 901
$8.70 ฿292
28.51%
Cappuccino
$2.25 ALL 181
$2.72 ฿91.3
-17.28%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.43 ALL 196
$0.93 ฿31.20
161.29%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.12 ALL 90.4
$0.50 ฿16.75
124.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.59 ALL 289
$2.53 ฿84.9
41.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.00 ALL 322
$3.63 ฿122
10.19%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sarande
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.18 ALL 176
$1.74 ฿58.3
25.29%
White Bread (500g)
$1.12 ALL 90.3
$1.45 ฿48.64
-22.76%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.36 ALL 190
$1.50 ฿50.4
57.33%
Eggs
$3.64 ALL 293
$2.17 ฿72.8
67.74%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.62 ALL 1,016
$19.09 ฿640
-33.89%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.21 ALL 742
$3.40 ฿114
170.88%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.11 ALL 1,378
$10.90 ฿365
56.97%
Apples (1kg)
$1.90 ALL 153
$2.94 ฿98.6
-35.37%
Banana (1kg)
$2.42 ALL 195
$1.69 ฿56.7
43.20%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.00 ALL 161
$2.19 ฿73.6
-8.68%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.80 ALL 145
$2.12 ฿71.2
-15.09%
Potato (1kg)
$1.02 ALL 82.3
$1.46 ฿48.90
-30.14%
Onion (1kg)
$1.17 ALL 94.1
$1.37 ฿45.87
-14.60%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.45 ALL 117
$1.08 ฿36.07
34.26%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.78 ALL 63.1
$0.55 ฿18.29
41.82%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.01 ALL 403
$4.43 ฿148
13.09%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.43 ALL 599
$18.25 ฿612
-59.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.60 ALL 129
$1.77 ฿59.4
-9.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.01 ALL 162
$2.88 ฿96.6
-30.21%
🚌 Getting Around
Sarande
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.13 ALL 91.3
$1.45 ฿48.53
-22.07%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.30 ALL 1,797
$54.9 ฿1,840
-59.37%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.65 ALL 294
$1.51 ฿50.7
141.72%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.64 ALL 293
$0.78 ฿26.01
366.67%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$18.79 ALL 1,514
$3.84 ฿129
389.32%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.17 ALL 175
$1.49 ฿49.87
45.64%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K ALL 2.8M
$26.9K ฿901.3K
27.30%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.4K ALL 2.3M
$26.3K ฿883.4K
7.86%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sarande
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$98.1 ALL 7,903
$97.8 ฿3,280
0.30%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.89 ALL 1,522
$11.29 ฿379
67.32%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.98 ALL 1,609
$17.19 ฿576
16.23%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sarande
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$88.5 ALL 7,133
$68.3 ฿2,291
29.58%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$40.64 ALL 3,274
$10.92 ฿366
272.16%
Cinema Ticket
$9.93 ALL 800
$7.43 ฿249
33.65%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sarande
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$303 ALL 24.4K
$530 ฿17.8K
-42.92%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,993 ALL 643.9K
$18.8K ฿629.7K
-57.44%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sarande
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$63.5 ALL 5,115
$61.7 ฿2,068
2.95%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.86 ALL 3,695
$28.25 ฿947
62.34%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$121 ALL 9,714
$96.0 ฿3,219
25.60%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 ALL 9,752
$86.8 ฿2,911
39.44%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sarande
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$840 ALL 67.7K
$721 ฿24.2K
16.51%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$382 ALL 30.7K
$509 ฿17.1K
-25.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,075 ALL 86.6K
$1,950 ฿65.4K
-44.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$932 ALL 75.1K
$1,397 ฿46.8K
-33.28%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,632 ALL 373.1K
$4,192 ฿140.6K
10.49%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,803 ALL 225.8K
$3,298 ฿110.6K
-15.02%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sarande
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$787 ALL 63.4K
$492 ฿16.5K
60.03%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.16
5.57
-7.36%

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

Last update for Sarande: November 2, 2026

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Sarande
$382
Phuket
$509 33.4% $127
Groceries & Markets
Sarande
$281
Phuket
$267 4.9% $14
Eating Out
Sarande
$181
Phuket
$120 33.9% $61
Clothing & Footwear
Sarande
$158
Phuket
$123 22.3% $35
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sarande
$137
Phuket
$126 7.8% $11
Sport & Entertainment
Sarande
$108
Phuket
$83 23.3% $25
Getting Around
Sarande
$49
Phuket
$66 35.8% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $840 in Sarande and $721 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sarande pays 60% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $55 in Sarande vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $267 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇦🇱 Sarande
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
18:38 6:38 PM
00:38 12:38 AM
6 h ahead of Sarande
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
17,233
79,308
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to ALL – Albanian Lek Converter

Albanian Lek exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 80.56 ALL (100 ALL = 1.24 USD). 1 EUR = 90.48 ALL (100 ALL = 1.11 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.53 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sarande Phuket 8,460 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Sarande
  • Phuket

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
Sarande vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Where can you earn more: Sarande or Phuket?
Average pay runs 60% higher in Sarande, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Sarande and Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $840 in Sarande versus $721 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $303 in Sarande versus $530 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Sarande or in Phuket?
Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $55 in Sarande. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 enough for either Sarande or Phuket?
Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Phuket gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is it better to live in Sarande or in Phuket?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Sarande on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

Sarande vs other spots: cost of living compared

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