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: $1,332 in Sarande versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,224 in Sarande versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,116 in Sarande versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Sarande is roughly 5% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sarande 3% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.21 ALL 806

$4.66 ฿154

119.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.6 ALL 4,233

$32.22 ฿1,065

66.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.27 ALL 890

$8.68 ฿287

29.84%

Cappuccino

$2.24 ALL 177

$2.90 ฿95.8

-22.76%

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

$2.43 ALL 192

$0.84 ฿27.89

189.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 ALL 91.7

$0.49 ฿16.16

136.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.74 ALL 295

$2.48 ฿82.0

50.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 ALL 339

$3.73 ฿123

15.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.34 ALL 185

$1.89 ฿62.3

23.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 ALL 97.4

$1.41 ฿46.54

-12.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.52 ALL 199

$1.62 ฿53.6

55.56%

Eggs

$3.91 ALL 309

$2.24 ฿74.1

74.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.61 ALL 1,075

$19.84 ฿656

-31.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.18 ALL 725

$3.48 ฿115

163.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.48 ALL 1,381

$11.37 ฿376

53.74%

Apples (1kg)

$1.97 ALL 155

$2.90 ฿95.8

-32.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 ALL 203

$1.72 ฿57.0

49.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 ALL 163

$2.27 ฿75.1

-8.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 ALL 154

$2.13 ฿70.4

-8.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 ALL 86.2

$1.47 ฿48.72

-25.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 ALL 103

$1.42 ฿46.92

-8.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 ALL 114

$1.10 ฿36.25

30.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ALL 66.0

$0.60 ฿19.76

40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.81 ALL 380

$4.31 ฿142

11.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.37 ALL 582

$18.60 ฿615

-60.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ALL 139

$1.80 ฿59.5

-2.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ALL 163

$2.97 ฿98.0

-30.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.15 ALL 90.7

$2.25 ฿74.2

-48.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.82 ALL 1,802

$23.49 ฿776

-2.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.88 ALL 306

$3.10 ฿102

25.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.83 ALL 303

$1.08 ฿35.56

254.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.76 ALL 1,482

$3.87 ฿128

384.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 ALL 170

$1.43 ฿47.16

50.35%

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

$35.4K ALL 2.8M

$27.8K ฿918.0K

27.28%

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

$29.3K ALL 2.3M

$27.0K ฿891.5K

8.55%

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

$102 ALL 8,024

$105 ฿3,462

-3.05%

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

$19.07 ALL 1,506

$11.39 ฿376

67.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.62 ALL 1,628

$17.54 ฿580

17.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.7 ALL 7,241

$54.3 ฿1,795

68.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.13 ALL 3,248

$11.44 ฿378

259.53%

Cinema Ticket

$10.07 ALL 795

$7.78 ฿257

29.43%

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

$307 ALL 24.3K

$576 ฿19.0K

-46.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,429 ALL 665.7K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

-27.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.5 ALL 5,882

$63.6 ฿2,103

17.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.45 ALL 3,747

$29.10 ฿961

63.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 ALL 9,958

$96.2 ฿3,179

31.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 ALL 8,993

$90.0 ฿2,974

26.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$896 ALL 70.8K

$733 ฿24.2K

22.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$391 ALL 30.9K

$501 ฿16.5K

-21.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,137 ALL 89.8K

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-46.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$955 ALL 75.4K

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-23.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,685 ALL 370.0K

$3,534 ฿116.8K

32.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,908 ALL 229.7K

$2,622 ฿86.6K

10.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$804 ALL 63.5K

$508 ฿16.8K

58.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.64

5.57

1.26%

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

Last update for Sarande: September 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $896 in Sarande and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sarande pays 58% 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: $54.0 in Sarande vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $275 per month, with Phuket 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

Sarande vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 58% higher in Sarande, 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: $896 in Sarande versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $307 in Sarande versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Sarande. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,332 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 5% less than in Sarande. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.