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: $1,287 in Sarande versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,177 in Sarande versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,067 in Sarande versus $3,317 in Phuket.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Sarande 4% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 ALL 973

$4.55 ฿153

162.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.4 ALL 4,762

$46.18 ฿1,554

26.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.39 ALL 766

$8.84 ฿298

6.22%

Cappuccino

$1.97 ALL 160

$3.06 ฿103

-35.62%

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

$1.83 ALL 149

$0.73 ฿24.42

150.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 ALL 75.5

$0.40 ฿13.40

132.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 ALL 238

$2.43 ฿81.8

20.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 ALL 279

$3.78 ฿127

-9.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 ALL 170

$2.26 ฿76.0

-7.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 ALL 92.8

$1.81 ฿60.9

-37.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 ALL 180

$2.25 ฿75.8

-1.78%

Eggs

$3.83 ALL 312

$2.25 ฿75.6

70.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.15 ALL 1,072

$19.51 ฿656

-32.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.65 ALL 624

$3.65 ฿123

109.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.64 ALL 1,275

$13.05 ฿439

19.85%

Apples (1kg)

$1.69 ALL 138

$3.23 ฿109

-47.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 ALL 227

$1.62 ฿54.4

71.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 ALL 159

$2.38 ฿80.2

-18.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ALL 161

$2.03 ฿68.2

-2.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 ALL 112

$1.53 ฿51.6

-10.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 ALL 103

$1.50 ฿50.5

-15.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 ALL 117

$0.98 ฿32.93

46.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 ALL 59.7

$0.52 ฿17.40

40.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 ALL 344

$4.44 ฿149

-4.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.48 ALL 528

$18.32 ฿616

-64.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 ALL 134

$1.86 ฿62.7

-11.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ALL 175

$2.68 ฿90.2

-19.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.16 ALL 94.6

$1.41 ฿47.49

-17.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.72 ALL 1,853

$11.70 ฿394

94.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.59 ALL 293

$3.11 ฿105

15.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.10 ALL 252

$1.04 ฿35.08

198.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.88 ALL 1,458

$14.11 ฿475

26.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 ALL 167

$1.31 ฿44.13

56.49%

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

$35.1K ALL 2.9M

$27.8K ฿936.0K

26.33%

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

$29.2K ALL 2.4M

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-12.14%

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

$101 ALL 8,220

$122 ฿4,120

-17.67%

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

$18.07 ALL 1,473

$13.59 ฿457

32.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.78 ALL 1,532

$18.70 ฿629

0.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.2 ALL 7,274

$60.5 ฿2,035

47.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.83 ALL 3,411

$16.98 ฿572

146.35%

Cinema Ticket

$9.65 ALL 787

$9.07 ฿305

6.39%

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

$287 ALL 23.4K

$706 ฿23.8K

-59.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,616 ALL 458.0K

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-64.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.7 ALL 5,519

$58.6 ฿1,970

15.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.81 ALL 4,062

$35.36 ฿1,190

40.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 ALL 8,818

$115 ฿3,885

-6.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ALL 10.4K

$83.7 ฿2,818

52.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$880 ALL 71.8K

$626 ฿21.1K

40.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$391 ALL 31.9K

$445 ฿15.0K

-12.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,135 ALL 92.6K

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-44.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 ALL 77.3K

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-36.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,652 ALL 379.3K

$3,483 ฿117.2K

33.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,937 ALL 239.5K

$2,577 ฿86.7K

13.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$776 ALL 63.3K

$500 ฿16.8K

55.30%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $880 in Sarande and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sarande pays 55% 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 $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $270 vs $289, 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.

Average pay runs 55% 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: $880 in Sarande versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $287 in Sarande versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Sarande pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,287 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.