Cost of Living Comparison Between Shkoder and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Shkoder and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $996 in Shkoder versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,483 in Shkoder versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,969 in Shkoder versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Shkoder costs roughly 21% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shkoder 28% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.43 ALL 744

$4.66 ฿154

102.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.19 ALL 3,095

$32.22 ฿1,065

21.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.30 ALL 497

$8.68 ฿287

-27.42%

Cappuccino

$2.06 ALL 163

$2.90 ฿95.8

-28.97%

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

$1.93 ALL 153

$0.84 ฿27.89

129.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 ALL 52.0

$0.49 ฿16.16

34.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.86 ALL 147

$2.48 ฿82.0

-25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 ALL 251

$3.73 ฿123

-15.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 ALL 158

$1.89 ฿62.3

5.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 ALL 81.3

$1.41 ฿46.54

-26.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 ALL 166

$1.62 ฿53.6

30.25%

Eggs

$2.76 ALL 218

$2.24 ฿74.1

23.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.36 ALL 581

$19.84 ฿656

-62.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.04 ALL 398

$3.48 ฿115

44.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.18 ALL 883

$11.37 ฿376

-1.67%

Apples (1kg)

$1.61 ALL 127

$2.90 ฿95.8

-44.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ALL 183

$1.72 ฿57.0

34.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 ALL 134

$2.27 ฿75.1

-25.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ALL 118

$2.13 ฿70.4

-30.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 ALL 82.1

$1.47 ฿48.72

-29.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 ALL 98.6

$1.42 ฿46.92

-11.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ALL 93.7

$1.10 ฿36.25

8.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ALL 58.9

$0.60 ฿19.76

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.32 ALL 342

$4.31 ฿142

0.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.16 ALL 487

$18.60 ฿615

-66.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ALL 128

$1.80 ฿59.5

-10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 ALL 146

$2.97 ฿98.0

-37.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.48 ALL 37.75

$2.25 ฿74.2

-78.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.58 ALL 914

$23.49 ฿776

-50.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.80 ALL 300

$3.10 ฿102

22.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.02 ALL 317

$1.08 ฿35.56

272.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.84 ALL 1,488

$3.87 ฿128

386.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 ALL 166

$1.43 ฿47.16

46.85%

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

$34.5K ALL 2.7M

$27.8K ฿918.0K

24.24%

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

$26.1K ALL 2.1M

$27.0K ฿891.5K

-3.44%

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

$64.0 ALL 5,056

$105 ฿3,462

-38.92%

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

$16.77 ALL 1,324

$11.39 ฿376

47.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.80 ALL 1,406

$17.54 ฿580

1.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.21 ALL 3,491

$54.3 ฿1,795

-18.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.39 ALL 978

$11.44 ฿378

8.30%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ALL 608

$7.78 ฿257

-1.16%

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

$93.4 ALL 7,379

$576 ฿19.0K

-83.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,926 ALL 152.1K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

-83.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.4 ALL 3,977

$63.6 ฿2,103

-20.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.85 ALL 1,015

$29.10 ฿961

-55.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.9 ALL 5,917

$96.2 ฿3,179

-22.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 ALL 11.8K

$90.0 ฿2,974

65.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ALL 38.7K

$733 ฿24.2K

-33.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$324 ALL 25.6K

$501 ฿16.5K

-35.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$384 ALL 30.3K

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-81.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 ALL 28.9K

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-70.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,858 ALL 146.8K

$3,534 ฿116.8K

-47.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,273 ALL 100.5K

$2,622 ฿86.6K

-51.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$592 ALL 46.7K

$508 ฿16.8K

16.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-10.23%

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

Last update for Shkoder: September 5, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Shkoder and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shkoder pays 17% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Shkoder vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $210 vs $275, with Shkoder 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

Shkoder vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shkoder is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 17% higher in Shkoder, 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: $490 in Shkoder versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $93.4 in Shkoder 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 31% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $996 in Shkoder versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shkoder but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Shkoder the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Shkoder 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, Shkoder 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 Shkoder gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.