The phrase "actually more difficult than" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when comparing the difficulty of two tasks or situations, emphasizing that one is harder than the other.
Example: "I thought the exam would be easy, but it was actually more difficult than I expected."
Alternatives: "truly harder than" or "genuinely more challenging than".
The matter is hardly helped by politicians vacillating on the issue.Finding data on vaccinations is actually more difficult than it sounds.
But it's actually more difficult than it seems, mainly because if you don't get the ends tight and straight, you will have a very short stack — more of a spread, really, than a stack.
I wonder if she will eventually try to hit for the cycle (when a constructor has had at least one puzzle published on each day of the week), but for now, she is a themed constructor, which is actually more difficult than constructing themeless grids.
"The reality is actually more difficult than the fiction.
The surface of the Moon is much rockier than most people think and landing a craft safely is actually more difficult than landing on Mars.
For most programs, though, getting those messages on air is actually more difficult than it seems and often involves custom software and expensive hardware.
Ms. Herlitzius regards the Dyer's Wife as actually more difficult vocally than Elektra, especially if performed uncut.
It's actually more difficult sometimes than dancing and it only comes with years of practice.
It's actually more difficult being Bill Murray than you'd think.
Yes, sugar is added to certain wines to address various problems but, in most cases, dessert wines are actually more difficult to produce than less sweet wines.
You are also conscious that your job includes helping your students build skills that will be critical for success in biology and elsewhere: working effectively in a team; communication skills; information literacy; critical thinking skills; problem solving skills; all of the so-called "soft skills" that are actually more difficult to master than the hard facts.
