Cost of Living Comparison Between Bitola and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Bitola and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $882 in Bitola versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,326 in Bitola versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,771 in Bitola versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Bitola costs roughly 28% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bitola 36% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.57 MKD 296

$4.41 ฿147

26.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.82 MKD 1,479

$32.26 ฿1,077

-13.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.38 MKD 286

$8.93 ฿298

-39.75%

Cappuccino

$2.01 MKD 107

$2.90 ฿96.6

-30.69%

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

$1.77 MKD 94.1

$0.88 ฿29.38

101.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 MKD 78.5

$0.48 ฿16.06

208.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 MKD 116

$2.35 ฿78.5

-6.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MKD 139

$3.72 ฿124

-29.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 MKD 72.3

$1.87 ฿62.3

-27.27%

White Bread (500g)

$0.70 MKD 37.23

$1.47 ฿48.94

-52.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 MKD 93.3

$1.55 ฿51.8

12.90%

Eggs

$2.00 MKD 106

$2.10 ฿70.1

-4.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.37 MKD 552

$19.59 ฿654

-47.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.31 MKD 389

$3.42 ฿114

113.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.45 MKD 715

$11.38 ฿380

18.19%

Apples (1kg)

$1.03 MKD 54.8

$2.98 ฿99.6

-65.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MKD 73.5

$1.68 ฿56.2

-17.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.30 MKD 69.0

$2.21 ฿73.7

-41.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 MKD 82.1

$2.16 ฿72.1

-28.70%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 MKD 48.14

$1.52 ฿50.9

-40.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 MKD 72.9

$1.34 ฿44.67

2.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 MKD 30.35

$1.13 ฿37.67

-49.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 MKD 26.83

$0.55 ฿18.24

-9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 MKD 178

$4.26 ฿142

-21.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 MKD 314

$19.09 ฿637

-69.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 MKD 52.5

$1.78 ฿59.4

-44.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 MKD 98.6

$2.78 ฿92.9

-33.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MKD 28.48

$2.23 ฿74.4

-75.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.70 MKD 888

$22.74 ฿759

-26.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 MKD 61.2

$3.03 ฿101

-62.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 MKD 33.60

$1.02 ฿34.15

-38.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.44 MKD 343

$3.89 ฿130

65.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 MKD 77.9

$1.49 ฿49.77

-2.01%

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

$32.4K MKD 1.7M

$26.6K ฿887.3K

21.98%

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

$34.5K MKD 1.8M

$27.0K ฿902.2K

27.47%

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

$152 MKD 8,088

$102 ฿3,420

48.41%

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

$14.81 MKD 787

$11.33 ฿378

30.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.25 MKD 705

$17.40 ฿581

-23.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.99 MKD 1,169

$52.1 ฿1,738

-57.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.53 MKD 347

$11.07 ฿370

-41.01%

Cinema Ticket

$4.65 MKD 247

$7.69 ฿257

-39.53%

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

$218 MKD 11.6K

$561 ฿18.7K

-61.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,181 MKD 62.8K

$11.5K ฿384.1K

-89.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.9 MKD 4,090

$63.0 ฿2,104

22.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.90 MKD 2,548

$29.52 ฿986

62.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.3 MKD 4,060

$98.0 ฿3,272

-22.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 MKD 5,958

$88.5 ฿2,954

26.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$266 MKD 14.1K

$738 ฿24.6K

-63.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$195 MKD 10.3K

$482 ฿16.1K

-59.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$415 MKD 22.1K

$2,107 ฿70.3K

-80.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$301 MKD 16.0K

$1,226 ฿40.9K

-75.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,774 MKD 94.3K

$3,617 ฿120.7K

-50.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,204 MKD 64.0K

$2,603 ฿86.9K

-53.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$780 MKD 41.5K

$494 ฿16.5K

58.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

5.57

15.80%

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

Last update for Bitola: September 15, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $266 in Bitola and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bitola pays 58% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $28.00 in Bitola vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $204 vs $274 per month, with Bitola 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

Bitola vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bitola and Phuket differ by about 40% in total monthly costs ($882 vs $1,232 including rent). Bitola is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 58% higher in Bitola, 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: $266 in Bitola versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bitola – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $882 in Bitola versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bitola but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Bitola the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Bitola 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 Bitola gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.