Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Gostivar Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Gostivar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $822 in Gostivar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,201 in Gostivar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,580 in Gostivar.

Living in Phuket is roughly 50% more expensive than Gostivar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Gostivar 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$5.31 MKD 280

-12.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$23.13 MKD 1,219

102.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$5.13 MKD 271

72.32%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.44 MKD 75.9

108.33%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.12 MKD 58.9

-33.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$1.16 MKD 61.1

-68.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.39 MKD 73.2

75.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$1.87 MKD 98.4

93.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.33 MKD 70.4

69.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.69 MKD 36.25

166.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.47 MKD 77.6

52.38%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.03 MKD 107

14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$6.76 MKD 356

190.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$5.73 MKD 302

-36.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$13.63 MKD 718

-3.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.04 MKD 54.8

225.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.39 MKD 73.2

17.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.24 MKD 65.5

94.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.59 MKD 83.8

27.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.94 MKD 49.36

65.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.73 MKD 38.60

105.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.53 MKD 28.15

92.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.57 MKD 29.84

-14.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$2.84 MKD 150

56.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$4.81 MKD 254

292.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.97 MKD 51.0

83.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.53 MKD 80.6

79.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.68 MKD 35.90

105.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$20.01 MKD 1,055

-42.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.95 MKD 50.1

228.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.33 MKD 17.30

203.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$6.61 MKD 349

113.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.50 MKD 79.0

-10.00%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$31.9K MKD 1.7M

-14.88%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$47.5K MKD 2.5M

-30.71%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$134 MKD 7,041

-6.40%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$11.12 MKD 586

22.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$15.29 MKD 806

21.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$26.10 MKD 1,376

135.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$4.81 MKD 254

91.06%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$222 MKD 11.7K

215.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$1,184 MKD 62.4K

1216.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$37.77 MKD 1,992

52.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$37.22 MKD 1,963

-5.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$76.2 MKD 4,020

48.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$113 MKD 5,948

-23.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$283 MKD 14.9K

117.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$197 MKD 10.4K

125.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$569 MKD 30.0K

259.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$312 MKD 16.4K

378.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,627 MKD 85.8K

132.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,207 MKD 63.6K

119.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$903 MKD 47.6K

-42.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.5

-18.00%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Gostivar: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $283 in Gostivar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gostivar pays 72% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $23.00 in Gostivar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $181 per month, with Gostivar 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

Phuket vs Gostivar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gostivar wins on cost – living expenses run 50% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Gostivar the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Gostivar earns 72% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $283 in Gostivar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $822 in Gostivar – a 50% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Gostivar runs roughly 74% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $822 in Gostivar versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Gostivar but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Gostivar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Gostivar delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $822 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Gostivar hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Gostivar 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 Gostivar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.