Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Gostivar

For one person, living is cheaper in Gostivar: $835 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Gostivar
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Gostivar Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Gostivar

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Gostivar

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Gostivar actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Phuket versus $835 in Gostivar.

Phuket $1,207
Gostivar $835

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Phuket versus $1,262 in Gostivar.

Phuket $2,037
Gostivar $1,262

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Phuket versus $1,689 in Gostivar.

Phuket $2,867
Gostivar $1,689

Living in Phuket is roughly 45% more expensive than in Gostivar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Gostivar 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$6.25 MKD 341

-26.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$26.92 MKD 1,468

20.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$5.81 MKD 317

47.16%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$1.39 MKD 75.9

95.68%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$1.32 MKD 72.2

-28.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$1.07 MKD 58.1

-54.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$1.31 MKD 71.5

97.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$1.77 MKD 96.3

116.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$1.29 MKD 70.2

34.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$0.75 MKD 40.84

90.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$1.42 MKD 77.3

7.75%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$2.46 MKD 134

-11.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$6.49 MKD 354

195.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$5.59 MKD 305

-40.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$14.35 MKD 783

-22.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$1.43 MKD 78.1

106.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.39 MKD 75.8

20.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$1.35 MKD 73.8

70.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$1.78 MKD 97.1

19.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$0.83 MKD 45.18

84.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$0.70 MKD 38.06

94.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$0.64 MKD 34.74

75.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.57 MKD 30.92

-3.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.76 MKD 150

54.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$4.63 MKD 253

292.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$0.88 MKD 47.86

97.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$1.41 MKD 77.1

97.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$0.74 MKD 40.29

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

$21.14 MKD 1,153

4.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$0.75 MKD 40.97

288.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

$0.34 MKD 18.33

197.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$7.75 MKD 423

-50.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$1.44 MKD 78.4

3.47%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$31.9K MKD 1.7M

-16.25%

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

$27.1K MKD 1.5M

-1.41%

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$129 MKD 7,046

-23.06%

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

$11.28 ฿377

$10.75 MKD 586

4.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$18.87 MKD 1,029

-8.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$21.76 MKD 1,187

140.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

$18.73 MKD 1,022

-42.07%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$7.10 MKD 387

6.62%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$362 MKD 19.7K

54.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

$5,736 MKD 312.9K

100.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$36.91 MKD 2,014

70.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$36.52 MKD 1,992

-21.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$102 MKD 5,589

-6.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$115 MKD 6,252

-23.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$275 MKD 15.0K

165.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$194 MKD 10.6K

137.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$504 MKD 27.5K

316.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

$298 MKD 16.3K

309.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

$1,525 MKD 83.2K

126.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

$1,133 MKD 61.8K

119.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$863 MKD 47.1K

-42.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.23

31.68%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Gostivar: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Gostivar

$194 23.2% 57.9% $266

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Gostivar

$186 22.3% 30.5% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Gostivar

$159 19% 24% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Gostivar

$131 15.7% 5.4% $6.7

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Gostivar

$104 12.4% 14.5% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Gostivar

$36 4.3% 46.7% $31

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Gostivar

$27 3.2% 31.8% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Phuket and $275 in Gostivar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gostivar pays 75% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $27.00 in Gostivar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $186 per month, with Gostivar cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇰 Gostivar

🕒 Local time

14:48 2:48 PM

09:48 9:48 AM

5 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

36,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 54.55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.33 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Gostivar 8,390 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Gostivar

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 45% 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, salaries run 75% lower in Gostivar. 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: $729 in Phuket versus $275 in Gostivar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,207 per month in Phuket versus $835 in Gostivar – a 45% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Gostivar runs roughly 4% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $835 in Gostivar versus $1,207 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 $835 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 45% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.