Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kicevo

For one person, living is cheaper in Kicevo: $880 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Kicevo
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Kicevo Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Kicevo

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$880

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Kicevo

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 Kicevo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $880 in Kicevo.

Phuket $1,278
Kicevo $880

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,300 in Kicevo.

Phuket $2,216
Kicevo $1,300

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,720 in Kicevo.

Phuket $3,154
Kicevo $1,720

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Kicevo 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$3.95 MKD 216

13.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,092

$18.18 MKD 994

78.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$4.42 MKD 242

99.32%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.3

$1.12 MKD 61.1

152.68%

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

$0.87 ฿29.37

$1.37 MKD 75.0

-36.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.64

$0.77 MKD 41.83

-36.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.2

$2.22 MKD 121

15.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$2.16 MKD 118

70.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.29 MKD 70.7

28.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.25

$0.57 MKD 30.98

156.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$1.81 MKD 99.2

-17.13%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.4

$2.33 MKD 127

-10.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿642

$7.19 MKD 393

165.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$7.36 MKD 402

-55.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$15.01 MKD 821

-27.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.7

$1.49 MKD 81.2

96.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$1.45 MKD 79.1

16.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$1.38 MKD 75.3

63.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$1.97 MKD 108

5.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$0.84 MKD 45.68

79.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.47

$0.83 MKD 45.61

66.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.91

$0.63 MKD 34.67

69.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.49

$0.35 MKD 18.89

48.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$2.95 MKD 161

42.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿633

$5.56 MKD 304

237.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$1.02 MKD 55.6

78.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.7

$1.48 MKD 80.8

91.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$0.75 MKD 40.98

93.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,909

$22.20 MKD 1,214

155.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.12 MKD 61.3

169.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.29

$0.60 MKD 33.06

70.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$7.37 MKD 403

-49.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.70

$1.38 MKD 75.3

6.52%

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

$26.8K ฿902.4K

$34.2K MKD 1.9M

-21.66%

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

$26.7K ฿899.5K

$26.3K MKD 1.4M

1.39%

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

$96.4 ฿3,247

$157 MKD 8,588

-38.65%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$18.24 MKD 997

-38.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$19.31 MKD 1,056

-12.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,266

$23.14 MKD 1,265

190.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿361

$15.46 MKD 845

-30.60%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$7.42 MKD 406

1.08%

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

$476 ฿16.0K

$372 MKD 20.4K

27.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.6K

$5,695 MKD 311.4K

97.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,102

$85.7 MKD 4,686

-27.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿957

$36.26 MKD 1,983

-21.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,178

$103 MKD 5,646

-8.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,892

$111 MKD 6,083

-22.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$236 MKD 12.9K

203.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.5K

$184 MKD 10.1K

166.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿64.9K

$453 MKD 24.8K

325.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.2K

$293 MKD 16.0K

388.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

$1,547 MKD 84.6K

169.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

$1,145 MKD 62.6K

165.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$570 MKD 31.2K

-11.86%

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 26, 2026

Last update for Kicevo: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Kicevo

$184 20.9% 62.5% $307

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Kicevo

$200 22.7% 24.9% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Kicevo

$195 22.1% 56.4% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Kicevo

$151 17.2% 24.2% $30

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Kicevo

$82 9.4% 32.4% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Kicevo

$38 4.3% 53.8% $44

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Kicevo

$29 3.3% 58.4% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $236 in Kicevo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kicevo pays 13% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $18 in Kicevo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $200 per month, with Kicevo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇰 Kicevo

🕒 Local time

09:02 9:02 AM

03:02 3:02 AM

6 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

31,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.77 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 54.68 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.29 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Kicevo 8,380 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Kicevo

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 Kicevo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $880 in Kicevo, so Kicevo is about 31% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 12% lower in Phuket. 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: $716 in Phuket versus $236 in Kicevo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $880 in Kicevo – Kicevo is about 31% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Kicevo runs roughly 61% less than in Phuket. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $880 in Kicevo versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Kicevo but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Kicevo 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.

Expats usually find Kicevo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.