Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kocani

For one person, living is cheaper in Kocani: $874 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
42

Cost of Living Index in Kocani
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Kocani Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Kocani

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$874

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Kocani

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $874 in Kocani.

Phuket $1,278
Kocani $874

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,333 in Kocani.

Phuket $2,216
Kocani $1,333

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,793 in Kocani.

Phuket $3,154
Kocani $1,793

Living in Phuket is roughly 46% more expensive than in Kocani, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Kocani 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$9.85 MKD 539

-54.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,092

$34.31 MKD 1,876

-5.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$6.59 MKD 361

33.69%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.3

$1.11 MKD 60.5

154.95%

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

$0.87 ฿29.37

$1.49 MKD 81.2

-41.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.64

$1.11 MKD 60.9

-55.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.2

$2.68 MKD 147

-4.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$3.11 MKD 170

18.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.18 MKD 64.7

40.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.25

$0.58 MKD 31.63

151.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$1.62 MKD 88.7

-7.41%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.4

$1.76 MKD 96.1

18.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿642

$6.53 MKD 357

192.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$4.36 MKD 238

-24.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$8.02 MKD 438

36.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.7

$1.26 MKD 68.7

132.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$1.41 MKD 77.0

19.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$1.25 MKD 68.3

80.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$1.87 MKD 102

11.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$0.76 MKD 41.32

98.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.47

$0.83 MKD 45.61

66.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.91

$0.57 MKD 31.31

87.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.49

$0.46 MKD 25.39

13.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$3.52 MKD 193

19.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿633

$3.74 MKD 205

402.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$0.80 MKD 43.90

127.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.7

$1.07 MKD 58.4

165.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.39 MKD 76.3

4.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,909

$23.31 MKD 1,275

143.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.12 MKD 61.3

169.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.29

$0.62 MKD 33.80

64.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$3.09 MKD 169

19.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.70

$1.41 MKD 77.1

4.26%

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

$26.8K ฿902.4K

$33.8K MKD 1.8M

-20.81%

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

$26.7K ฿899.5K

$26.1K MKD 1.4M

2.39%

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

$96.4 ฿3,247

$156 MKD 8,526

-38.21%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$17.57 MKD 961

-35.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$14.57 MKD 796

15.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,266

$16.05 MKD 878

318.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿361

$17.51 MKD 957

-38.72%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$7.27 MKD 398

3.16%

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

$476 ฿16.0K

$371 MKD 20.3K

28.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.6K

$5,705 MKD 311.9K

97.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,102

$62.8 MKD 3,433

-0.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿957

$37.53 MKD 2,052

-24.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,178

$91.9 MKD 5,027

2.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,892

$101 MKD 5,544

-15.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$274 MKD 15.0K

161.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.5K

$197 MKD 10.8K

149.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿64.9K

$558 MKD 30.5K

245.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.2K

$332 MKD 18.1K

331.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

$1,693 MKD 92.5K

146.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

$1,001 MKD 54.7K

204.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$456 MKD 24.9K

10.20%

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 Kocani: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Kocani

$197 22.6% 59.9% $294

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Kocani

$151 17.3% 43.3% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Kocani

$188 21.5% 51.1% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Kocani

$132 15.1% 8.4% $10

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Kocani

$142 16.2% 16.6% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Kocani

$31 3.5% 62.8% $52

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Kocani

$33 3.8% 53.1% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $274 in Kocani. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 10% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $34 in Kocani. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $151, with Kocani cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇰 Kocani

🕒 Local time

09:22 9:22 AM

03:22 3:22 AM

6 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

29,000

💱 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 Kocani 8,260 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Kocani

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 Kocani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $874 in Kocani, so Kocani is about 32% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 10% higher in Phuket, 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: $716 in Phuket versus $274 in Kocani. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kocani runs roughly 59% less than in Phuket. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $371 in Kocani. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $874 in Kocani versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Kocani but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Kocani 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.

It comes down to priorities – Kocani wins on affordability, Phuket on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.