Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Prilep Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Prilep

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $759 in Prilep.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,138 in Prilep.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,518 in Prilep.

Living in Phuket is roughly 62% more expensive than Prilep, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Prilep 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$4.03 MKD 213

14.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$27.62 MKD 1,456

69.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$5.72 MKD 302

54.55%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.53 MKD 80.7

96.08%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.60 MKD 84.2

-53.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$1.22 MKD 64.2

-69.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.63 MKD 85.9

49.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.03 MKD 107

77.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.21 MKD 63.8

86.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.74 MKD 39.13

148.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.64 MKD 86.6

36.59%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.10 MKD 111

10.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$7.21 MKD 380

172.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$5.87 MKD 310

-37.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$10.13 MKD 534

29.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$0.85 MKD 44.99

298.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.37 MKD 72.1

19.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$0.94 MKD 49.71

156.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.48 MKD 77.8

37.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.88 MKD 46.14

77.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.00 MKD 52.6

50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.65 MKD 34.40

56.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.41 MKD 21.88

19.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$2.97 MKD 157

49.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$4.66 MKD 246

305.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.91 MKD 48.06

95.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.18 MKD 62.5

133.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.40 MKD 20.97

250.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$18.92 MKD 998

-39.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.97 MKD 51.0

221.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.49 MKD 25.95

104.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$6.52 MKD 344

116.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.45 MKD 76.7

-6.90%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$33.3K MKD 1.8M

-18.25%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$29.7K MKD 1.6M

11.03%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$129 MKD 6,801

-3.09%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$17.73 MKD 935

-23.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$14.15 MKD 746

30.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$16.98 MKD 896

262.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$5.61 MKD 296

200.18%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$5.32 MKD 281

72.74%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$281 MKD 14.8K

148.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$1,202 MKD 63.4K

1197.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$42.03 MKD 2,216

37.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$36.95 MKD 1,949

-4.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$75.6 MKD 3,986

49.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$95.4 MKD 5,031

-9.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$234 MKD 12.3K

163.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$171 MKD 9,020

160.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$522 MKD 27.5K

292.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$289 MKD 15.2K

415.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,041 MKD 54.9K

262.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$865 MKD 45.6K

206.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$620 MKD 32.7K

-15.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.54

17.40%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Prilep: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $234 in Prilep. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Prilep pays 18% 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 $28.00 in Prilep for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $168 per month, with Prilep 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 Prilep: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Prilep is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 62% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Prilep earns 18% 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 $234 in Prilep. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $281 in Prilep. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 74% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $759 in Prilep versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Prilep but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Prilep the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Prilep is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Prilep 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 Prilep gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.