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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $759 in Prilep.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,145 in Prilep.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,531 in Prilep.

Living in Phuket is roughly 66% more expensive than Prilep, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Prilep 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$4.15 MKD 220

9.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$27.80 MKD 1,475

67.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$5.79 MKD 307

46.29%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$1.53 MKD 81.4

98.04%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$1.66 MKD 88.1

-58.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$1.23 MKD 65.1

-69.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.57 MKD 83.2

58.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.04 MKD 108

79.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.23 MKD 65.3

77.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.71 MKD 37.88

167.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.60 MKD 84.7

37.50%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.13 MKD 113

4.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$6.96 MKD 369

187.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$5.80 MKD 308

-36.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$9.91 MKD 526

33.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$0.93 MKD 49.26

247.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.43 MKD 75.8

18.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.01 MKD 53.4

136.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.54 MKD 81.6

35.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.81 MKD 42.90

96.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.94 MKD 49.68

57.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.62 MKD 32.66

66.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.44 MKD 23.44

18.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$3.03 MKD 161

40.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$4.71 MKD 250

298.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$0.96 MKD 51.0

83.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.18 MKD 62.8

133.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.40 MKD 21.15

240.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$18.45 MKD 979

-38.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$0.96 MKD 50.8

227.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.50 MKD 26.44

108.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$6.50 MKD 345

111.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.51 MKD 80.2

-11.26%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$33.2K MKD 1.8M

-16.63%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$30.1K MKD 1.6M

12.57%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$129 MKD 6,823

-3.89%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$17.62 MKD 935

-23.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$14.31 MKD 760

30.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$16.83 MKD 893

267.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$5.79 MKD 307

197.93%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$5.30 MKD 281

72.45%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$284 MKD 15.1K

146.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$1,179 MKD 62.6K

1246.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$41.69 MKD 2,212

42.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$37.38 MKD 1,983

-6.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$74.4 MKD 3,946

55.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$93.8 MKD 4,979

-10.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$237 MKD 12.6K

160.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$174 MKD 9,229

148.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$511 MKD 27.1K

303.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$285 MKD 15.1K

429.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$1,059 MKD 56.2K

244.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$833 MKD 44.2K

215.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$607 MKD 32.2K

-16.54%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Prilep: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $237 in Prilep. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Prilep pays 20% 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 $293 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 66% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Prilep earns 20% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $237 in Prilep. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $284 in Prilep. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 75% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $759 in Prilep versus $1,261 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 66% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.