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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $745 in Prilep.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,134 in Prilep.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,523 in Prilep.

Living in Phuket is roughly 70% more expensive than in Prilep, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Prilep 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$4.03 MKD 217

11.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,525

$27.76 MKD 1,493

64.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$5.74 MKD 308

52.61%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.3

$1.46 MKD 78.6

103.42%

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

$0.69 ฿22.96

$1.68 MKD 90.2

-58.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.07

$1.29 MKD 69.1

-69.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.7

$1.56 MKD 84.1

62.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.06 MKD 111

82.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.8

$1.23 MKD 65.9

74.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.7

$0.74 MKD 39.93

145.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.1

$1.59 MKD 85.7

37.11%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.2

$2.11 MKD 114

6.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿669

$7.18 MKD 386

178.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$5.78 MKD 311

-37.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$9.90 MKD 532

36.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿109

$0.86 MKD 46.17

276.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.7

$1.36 MKD 72.9

20.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.0

$0.97 MKD 52.3

140.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.3

$1.46 MKD 78.8

41.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$0.89 MKD 47.76

74.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.67

$0.96 MKD 51.8

52.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.94

$0.61 MKD 32.54

60.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.13

$0.44 MKD 23.66

9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿146

$3.07 MKD 165

41.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿621

$4.75 MKD 256

290.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.1

$0.91 MKD 48.89

104.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.8

$1.22 MKD 65.9

117.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.40

$0.37 MKD 19.78

283.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

$18.81 MKD 1,012

-38.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.96 MKD 51.5

230.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.51

$0.49 MKD 26.61

110.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿465

$6.43 MKD 346

116.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.96

$1.44 MKD 77.7

-6.94%

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

$27.8K ฿929.6K

$34.4K MKD 1.8M

-19.21%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$29.6K MKD 1.6M

12.70%

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

$123 ฿4,116

$128 MKD 6,888

-3.93%

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

$13.77 ฿461

$17.38 MKD 934

-20.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿613

$14.24 MKD 766

28.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,030

$17.21 MKD 925

252.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿574

$5.53 MKD 297

210.31%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿297

$5.28 MKD 284

67.99%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$281 MKD 15.1K

145.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿527.8K

$1,212 MKD 65.2K

1201.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,984

$42.44 MKD 2,282

39.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,160

$37.97 MKD 2,042

-8.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,853

$74.7 MKD 4,018

54.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,802

$95.1 MKD 5,112

-11.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.8K

$237 MKD 12.8K

161.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$173 MKD 9,301

157.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿68.0K

$512 MKD 27.5K

297.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$281 MKD 15.1K

432.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.6K

$1,044 MKD 56.1K

231.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.7K

$827 MKD 44.5K

205.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$609 MKD 32.7K

-18.94%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Prilep: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $237 in Prilep. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Prilep pays 23% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $28.00 in Prilep for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $167 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 70% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 23% lower in Prilep. 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: $621 in Phuket versus $237 in Prilep. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 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 $745 in Prilep versus $1,264 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 70% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.