Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Prilep

For one person, living is cheaper in Prilep: $730 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Prilep
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Prilep Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Prilep

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$730

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Prilep

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $730 in Prilep.

Phuket $1,278
Prilep $730

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,110 in Prilep.

Phuket $2,216
Prilep $1,110

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,489 in Prilep.

Phuket $3,154
Prilep $1,489

Living in Phuket is roughly 75% more expensive than in Prilep, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Prilep 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$3.90 MKD 215

14.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$27.36 MKD 1,505

18.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$5.77 MKD 317

52.69%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$1.43 MKD 78.6

97.90%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$1.61 MKD 88.4

-45.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$1.18 MKD 64.8

-58.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$1.58 MKD 87.1

62.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$1.96 MKD 108

87.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.13 MKD 62.3

46.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$0.67 MKD 37.09

117.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.55 MKD 85.4

-3.23%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.04 MKD 112

2.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$6.95 MKD 383

174.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$5.88 MKD 323

-43.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$11.23 MKD 618

-2.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$0.85 MKD 46.53

244.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.34 MKD 73.8

26.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.00 MKD 55.2

125.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$1.24 MKD 68.3

67.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.75 MKD 41.43

101.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$0.85 MKD 46.76

62.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$0.58 MKD 32.03

84.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.44 MKD 24.38

18.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$2.89 MKD 159

45.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$5.09 MKD 280

269.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.01 MKD 55.4

80.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$1.18 MKD 64.9

140.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$0.35 MKD 19.07

314.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$18.30 MKD 1,006

209.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.11 MKD 60.8

172.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$0.60 MKD 33.14

70.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$6.47 MKD 356

-42.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$1.47 MKD 81.1

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$33.1K MKD 1.8M

-19.10%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$26.5K MKD 1.5M

0.57%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$123 MKD 6,778

-21.82%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$17.30 MKD 952

-34.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$13.82 MKD 760

21.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$20.03 MKD 1,102

235.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$8.23 MKD 452

30.38%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$5.12 MKD 282

46.48%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$277 MKD 15.2K

71.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$1,158 MKD 63.7K

872.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$37.29 MKD 2,051

67.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$36.81 MKD 2,024

-22.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$67.2 MKD 3,695

40.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$80.1 MKD 4,405

7.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$229 MKD 12.6K

213.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$166 MKD 9,113

196.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$497 MKD 27.3K

287.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$276 MKD 15.2K

418.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$1,029 MKD 56.6K

305.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$807 MKD 44.4K

277.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$603 MKD 33.2K

-16.72%

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 Prilep: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Prilep

$166 22.7% 66.2% $325

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Prilep

$168 23% 36.9% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Prilep

$154 21.1% 24% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Prilep

$100 13.6% 18.3% $22

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Prilep

$89 12.1% 27.2% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Prilep

$30 4.2% 63.2% $52

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Prilep

$24 3.3% 66.3% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $229 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: $32 in Phuket vs $27 in Prilep for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $168 per month, with Prilep cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇰 Prilep

🕒 Local time

06:09 6:09 AM

00:09 12:09 AM

6 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

63,308

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 MKD = 1.82 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 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.82 USD). 1 EUR = 61.41 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Prilep 8,330 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Prilep

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 Prilep: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Prilep is about 43% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 17% 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 $229 in Prilep. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $277 in Prilep. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Prilep are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Prilep gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.