Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Resen

For one person, living is cheaper in Resen: $957 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 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
47

Cost of Living Index in Resen
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Resen Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Resen

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$957

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Resen

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $957 in Resen.

Phuket $1,278
Resen $957

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,461 in Resen.

Phuket $2,216
Resen $1,461

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,965 in Resen.

Phuket $3,154
Resen $1,965

Living in Phuket is roughly 34% more expensive than in Resen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Resen 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$9.39 MKD 514

-52.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,092

$35.01 MKD 1,914

-7.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$6.64 MKD 363

32.68%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.3

$2.08 MKD 114

36.06%

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

$0.87 ฿29.37

$1.79 MKD 97.9

-51.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.64

$1.32 MKD 71.9

-62.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.2

$2.66 MKD 145

-3.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$2.70 MKD 148

36.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.24 MKD 67.5

33.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.25

$0.78 MKD 42.69

87.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$1.77 MKD 96.6

-15.25%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.4

$2.49 MKD 136

-16.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿642

$8.20 MKD 448

132.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$7.44 MKD 407

-55.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$15.01 MKD 821

-27.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.7

$1.44 MKD 78.6

103.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$1.45 MKD 79.4

16.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$1.32 MKD 72.3

70.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$1.94 MKD 106

7.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$0.90 MKD 48.96

67.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.47

$0.84 MKD 46.03

64.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.91

$0.64 MKD 34.99

67.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.49

$0.58 MKD 31.72

-10.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$3.44 MKD 188

22.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿633

$7.18 MKD 393

161.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$1.07 MKD 58.3

70.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.7

$1.44 MKD 78.6

97.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$0.82 MKD 44.61

76.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,909

$22.03 MKD 1,204

157.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.11 MKD 60.7

172.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.29

$0.61 MKD 33.25

67.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$7.37 MKD 403

-49.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.70

$1.57 MKD 85.8

-6.37%

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

$26.8K ฿902.4K

$33.8K MKD 1.8M

-20.66%

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

$26.7K ฿899.5K

$26.0K MKD 1.4M

2.69%

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

$96.4 ฿3,247

$156 MKD 8,525

-38.20%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$18.53 MKD 1,013

-39.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$19.21 MKD 1,051

-12.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,266

$21.89 MKD 1,197

207.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿361

$19.28 MKD 1,054

-44.35%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$7.13 MKD 390

5.19%

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

$476 ฿16.0K

$365 MKD 20.0K

30.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.6K

$5,684 MKD 310.8K

98.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,102

$85.6 MKD 4,682

-27.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿957

$36.23 MKD 1,981

-21.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,178

$102 MKD 5,598

-7.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,892

$113 MKD 6,166

-23.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$313 MKD 17.1K

128.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.5K

$183 MKD 10.0K

167.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿64.9K

$511 MKD 27.9K

277.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.2K

$287 MKD 15.7K

398.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

$1,481 MKD 81.0K

181.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

$1,245 MKD 68.1K

144.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

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 Resen: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Resen

$183 19.2% 62.6% $308

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Resen

$211 22.1% 20.6% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Resen

$194 20.2% 55.6% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Resen

$152 15.9% 24.4% $30

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Resen

$151 15.8% 24.2% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Resen

$36 3.8% 56% $46

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Resen

$29 3.1% 58.3% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $313 in Resen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $35 in Resen. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $211, with Resen cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇰 Resen

🕒 Local time

09:22 9:22 AM

03:22 3:22 AM

6 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

8,700

💱 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 Resen 8,380 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Resen

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 Resen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Resen is about 25% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $1,435 in Resen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $313 in Resen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $365 in Resen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% 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 Resen are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.