Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Resen Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Resen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $909 in Resen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,378 in Resen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,846 in Resen.

Living in Phuket is roughly 35% more expensive than Resen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Resen 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$5.52 MKD 291

-16.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$33.15 MKD 1,748

41.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$6.55 MKD 345

34.96%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.20 MKD 116

36.36%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.94 MKD 102

-61.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$1.22 MKD 64.6

-69.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.59 MKD 137

-5.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.77 MKD 146

30.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.28 MKD 67.3

76.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.73 MKD 38.68

152.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.69 MKD 89.4

32.54%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.06 MKD 108

12.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$9.44 MKD 498

108.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$7.23 MKD 381

-49.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$13.61 MKD 718

-3.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.01 MKD 53.4

235.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.41 MKD 74.6

16.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.27 MKD 66.9

89.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.61 MKD 84.9

26.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.81 MKD 42.75

92.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.96 MKD 50.7

56.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.58 MKD 30.68

75.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.53 MKD 27.79

-7.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$3.03 MKD 160

46.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$7.77 MKD 410

142.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.96 MKD 50.4

85.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.52 MKD 80.1

80.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.67 MKD 35.51

108.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$20.30 MKD 1,071

-43.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.92 MKD 48.33

239.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.53 MKD 27.70

88.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$6.71 MKD 354

109.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.49 MKD 78.5

-9.40%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$31.9K MKD 1.7M

-14.72%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$29.5K MKD 1.6M

11.41%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$146 MKD 7,706

-14.48%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$17.41 MKD 918

-22.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$15.43 MKD 813

20.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$25.94 MKD 1,368

137.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$4.75 MKD 250

93.47%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$222 MKD 11.7K

214.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$1,208 MKD 63.7K

1190.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$77.0 MKD 4,061

-25.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$39.53 MKD 2,084

-10.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$75.8 MKD 3,999

49.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$109 MKD 5,765

-20.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$280 MKD 14.8K

119.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$197 MKD 10.4K

125.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$555 MKD 29.3K

269.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$315 MKD 16.6K

373.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,535 MKD 80.9K

146.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,122 MKD 59.2K

136.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

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 Resen: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $280 in Resen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $33.00 in Resen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $203 per month, with Resen 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 Resen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Resen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 35% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,364 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: $616 in Phuket versus $280 in Resen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $222 in Resen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $909 in Resen versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Resen but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Resen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Resen 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 Resen 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 Resen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.