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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $889 in Resen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,364 in Resen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,838 in Resen.

Living in Phuket is roughly 42% more expensive than Resen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Resen 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$5.70 MKD 302

-20.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$33.69 MKD 1,788

38.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$6.58 MKD 349

28.72%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.31 MKD 122

31.17%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$1.94 MKD 103

-64.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$1.23 MKD 65.3

-69.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$2.65 MKD 140

-6.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.78 MKD 147

31.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.29 MKD 68.4

68.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.67 MKD 35.46

183.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.74 MKD 92.6

26.44%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.05 MKD 109

8.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$8.98 MKD 476

122.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$7.02 MKD 372

-47.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$13.52 MKD 717

-2.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.06 MKD 56.3

204.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.41 MKD 75.0

20.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.29 MKD 68.6

85.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.58 MKD 83.6

31.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.89 MKD 47.01

78.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.96 MKD 51.0

54.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.53 MKD 28.24

94.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.53 MKD 27.98

-1.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$3.09 MKD 164

37.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$7.47 MKD 396

151.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$0.96 MKD 50.8

83.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.56 MKD 82.9

76.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.63 MKD 33.55

115.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$20.02 MKD 1,062

-43.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$0.92 MKD 48.60

241.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.50 MKD 26.36

108.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$6.51 MKD 345

111.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.50 MKD 79.7

-10.67%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$32.2K MKD 1.7M

-14.07%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$29.9K MKD 1.6M

13.24%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$143 MKD 7,574

-13.42%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$17.80 MKD 945

-24.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$15.56 MKD 826

20.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$26.51 MKD 1,407

133.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$4.75 MKD 252

92.42%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$219 MKD 11.6K

220.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$1,192 MKD 63.3K

1231.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$76.0 MKD 4,034

-21.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$39.84 MKD 2,114

-11.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$74.1 MKD 3,933

55.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$109 MKD 5,807

-23.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$287 MKD 15.3K

115.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$197 MKD 10.4K

120.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$554 MKD 29.4K

272.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$312 MKD 16.6K

384.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$1,418 MKD 75.2K

157.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$1,383 MKD 73.4K

89.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

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 Resen: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $287 in Resen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $34.00 in Resen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $200 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, Sport & Entertainment. The 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,892 in Phuket and $1,334 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: $619 in Phuket versus $287 in Resen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $219 in Resen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $889 in Resen versus $1,261 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 42% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.