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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $886 in Resen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,350 in Resen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,815 in Resen.

Living in Phuket is roughly 43% more expensive than in Resen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Resen 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$5.70 MKD 304

-21.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$34.28 MKD 1,832

32.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$6.70 MKD 358

30.75%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$2.32 MKD 124

28.02%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$1.98 MKD 106

-65.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$1.23 MKD 65.6

-68.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$2.69 MKD 144

-5.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.65 MKD 141

41.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.33 MKD 70.9

61.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.68 MKD 36.50

167.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.66 MKD 88.7

31.33%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.11 MKD 113

6.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$8.99 MKD 480

122.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$7.16 MKD 383

-49.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$13.67 MKD 731

-0.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$1.01 MKD 54.1

220.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.41 MKD 75.5

16.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.30 MKD 69.4

79.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.63 MKD 86.9

26.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.88 MKD 47.24

76.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$0.93 MKD 49.49

56.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.54 MKD 28.96

81.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.57 MKD 30.41

-15.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$2.99 MKD 160

45.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$7.50 MKD 401

147.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.00 MKD 53.5

86.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$1.57 MKD 84.1

68.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.64 MKD 33.97

121.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$20.44 MKD 1,092

-43.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.91 MKD 48.82

248.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.50 MKD 26.68

106.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$6.62 MKD 354

109.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.47 MKD 78.6

-8.84%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$32.1K MKD 1.7M

-13.53%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$30.1K MKD 1.6M

10.73%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$144 MKD 7,699

-14.59%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$17.91 MKD 957

-23.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$15.68 MKD 838

16.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$25.86 MKD 1,382

134.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$4.74 MKD 253

87.13%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$221 MKD 11.8K

211.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$1,194 MKD 63.8K

1221.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$78.3 MKD 4,186

-24.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$40.36 MKD 2,157

-14.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$76.2 MKD 4,071

51.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$110 MKD 5,885

-23.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$283 MKD 15.1K

119.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$192 MKD 10.3K

131.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$567 MKD 30.3K

258.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$310 MKD 16.6K

381.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$1,674 MKD 89.5K

106.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$1,329 MKD 71.0K

90.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Resen: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $283 in Resen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $34.00 in Resen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $202 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 43% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,896 in Phuket and $1,329 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: $621 in Phuket versus $283 in Resen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $221 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 $886 in Resen versus $1,264 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 43% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.