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 $988 in Resen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,492 in Resen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,997 in Resen.

Living in Phuket is roughly 25% more expensive than in Resen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Resen 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$9.48 MKD 507

-53.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,074

$35.55 MKD 1,903

-9.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$6.80 MKD 364

31.32%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.4

$2.18 MKD 117

33.03%

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

$0.88 ฿29.30

$1.89 MKD 101

-53.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.01

$1.31 MKD 70.2

-63.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.3

$2.63 MKD 141

-10.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.65 MKD 142

40.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$1.33 MKD 71.4

40.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.81

$0.76 MKD 40.91

93.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$1.83 MKD 98.0

-15.30%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.0

$2.45 MKD 131

-14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿652

$8.27 MKD 443

136.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$7.34 MKD 393

-53.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

$14.84 MKD 794

-23.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.3

$1.47 MKD 78.6

102.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.47 MKD 78.8

14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$1.37 MKD 73.2

61.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.0

$2.09 MKD 112

3.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$0.91 MKD 48.77

67.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.55

$0.86 MKD 46.23

55.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.57

$0.60 MKD 32.12

88.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.19

$0.63 MKD 33.68

-12.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.65 MKD 195

16.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$7.48 MKD 400

155.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$1.08 MKD 57.9

64.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.6

$1.54 MKD 82.3

80.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.2

$0.77 MKD 41.23

189.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

$24.07 MKD 1,288

-5.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.12 MKD 59.9

170.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.06

$0.63 MKD 33.81

61.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$7.99 MKD 427

-51.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.63

$1.61 MKD 86.0

-7.45%

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

$26.6K ฿884.9K

$36.4K MKD 1.9M

-26.92%

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

$27.0K ฿899.8K

$27.9K MKD 1.5M

-3.23%

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

$102 ฿3,411

$165 MKD 8,816

-37.80%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$18.71 MKD 1,002

-39.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿579

$19.33 MKD 1,034

-9.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,734

$25.43 MKD 1,361

104.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

$18.76 MKD 1,004

-40.99%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$7.67 MKD 411

0.26%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$369 MKD 19.7K

52.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.0K

$5,800 MKD 310.4K

98.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,098

$85.8 MKD 4,592

-26.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿983

$38.45 MKD 2,058

-23.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,263

$106 MKD 5,652

-7.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,946

$117 MKD 6,250

-24.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$265 MKD 14.2K

179.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$170 MKD 9,086

184.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.1K

$480 MKD 25.7K

338.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$307 MKD 16.4K

299.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

$1,590 MKD 85.1K

127.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

$1,202 MKD 64.3K

116.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

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: September 15, 2026

Last update for Resen: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $265 in Resen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $36.00 in Resen. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $214, with Resen cheaper for home cooking.

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, Getting Around. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,482 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: $738 in Phuket versus $265 in Resen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $369 in Resen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $988 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 25% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.