Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Skopje Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Skopje

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,112 in Skopje.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,621 in Skopje.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,130 in Skopje.

Living in Phuket is roughly 14% more expensive than Skopje, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Skopje 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$7.57 MKD 399

-37.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$34.02 MKD 1,791

33.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$6.65 MKD 350

26.77%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$2.19 MKD 115

33.79%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$1.94 MKD 102

-64.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$1.28 MKD 67.5

-71.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.70 MKD 142

-10.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.47 MKD 183

7.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.34 MKD 70.6

66.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.82 MKD 43.34

123.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.75 MKD 92.4

24.00%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.19 MKD 115

0.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$9.22 MKD 485

114.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$7.99 MKD 421

-54.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$13.63 MKD 718

-0.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.01 MKD 53.3

224.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.41 MKD 74.4

14.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.32 MKD 69.6

82.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$2.17 MKD 114

-4.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.88 MKD 46.53

73.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.92 MKD 48.49

60.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.71 MKD 37.39

39.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.58 MKD 30.57

-12.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.15 MKD 166

40.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$7.41 MKD 390

161.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.06 MKD 55.8

67.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.51 MKD 79.7

79.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.77 MKD 40.40

77.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$27.67 MKD 1,457

-58.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$0.98 MKD 51.4

208.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.49 MKD 25.59

102.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$7.60 MKD 400

85.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.47 MKD 77.3

-7.48%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$34.0K MKD 1.8M

-17.12%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$29.6K MKD 1.6M

11.20%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$160 MKD 8,438

-24.07%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$18.34 MKD 965

-26.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$19.13 MKD 1,007

-4.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$38.37 MKD 2,020

56.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$17.56 MKD 925

-2.39%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$6.72 MKD 354

29.32%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$312 MKD 16.4K

121.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$4,509 MKD 237.4K

247.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$77.2 MKD 4,063

-22.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$40.43 MKD 2,129

-14.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$100 MKD 5,270

14.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$110 MKD 5,804

-24.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$429 MKD 22.6K

42.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$310 MKD 16.3K

40.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$645 MKD 34.0K

224.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$459 MKD 24.1K

229.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$2,801 MKD 147.5K

33.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$1,829 MKD 96.3K

43.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$913 MKD 48.1K

-44.33%

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 2, 2026

Last update for Skopje: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $429 in Skopje. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Skopje pays 80% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $34.00 in Skopje for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $213 per month, with Skopje 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 Skopje: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Skopje is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Skopje earns 80% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $613 in Phuket versus $429 in Skopje. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $312 in Skopje. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,112 in Skopje versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Skopje but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Skopje the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Skopje 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 Skopje 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 Skopje gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.