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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,087 in Skopje.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,634 in Skopje.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,180 in Skopje.

Living in Phuket is roughly 15% more expensive than in Skopje, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Skopje 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$7.58 MKD 407

-39.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$33.45 MKD 1,796

38.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$6.70 MKD 360

31.94%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.27 MKD 122

34.80%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$2.03 MKD 109

-64.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$1.29 MKD 69.3

-68.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.66 MKD 143

-8.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$3.35 MKD 180

12.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.29 MKD 69.5

75.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.76 MKD 40.83

138.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.67 MKD 89.7

34.73%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.21 MKD 119

1.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$9.13 MKD 490

113.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$7.78 MKD 418

-53.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$13.71 MKD 736

-4.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.06 MKD 57.1

204.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.43 MKD 76.8

13.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.35 MKD 72.6

76.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$2.17 MKD 116

-6.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.89 MKD 47.79

71.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.90 MKD 48.49

66.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.69 MKD 36.95

42.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.55 MKD 29.72

-5.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.18 MKD 171

39.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$7.26 MKD 390

152.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.07 MKD 57.3

73.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.52 MKD 81.5

76.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.76 MKD 40.98

85.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$28.58 MKD 1,534

-59.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.96 MKD 51.6

223.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.48 MKD 26.03

116.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$7.41 MKD 398

90.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.49 MKD 79.7

-12.08%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$33.7K MKD 1.8M

-17.35%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$29.3K MKD 1.6M

13.49%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$160 MKD 8,580

-23.40%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$18.05 MKD 969

-24.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$19.13 MKD 1,027

-2.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$38.66 MKD 2,075

56.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$17.36 MKD 932

-2.19%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$6.62 MKD 356

37.01%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$320 MKD 17.2K

120.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$4,642 MKD 249.2K

240.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$77.5 MKD 4,160

-24.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$40.16 MKD 2,156

-11.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$100 MKD 5,368

15.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$110 MKD 5,918

-24.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$425 MKD 22.8K

47.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$310 MKD 16.6K

43.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$645 MKD 34.6K

216.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$463 MKD 24.8K

222.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$2,731 MKD 146.6K

27.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,740 MKD 93.4K

48.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$886 MKD 47.6K

-43.58%

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 12, 2026

Last update for Skopje: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $425 in Skopje. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Skopje pays 77% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $33.00 in Skopje for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $210 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 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 77% lower in Skopje. 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: $626 in Phuket versus $425 in Skopje. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $320 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 $1,087 in Skopje versus $1,250 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 15% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.