Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Stip

For one person, living is cheaper in Stip: $809 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Stip
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Stip Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Stip

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$809

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Stip

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Stip actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $809 in Stip.

Phuket $1,278
Stip $809

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,210 in Stip.

Phuket $2,216
Stip $1,210

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,611 in Stip.

Phuket $3,154
Stip $1,611

Living in Phuket is roughly 58% more expensive than in Stip, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Stip 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$7.45 MKD 410

-40.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,092

$23.08 MKD 1,270

40.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$6.30 MKD 347

39.84%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.3

$1.81 MKD 99.3

56.35%

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

$0.87 ฿29.37

$1.43 MKD 78.7

-39.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.64

$1.07 MKD 58.8

-54.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.2

$1.84 MKD 101

39.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$2.75 MKD 151

33.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.27 MKD 70.1

30.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.25

$0.74 MKD 40.87

97.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$1.11 MKD 61.1

35.14%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.4

$2.52 MKD 139

-17.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿642

$7.96 MKD 438

139.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$7.26 MKD 399

-54.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$7.21 MKD 397

51.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.7

$0.90 MKD 49.31

225.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$1.45 MKD 79.6

16.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$1.32 MKD 72.7

70.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$1.60 MKD 87.8

30.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$0.88 MKD 48.68

71.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.47

$0.80 MKD 43.97

72.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.91

$0.56 MKD 30.98

91.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.49

$0.42 MKD 23.11

23.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$3.25 MKD 179

29.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿633

$7.42 MKD 409

153.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$1.03 MKD 56.8

76.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.7

$1.49 MKD 81.9

90.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$0.67 MKD 36.88

116.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,909

$23.98 MKD 1,319

136.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.08 MKD 59.3

179.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.29

$0.58 MKD 31.74

75.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$5.54 MKD 305

-33.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.70

$1.53 MKD 84.2

-3.92%

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

$26.8K ฿902.4K

$33.1K MKD 1.8M

-19.18%

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

$26.7K ฿899.5K

$26.0K MKD 1.4M

2.77%

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

$96.4 ฿3,247

$158 MKD 8,680

-38.93%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$8.95 MKD 492

25.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$16.29 MKD 896

3.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,266

$27.01 MKD 1,486

148.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿361

$17.36 MKD 955

-38.19%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$6.50 MKD 358

15.38%

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

$476 ฿16.0K

$357 MKD 19.6K

33.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.6K

$5,645 MKD 310.6K

99.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,102

$35.74 MKD 1,966

74.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿957

$30.66 MKD 1,687

-7.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,178

$101 MKD 5,556

-6.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,892

$113 MKD 6,203

-23.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$201 MKD 11.1K

255.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.5K

$127 MKD 6,989

286.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿64.9K

$331 MKD 18.2K

482.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.2K

$201 MKD 11.0K

612.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

$1,210 MKD 66.6K

245.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

$976 MKD 53.7K

211.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$463 MKD 25.5K

8.37%

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Stip: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Stip

$127 15.7% 74.1% $364

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Stip

$177 21.9% 33.3% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Stip

$183 22.6% 47% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Stip

$126 15.6% 3.4% $4.2

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Stip

$125 15.4% 2.6% $3.2

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Stip

$40 5% 51.3% $42

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Stip

$31 3.8% 56.6% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $201 in Stip. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 8% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $23 in Stip for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $177 per month, with Stip cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇰 Stip

🕒 Local time

08:54 8:54 AM

02:54 2:54 AM

6 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

65,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

100 MKD = 1.82 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 55.02 MKD (100 MKD = 1.82 USD). 1 EUR = 61.25 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Stip 8,280 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Stip

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Stip: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Stip is about 37% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 8% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $201 in Stip. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $357 in Stip. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $809 in Stip versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Stip but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Stip the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Stip are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Stip gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.