Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Stip Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Stip

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $778 in Stip.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,138 in Stip.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,497 in Stip.

Living in Phuket is roughly 63% more expensive than Stip, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Stip 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$5.74 MKD 302

-18.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$16.11 MKD 849

181.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$4.92 MKD 259

71.34%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.89 MKD 99.4

55.03%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$1.74 MKD 92.0

-60.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$1.21 MKD 64.0

-69.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.21 MKD 117

9.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.79 MKD 147

33.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.29 MKD 67.9

72.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.68 MKD 35.66

169.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.10 MKD 58.2

97.27%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.10 MKD 111

5.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$10.32 MKD 544

91.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$7.23 MKD 381

-49.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$7.43 MKD 392

82.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$0.97 MKD 51.2

238.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.43 MKD 75.6

12.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.31 MKD 69.0

83.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.58 MKD 83.1

31.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.93 MKD 48.85

64.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.39 MKD 73.1

6.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.53 MKD 28.17

86.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.40 MKD 21.30

27.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.05 MKD 161

44.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$7.49 MKD 395

158.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.01 MKD 53.4

76.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.81 MKD 95.3

49.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.63 MKD 33.06

117.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$20.52 MKD 1,082

-44.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$1.10 MKD 58.1

174.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.49 MKD 25.84

102.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$5.61 MKD 296

151.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.45 MKD 76.2

-6.21%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$31.4K MKD 1.7M

-10.10%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$34.4K MKD 1.8M

-4.33%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$144 MKD 7,568

-15.26%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$9.23 MKD 486

47.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$15.31 MKD 807

19.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$27.83 MKD 1,467

116.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$4.74 MKD 250

83.33%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$216 MKD 11.4K

220.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$1,182 MKD 62.3K

1227.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$38.03 MKD 2,004

56.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$31.80 MKD 1,676

9.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$74.6 MKD 3,933

53.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$114 MKD 6,013

-27.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$207 MKD 10.9K

196.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$133 MKD 7,008

228.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$344 MKD 18.1K

508.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$204 MKD 10.8K

638.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$1,257 MKD 66.3K

198.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$1,026 MKD 54.1K

154.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$467 MKD 24.6K

8.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

7.1

-24.93%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Stip: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $207 in Stip. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 9% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $16.00 in Stip for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $185 per month, with Stip 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 Stip: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Stip is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 63% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 9% more on average, 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: $613 in Phuket versus $207 in Stip. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $216 in Stip. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $778 in Stip versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 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.

For families, Stip 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 Stip 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 Stip gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.