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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $774 in Stip.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,153 in Stip.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,532 in Stip.

Living in Phuket is roughly 62% more expensive than in Stip, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$5.80 MKD 311

-21.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$15.99 MKD 858

188.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$4.95 MKD 266

78.59%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.98 MKD 106

54.55%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$1.76 MKD 94.5

-58.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$1.23 MKD 66.1

-67.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.29 MKD 123

6.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.65 MKD 142

42.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.33 MKD 71.2

69.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.67 MKD 36.09

170.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.12 MKD 60.0

100.89%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.03 MKD 109

10.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$10.33 MKD 555

88.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$7.34 MKD 394

-50.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$7.50 MKD 403

74.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$0.90 MKD 48.53

258.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.38 MKD 74.0

17.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.31 MKD 70.2

81.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.63 MKD 87.5

24.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.99 MKD 52.9

54.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.37 MKD 73.8

9.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.58 MKD 31.02

68.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.41 MKD 22.01

26.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$2.95 MKD 159

50.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$7.60 MKD 408

141.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$0.99 MKD 53.1

87.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.79 MKD 95.9

49.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.64 MKD 34.35

120.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$19.79 MKD 1,063

-40.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.16 MKD 62.1

168.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.53 MKD 28.38

96.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$5.61 MKD 301

151.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.49 MKD 80.0

-12.08%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$31.7K MKD 1.7M

-12.36%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$34.4K MKD 1.8M

-3.37%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$147 MKD 7,914

-16.95%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$9.36 MKD 503

45.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$15.45 MKD 829

21.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$27.94 MKD 1,500

116.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$4.75 MKD 255

90.95%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$219 MKD 11.8K

222.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$1,186 MKD 63.7K

1232.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$36.87 MKD 1,979

58.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$31.76 MKD 1,705

11.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$75.4 MKD 4,049

53.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$114 MKD 6,105

-26.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$209 MKD 11.2K

199.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$133 MKD 7,150

234.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$338 MKD 18.1K

504.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$203 MKD 10.9K

636.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$1,228 MKD 65.9K

183.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$988 MKD 53.0K

160.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$463 MKD 24.9K

7.96%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Stip: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $209 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $16.00 in Stip for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $186 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 62% gap 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: $626 in Phuket versus $209 in Stip. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $219 in Stip. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $774 in Stip versus $1,250 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 62% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.