Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Struga Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Struga

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $808 in Struga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,194 in Struga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,580 in Struga.

Living in Phuket is roughly 52% more expensive than Struga, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Struga 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$7.47 MKD 394

-38.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$30.53 MKD 1,610

53.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$4.74 MKD 250

86.50%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.58 MKD 83.1

89.87%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.78 MKD 93.7

-58.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$1.23 MKD 64.8

-69.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.65 MKD 140

-7.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$3.35 MKD 177

7.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.19 MKD 62.8

89.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.67 MKD 35.56

174.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.76 MKD 92.8

27.27%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.07 MKD 109

12.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$6.68 MKD 352

194.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$5.49 MKD 289

-33.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$9.31 MKD 491

40.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$0.55 MKD 28.88

516.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.32 MKD 69.7

24.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$0.95 MKD 50.3

153.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.16 MKD 61.0

75.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.72 MKD 38.09

116.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.99 MKD 52.0

51.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.58 MKD 30.47

75.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.40 MKD 20.93

22.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$3.26 MKD 172

36.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$4.63 MKD 244

307.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.10 MKD 57.9

61.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.00 MKD 53.0

175.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.63 MKD 33.22

122.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$20.30 MKD 1,070

-43.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.96 MKD 50.8

225.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.50 MKD 26.25

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$7.54 MKD 398

86.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.47 MKD 77.6

-8.16%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$33.6K MKD 1.8M

-19.01%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$29.9K MKD 1.6M

10.16%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$90.7 MKD 4,783

37.76%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$15.09 MKD 796

-10.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$19.15 MKD 1,010

-3.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$26.68 MKD 1,407

130.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$22.16 MKD 1,169

-24.01%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$6.38 MKD 336

44.04%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$323 MKD 17.0K

116.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$1,180 MKD 62.2K

1221.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$78.3 MKD 4,127

-26.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$27.71 MKD 1,461

27.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$67.0 MKD 3,531

68.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$37.26 MKD 1,965

131.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$287 MKD 15.1K

114.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$230 MKD 12.1K

94.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$387 MKD 20.4K

429.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$318 MKD 16.8K

368.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,626 MKD 85.7K

132.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,431 MKD 75.5K

85.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$1,009 MKD 53.2K

-48.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.5

52.29%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Struga: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $287 in Struga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Struga pays 93% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $31.00 in Struga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $158 per month, with Struga 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 Struga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Struga is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 52% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Struga earns 93% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $287 in Struga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $323 in Struga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 85% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $808 in Struga versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Struga but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Struga the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Struga 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 Struga 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 Struga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.