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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $800 in Struga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,199 in Struga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,598 in Struga.

Living in Phuket is roughly 58% more expensive than Struga, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Struga 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$7.72 MKD 410

-40.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$30.59 MKD 1,623

52.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$4.64 MKD 246

82.54%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$1.56 MKD 82.9

94.23%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$1.71 MKD 90.6

-59.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$1.23 MKD 65.3

-69.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$2.70 MKD 143

-7.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.40 MKD 180

7.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.14 MKD 60.5

91.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.68 MKD 36.07

179.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.69 MKD 89.6

30.18%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.99 MKD 106

11.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$6.78 MKD 360

194.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$5.62 MKD 298

-34.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$9.50 MKD 504

39.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$0.55 MKD 29.10

487.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.29 MKD 68.7

31.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$0.96 MKD 50.9

148.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.15 MKD 61.1

80.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.78 MKD 41.26

103.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.96 MKD 50.9

54.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.58 MKD 30.63

77.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.40 MKD 21.02

30.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$3.27 MKD 174

29.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$4.63 MKD 246

305.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.10 MKD 58.3

60.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.01 MKD 53.8

173.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.69 MKD 36.42

97.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$19.91 MKD 1,056

-42.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$0.93 MKD 49.09

237.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.53 MKD 28.31

96.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$7.54 MKD 400

82.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.46 MKD 77.7

-8.22%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$34.3K MKD 1.8M

-19.28%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$29.8K MKD 1.6M

13.79%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$92.5 MKD 4,910

33.57%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$15.25 MKD 809

-11.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$19.70 MKD 1,045

-5.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$26.47 MKD 1,404

133.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$22.13 MKD 1,174

-22.05%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$6.42 MKD 341

42.37%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$324 MKD 17.2K

117.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$1,183 MKD 62.7K

1242.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$77.0 MKD 4,085

-22.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$27.65 MKD 1,467

26.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$66.3 MKD 3,519

73.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$37.22 MKD 1,975

125.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$283 MKD 15.0K

118.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$230 MKD 12.2K

88.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$393 MKD 20.9K

424.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$330 MKD 17.5K

358.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$1,552 MKD 82.4K

134.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$1,413 MKD 75.0K

85.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$970 MKD 51.4K

-47.71%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Struga: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $283 in Struga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Struga pays 91% 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 $293 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 58% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Struga earns 91% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $283 in Struga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $324 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 $800 in Struga versus $1,261 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 58% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.