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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $780 in Struga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,193 in Struga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,605 in Struga.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Struga 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$7.69 MKD 411

-41.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$30.52 MKD 1,631

49.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$4.68 MKD 250

87.18%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$1.51 MKD 80.5

96.69%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$1.69 MKD 90.4

-59.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$1.29 MKD 69.1

-69.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$2.66 MKD 142

-4.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$3.41 MKD 182

9.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.14 MKD 60.9

88.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.63 MKD 33.71

188.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.75 MKD 93.3

24.57%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.09 MKD 111

7.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$6.94 MKD 371

188.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$5.62 MKD 300

-35.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$9.51 MKD 508

42.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$0.57 MKD 30.60

468.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.32 MKD 70.7

24.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$0.92 MKD 49.14

153.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.10 MKD 58.9

88.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.77 MKD 40.94

101.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$0.90 MKD 47.93

62.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.54 MKD 28.86

81.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.37 MKD 19.66

29.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$3.14 MKD 168

38.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$3.68 MKD 197

404.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.06 MKD 56.9

75.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$1.01 MKD 53.9

162.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.69 MKD 36.87

105.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$20.37 MKD 1,089

-43.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.99 MKD 52.7

220.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.53 MKD 28.21

94.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$7.70 MKD 412

80.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.46 MKD 78.1

-8.22%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$34.0K MKD 1.8M

-18.35%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$29.6K MKD 1.6M

12.74%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$90.9 MKD 4,858

35.35%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$14.98 MKD 800

-8.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$19.69 MKD 1,052

-6.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$25.84 MKD 1,381

134.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$22.22 MKD 1,187

-22.77%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$6.64 MKD 355

33.58%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$311 MKD 16.6K

120.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$1,179 MKD 63.0K

1238.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$77.9 MKD 4,161

-23.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$27.82 MKD 1,486

24.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$66.4 MKD 3,546

73.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$37.12 MKD 1,984

125.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$290 MKD 15.5K

114.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$231 MKD 12.3K

93.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$396 MKD 21.2K

413.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$321 MKD 17.2K

365.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$1,569 MKD 83.9K

120.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$1,355 MKD 72.4K

86.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$878 MKD 46.9K

-43.80%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Struga: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $290 in Struga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Struga pays 78% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $31.00 in Struga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $156 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 62% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 78% lower in Struga. 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: $621 in Phuket versus $290 in Struga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $311 in Struga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 87% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $780 in Struga versus $1,264 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 62% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.