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 $898 in Struga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,355 in Struga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,812 in Struga.

Living in Phuket is roughly 37% more expensive than in Struga, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Struga 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$7.42 MKD 395

-40.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$30.35 MKD 1,614

6.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$5.47 MKD 291

63.25%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$1.57 MKD 83.7

84.71%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$1.89 MKD 100

-53.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$1.25 MKD 66.7

-61.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$2.76 MKD 147

-14.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.35 MKD 178

11.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.29 MKD 68.8

44.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.75 MKD 39.67

96.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.59 MKD 84.4

-2.52%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$2.09 MKD 111

0.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$7.86 MKD 418

149.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$6.72 MKD 357

-49.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$13.02 MKD 693

-12.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$1.40 MKD 74.6

112.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.40 MKD 74.2

20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.30 MKD 69.1

70.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$1.65 MKD 87.6

30.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$0.83 MKD 44.39

83.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$0.86 MKD 45.79

55.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.65 MKD 34.53

73.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.58 MKD 30.77

-5.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.54 MKD 188

20.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$4.57 MKD 243

317.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.09 MKD 58.0

63.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$1.54 MKD 81.8

80.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.92 MKD 48.84

142.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$56.5 MKD 3,006

-59.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.12 MKD 59.4

170.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.60 MKD 31.67

70.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$5.07 MKD 270

-23.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.51 MKD 80.3

-1.32%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$36.3K MKD 1.9M

-26.72%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$27.8K MKD 1.5M

-2.76%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$101 MKD 5,364

1.59%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$11.22 MKD 597

0.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$18.94 MKD 1,007

-8.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$20.17 MKD 1,073

158.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$12.07 MKD 642

-8.29%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$7.56 MKD 402

1.72%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$124 MKD 6,571

353.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$1,650 MKD 87.7K

597.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$86.9 MKD 4,622

-27.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$31.90 MKD 1,696

-7.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$74.4 MKD 3,956

31.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$55.1 MKD 2,929

60.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$280 MKD 14.9K

163.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$227 MKD 12.1K

112.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$451 MKD 24.0K

367.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$370 MKD 19.7K

231.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$1,552 MKD 82.5K

133.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$1,404 MKD 74.7K

85.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$879 MKD 46.7K

-43.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.75

48.53%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Struga: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $280 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $30.00 in Struga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $192 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 37% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $280 in Struga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $124 in Struga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $898 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 37% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.