Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Strumica Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Strumica

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $875 in Strumica.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,251 in Strumica.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,627 in Strumica.

Living in Phuket is roughly 44% more expensive than Strumica, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Strumica 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$3.71 MKD 197

22.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$28.68 MKD 1,522

62.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$4.97 MKD 264

70.42%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$1.67 MKD 88.8

81.44%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$1.46 MKD 77.2

-52.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$1.12 MKD 59.3

-66.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.84 MKD 97.6

35.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.18 MKD 116

67.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.33 MKD 70.6

63.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.72 MKD 38.31

163.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.77 MKD 93.9

24.29%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.08 MKD 111

6.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$10.36 MKD 550

92.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$6.37 MKD 338

-42.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$10.38 MKD 551

27.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$0.68 MKD 36.07

375.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.37 MKD 72.7

24.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.23 MKD 65.3

94.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.61 MKD 85.5

29.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.92 MKD 48.86

72.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.84 MKD 44.56

76.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.58 MKD 30.84

77.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.54 MKD 28.60

-3.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$2.78 MKD 148

52.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$5.51 MKD 293

241.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$0.98 MKD 52.0

79.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.20 MKD 63.9

130.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.73 MKD 38.56

86.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$20.59 MKD 1,092

-44.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$1.10 MKD 58.3

185.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.49 MKD 26.24

112.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$6.75 MKD 358

104.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.50 MKD 79.5

-10.67%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$31.5K MKD 1.7M

-12.13%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$33.3K MKD 1.8M

1.64%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$143 MKD 7,586

-13.55%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$13.40 MKD 711

0.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$15.59 MKD 827

19.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$20.32 MKD 1,078

204.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$4.68 MKD 248

95.30%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$223 MKD 11.8K

215.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$1,207 MKD 64.1K

1214.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$76.1 MKD 4,036

-21.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$48.25 MKD 2,560

-27.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$73.9 MKD 3,922

55.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$93.0 MKD 4,935

-9.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$324 MKD 17.2K

90.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$244 MKD 13.0K

76.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$511 MKD 27.1K

303.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$300 MKD 15.9K

403.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$1,478 MKD 78.4K

146.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$1,004 MKD 53.3K

161.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$664 MKD 35.3K

-23.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

33.25%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Strumica: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $324 in Strumica. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Strumica pays 31% 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 $29.00 in Strumica for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $186 per month, with Strumica 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 Strumica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Strumica is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Strumica earns 31% 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 $324 in Strumica. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $223 in Strumica. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $875 in Strumica versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Strumica but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Strumica the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Strumica 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 Strumica 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 Strumica gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.