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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $889 in Strumica.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,282 in Strumica.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,674 in Strumica.

Living in Phuket is roughly 38% more expensive than Strumica, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Strumica 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$3.65 MKD 192

26.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,523

$28.37 MKD 1,490

65.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿287

$4.99 MKD 262

77.15%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿97.4

$1.66 MKD 87.3

80.72%

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

$0.74 ฿24.11

$1.52 MKD 79.9

-51.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.88

$1.15 MKD 60.5

-67.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.3

$1.91 MKD 101

27.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿117

$2.21 MKD 116

63.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.5

$1.34 MKD 70.2

68.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿59.8

$0.73 MKD 38.17

152.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.0

$1.79 MKD 93.8

25.14%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.3

$2.04 MKD 107

13.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿639

$10.14 MKD 533

93.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$6.27 MKD 329

-41.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿426

$10.53 MKD 553

24.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿110

$0.64 MKD 33.50

429.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.4

$1.45 MKD 76.2

13.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.5

$1.20 MKD 62.9

100.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.0

$1.65 MKD 86.4

23.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.6

$0.94 MKD 49.51

65.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.66

$0.89 MKD 46.53

68.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.30

$0.57 MKD 30.07

78.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿15.91

$0.57 MKD 29.89

-14.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$2.76 MKD 145

61.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿614

$5.56 MKD 292

239.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿57.7

$0.91 MKD 47.92

95.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿89.5

$1.20 MKD 63.1

129.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.54

$0.73 MKD 38.24

91.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿373

$19.98 MKD 1,049

-42.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿101

$1.16 MKD 60.8

168.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.48

$0.49 MKD 25.54

104.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿458

$6.69 MKD 351

110.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿43.93

$1.43 MKD 74.9

-5.59%

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

$27.2K ฿883.7K

$31.9K MKD 1.7M

-14.71%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$33.4K MKD 1.8M

-1.57%

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

$125 ฿4,063

$146 MKD 7,672

-14.44%

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

$13.57 ฿441

$13.29 MKD 698

2.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿602

$15.59 MKD 819

18.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿1,999

$20.90 MKD 1,098

194.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿299

$4.74 MKD 249

93.88%

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

$698 ฿22.7K

$219 MKD 11.5K

218.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿506.9K

$1,195 MKD 62.8K

1204.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$77.7 MKD 4,083

-25.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,146

$47.91 MKD 2,516

-26.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,677

$74.4 MKD 3,906

52.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,808

$93.1 MKD 4,891

-7.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.0K

$320 MKD 16.8K

92.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.5K

$244 MKD 12.8K

82.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿66.6K

$496 MKD 26.0K

313.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.5K

$305 MKD 16.0K

389.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿122.8K

$1,546 MKD 81.2K

144.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.1K

$1,009 MKD 53.0K

162.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.0K

$659 MKD 34.6K

-20.51%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Strumica: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $320 in Strumica. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Strumica pays 26% 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 $28.00 in Strumica for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 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, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 38% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Strumica earns 26% 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 $320 in Strumica. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $219 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 $889 in Strumica versus $1,232 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 38% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.