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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $910 in Strumica.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,275 in Strumica.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,640 in Strumica.

Living in Phuket is roughly 39% more expensive than in Strumica, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$3.68 MKD 194

26.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,066

$23.33 MKD 1,233

38.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$3.84 MKD 203

126.04%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.9

$1.60 MKD 84.4

81.25%

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

$0.84 ฿27.91

$1.43 MKD 75.6

-41.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.17

$1.21 MKD 63.9

-59.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.1

$1.95 MKD 103

27.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$2.05 MKD 109

81.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.29 MKD 67.9

46.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.58

$0.82 MKD 43.56

71.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.81 MKD 95.9

-10.50%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$2.31 MKD 122

-3.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$8.61 MKD 455

130.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$6.32 MKD 334

-44.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$10.37 MKD 548

9.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.9

$0.69 MKD 36.57

320.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.48 MKD 78.2

16.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.2

$1.25 MKD 66.2

81.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.5

$2.14 MKD 113

-0.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.77

$0.87 MKD 45.71

68.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.96

$0.84 MKD 44.32

69.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.29

$0.65 MKD 34.12

69.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.78

$0.62 MKD 32.97

-3.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$2.80 MKD 148

53.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$5.75 MKD 304

223.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.6

$0.94 MKD 49.52

91.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.1

$1.25 MKD 66.2

137.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.3

$0.78 MKD 41.44

188.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿777

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿103

$1.11 MKD 58.5

179.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.59

$0.65 MKD 34.15

66.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$8.07 MKD 426

-52.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.20

$1.60 MKD 84.3

-10.63%

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

$27.8K ฿918.9K

$36.6K MKD 1.9M

-24.16%

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

$27.0K ฿892.4K

$28.6K MKD 1.5M

-5.77%

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

$105 ฿3,466

$154 MKD 8,154

-32.10%

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

$11.39 ฿377

$13.20 MKD 697

-13.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$18.60 MKD 983

-5.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,797

$20.43 MKD 1,079

165.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$7.07 MKD 374

10.04%

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

$576 ฿19.1K

$383 MKD 20.2K

50.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿383.0K

$5,508 MKD 291.0K

110.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,104

$91.7 MKD 4,842

-30.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿962

$39.33 MKD 2,078

-26.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,182

$110 MKD 5,810

-12.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,977

$95.1 MKD 5,024

-5.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$323 MKD 17.0K

127.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.6K

$239 MKD 12.7K

109.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.3K

$506 MKD 26.7K

320.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$296 MKD 15.6K

323.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.9K

$1,535 MKD 81.1K

130.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.7K

$1,008 MKD 53.3K

160.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$653 MKD 34.5K

-22.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

39.25%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Strumica: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $323 in Strumica. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Strumica pays 29% 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 $23.00 in Strumica for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $187 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, Getting Around. The 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 29% lower in Strumica. 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: $733 in Phuket versus $323 in Strumica. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $383 in Strumica. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Strumica – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $910 in Strumica versus $1,265 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 39% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.