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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $864 in Strumica.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,243 in Strumica.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,621 in Strumica.

Living in Phuket is roughly 46% more expensive than in Strumica, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Strumica 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$3.65 MKD 196

22.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,525

$28.65 MKD 1,541

59.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$5.03 MKD 270

74.16%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.3

$1.73 MKD 92.9

71.68%

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

$0.69 ฿22.96

$1.52 MKD 81.6

-54.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.07

$1.16 MKD 62.4

-66.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.7

$1.86 MKD 100

36.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.24 MKD 120

67.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.8

$1.36 MKD 73.0

58.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.7

$0.72 MKD 38.77

152.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.1

$1.78 MKD 96.0

22.47%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.2

$2.08 MKD 112

8.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿669

$10.35 MKD 557

93.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$6.19 MKD 333

-41.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$10.37 MKD 557

30.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿109

$0.65 MKD 34.91

398.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.7

$1.39 MKD 74.7

17.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.0

$1.21 MKD 65.1

92.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.3

$1.63 MKD 87.8

26.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$0.87 MKD 46.93

78.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.67

$0.88 MKD 47.10

65.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.94

$0.57 MKD 30.74

71.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.13

$0.56 MKD 30.15

-14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿146

$2.79 MKD 150

55.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿621

$5.43 MKD 292

241.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.1

$0.96 MKD 51.6

93.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.8

$1.21 MKD 65.0

119.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.40

$0.76 MKD 41.06

86.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

$20.46 MKD 1,100

-43.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.12 MKD 60.0

183.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.51

$0.49 MKD 26.53

110.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿465

$6.47 MKD 348

114.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.96

$1.43 MKD 76.9

-6.29%

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

$27.8K ฿929.6K

$31.5K MKD 1.7M

-11.72%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$33.5K MKD 1.8M

-0.49%

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

$123 ฿4,116

$146 MKD 7,841

-15.62%

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

$13.77 ฿461

$13.21 MKD 711

4.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿613

$15.52 MKD 835

18.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,030

$20.37 MKD 1,095

197.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿574

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿297

$4.63 MKD 249

91.58%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$215 MKD 11.6K

219.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿527.8K

$1,201 MKD 64.6K

1214.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,984

$76.3 MKD 4,105

-22.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,160

$47.06 MKD 2,531

-26.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,853

$75.7 MKD 4,072

52.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,802

$95.2 MKD 5,121

-12.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.8K

$323 MKD 17.4K

92.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$239 MKD 12.8K

87.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿68.0K

$511 MKD 27.5K

298.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$304 MKD 16.3K

392.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.6K

$1,474 MKD 79.2K

134.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.7K

$996 MKD 53.6K

154.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$652 MKD 35.1K

-24.33%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Strumica: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $323 in Strumica. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Strumica pays 32% 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 $29.00 in Strumica for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $185 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 46% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 32% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $323 in Strumica. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $215 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 $864 in Strumica versus $1,264 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 46% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.