Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sveti Nikole

For one person, living is cheaper in Sveti Nikole: $858 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Sveti Nikole
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Sveti Nikole Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Sveti Nikole

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$858

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Sveti Nikole

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Sveti Nikole actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Phuket versus $858 in Sveti Nikole.

Phuket $1,207
Sveti Nikole $858

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Phuket versus $1,309 in Sveti Nikole.

Phuket $2,037
Sveti Nikole $1,309

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Phuket versus $1,760 in Sveti Nikole.

Phuket $2,867
Sveti Nikole $1,760

Living in Phuket is roughly 41% more expensive than in Sveti Nikole, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Sveti Nikole 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$8.81 MKD 481

-48.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$32.98 MKD 1,799

-1.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$5.36 MKD 292

59.51%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$1.61 MKD 88.0

68.94%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$1.38 MKD 75.5

-31.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$1.03 MKD 56.2

-52.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$1.51 MKD 82.2

71.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$1.85 MKD 101

107.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$1.33 MKD 72.6

30.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$0.55 MKD 30.14

160.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$1.17 MKD 63.8

30.77%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$2.43 MKD 132

-10.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$9.29 MKD 507

106.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$4.62 MKD 252

-28.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$11.58 MKD 632

-3.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$1.29 MKD 70.1

128.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.30 MKD 71.1

29.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$1.28 MKD 69.9

79.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$1.74 MKD 94.7

22.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$0.74 MKD 40.20

106.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$1.14 MKD 62.2

19.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$0.86 MKD 46.91

30.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.40 MKD 21.64

37.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.07 MKD 168

38.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$6.48 MKD 354

180.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$1.02 MKD 55.9

70.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$1.49 MKD 81.3

87.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$0.71 MKD 38.82

212.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

$23.57 MKD 1,286

-6.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$1.46 MKD 79.8

99.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

$1.01 MKD 55.2

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$3.65 MKD 199

4.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$1.40 MKD 76.3

6.43%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$31.4K MKD 1.7M

-15.11%

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

$27.7K MKD 1.5M

-3.66%

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$127 MKD 6,901

-21.45%

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

$11.28 ฿377

$15.70 MKD 857

-28.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$11.97 MKD 653

45.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$21.94 MKD 1,197

138.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

$19.74 MKD 1,077

-45.04%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$5.10 MKD 278

48.43%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$280 MKD 15.3K

99.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

$3,095 MKD 168.8K

271.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$72.7 MKD 3,968

-13.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$31.84 MKD 1,737

-10.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$82.0 MKD 4,474

17.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$87.4 MKD 4,765

0.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$313 MKD 17.1K

132.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$207 MKD 11.3K

121.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$451 MKD 24.6K

364.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

$315 MKD 17.2K

287.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

$1,523 MKD 83.1K

127.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

$1,169 MKD 63.8K

112.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$539 MKD 29.4K

-8.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.23

31.68%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Sveti Nikole: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Sveti Nikole

$207 24.2% 54.9% $253

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Sveti Nikole

$181 21.1% 32.4% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Sveti Nikole

$154 18% 20.4% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Sveti Nikole

$123 14.4% 0.6% $0.8

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Sveti Nikole

$127 14.8% 4.5% $5.5

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Sveti Nikole

$32 3.8% 52.3% $35

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Sveti Nikole

$33 3.8% 15.3% $5.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Phuket and $313 in Sveti Nikole. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sveti Nikole pays 9% 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 $33.00 in Sveti Nikole. Groceries flip the comparison at $268 vs $181, with Sveti Nikole cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇰 Sveti Nikole

🕒 Local time

03:33 3:33 AM

22:33 10:33 PM

5 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

13,220

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 54.55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.33 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Sveti Nikole 8,300 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Sveti Nikole

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Sveti Nikole: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sveti Nikole is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 41% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 9% lower in Sveti Nikole. 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: $729 in Phuket versus $313 in Sveti Nikole. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $558 in Phuket versus $280 in Sveti Nikole. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $858 in Sveti Nikole versus $1,207 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sveti Nikole but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sveti Nikole the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sveti Nikole 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 Sveti Nikole 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 Sveti Nikole gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.