Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sveti Nikole Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sveti Nikole

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $887 in Sveti Nikole.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,323 in Sveti Nikole.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,759 in Sveti Nikole.

Living in Phuket is roughly 43% more expensive than Sveti Nikole, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Sveti Nikole 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$5.74 MKD 302

-18.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$28.63 MKD 1,509

58.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$5.21 MKD 275

61.80%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.73 MKD 91.4

69.36%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$1.67 MKD 88.3

-58.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$1.26 MKD 66.5

-70.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.20 MKD 116

9.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.69 MKD 142

38.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.29 MKD 68.1

72.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.71 MKD 37.59

157.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.72 MKD 90.7

26.16%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.08 MKD 110

6.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$8.30 MKD 438

137.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$6.47 MKD 341

-43.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$13.33 MKD 703

1.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.07 MKD 56.5

206.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.45 MKD 76.2

11.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.27 MKD 66.7

89.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.58 MKD 83.1

31.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.94 MKD 49.70

62.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.99 MKD 52.3

49.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.62 MKD 32.51

59.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.53 MKD 27.75

-3.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.06 MKD 161

44.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$6.48 MKD 341

199.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.01 MKD 53.3

76.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.46 MKD 76.8

85.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.65 MKD 34.20

110.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$20.07 MKD 1,058

-43.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$1.29 MKD 68.2

134.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.49 MKD 25.87

102.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$6.44 MKD 339

118.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.43 MKD 75.5

-4.90%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$32.1K MKD 1.7M

-12.11%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$30.0K MKD 1.6M

9.83%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$145 MKD 7,619

-15.83%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$17.35 MKD 915

-21.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$15.43 MKD 813

18.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$26.73 MKD 1,409

125.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$4.60 MKD 243

88.91%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$215 MKD 11.4K

221.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$1,226 MKD 64.6K

1179.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$76.1 MKD 4,009

-21.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$39.12 MKD 2,061

-11.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$74.4 MKD 3,922

53.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$111 MKD 5,860

-25.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$281 MKD 14.8K

118.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$198 MKD 10.4K

120.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$563 MKD 29.7K

272.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$309 MKD 16.3K

388.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$1,644 MKD 86.6K

128.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$1,276 MKD 67.3K

104.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$568 MKD 29.9K

-10.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.54

17.40%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Sveti Nikole: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $281 in Sveti Nikole. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sveti Nikole pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $29.00 in Sveti Nikole for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $194 per month, with Sveti Nikole 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 Sveti Nikole: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sveti Nikole is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 43% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Sveti Nikole earns 12% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $281 in Sveti Nikole. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $215 in Sveti Nikole. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $887 in Sveti Nikole versus $1,265 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 43% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.