Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tetovo Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tetovo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $996 in Tetovo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,490 in Tetovo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,985 in Tetovo.

Living in Phuket is roughly 27% more expensive than in Tetovo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Tetovo 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$5.77 MKD 308

-22.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$24.99 MKD 1,336

82.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$5.17 MKD 276

69.44%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$1.52 MKD 81.4

95.39%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$1.54 MKD 82.2

-55.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.96 MKD 51.2

-59.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$2.27 MKD 121

11.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.22 MKD 119

68.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.30 MKD 69.5

65.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.66 MKD 35.19

175.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.36 MKD 72.9

60.29%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.03 MKD 109

10.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$7.31 MKD 391

173.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$5.33 MKD 285

-31.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$10.70 MKD 572

26.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$1.03 MKD 55.3

214.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.43 MKD 76.5

14.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.02 MKD 54.4

128.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.58 MKD 84.4

31.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.93 MKD 49.96

66.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$0.73 MKD 39.04

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.89 MKD 47.60

10.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.56 MKD 29.91

-14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$3.14 MKD 168

38.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$4.60 MKD 246

303.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$0.95 MKD 50.8

95.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$1.47 MKD 78.8

80.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.37 MKD 19.70

283.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$11.40 MKD 609

1.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.11 MKD 59.5

185.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.53 MKD 28.17

94.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$6.75 MKD 361

105.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.42 MKD 76.0

-5.63%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$32.2K MKD 1.7M

-13.75%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$34.1K MKD 1.8M

-2.23%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$143 MKD 7,624

-13.75%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$17.92 MKD 958

-23.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$15.73 MKD 841

16.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$87.9 MKD 4,697

-30.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$4.57 MKD 244

94.09%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$217 MKD 11.6K

216.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$2,250 MKD 120.3K

601.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$64.7 MKD 3,455

-8.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$48.85 MKD 2,611

-28.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$75.5 MKD 4,033

52.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$112 MKD 5,961

-24.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$357 MKD 19.1K

73.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$283 MKD 15.1K

57.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$607 MKD 32.4K

235.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$501 MKD 26.8K

198.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$1,230 MKD 65.7K

180.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$1,114 MKD 59.5K

127.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$885 MKD 47.3K

-44.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.75

42.13%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Tetovo: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $357 in Tetovo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tetovo pays 79% 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 $25.00 in Tetovo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $171 per month, with Tetovo 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 Tetovo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tetovo is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 79% lower in Tetovo. 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 $357 in Tetovo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $217 in Tetovo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 70% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $996 in Tetovo versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tetovo but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tetovo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tetovo 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 Tetovo 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 Tetovo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.