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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,026 in Tetovo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,549 in Tetovo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,072 in Tetovo.

Living in Phuket is roughly 20% more expensive than in Tetovo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Tetovo 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$7.68 MKD 409

-42.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$27.72 MKD 1,474

16.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$6.01 MKD 320

48.59%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$1.55 MKD 82.5

87.10%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$1.55 MKD 82.7

-43.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$1.00 MKD 53.2

-52.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$2.20 MKD 117

6.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.31 MKD 123

61.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.26 MKD 67.2

48.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.65 MKD 34.56

126.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.37 MKD 72.8

13.14%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$2.18 MKD 116

-3.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$7.42 MKD 394

164.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$5.32 MKD 283

-35.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$10.40 MKD 553

9.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$1.41 MKD 75.1

111.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.40 MKD 74.2

20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$0.98 MKD 52.0

125.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$2.02 MKD 107

6.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$0.91 MKD 48.45

67.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$0.77 MKD 40.74

74.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.63 MKD 33.55

79.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.52 MKD 27.66

5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.17 MKD 168

34.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$4.83 MKD 257

295.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.08 MKD 57.6

64.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$1.46 MKD 77.7

90.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.39 MKD 20.88

471.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$11.33 MKD 602

100.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.10 MKD 58.5

175.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.54 MKD 28.94

88.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$7.62 MKD 405

-48.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.51 MKD 80.2

-1.32%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$36.8K MKD 2.0M

-27.72%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$28.1K MKD 1.5M

-3.86%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$163 MKD 8,689

-37.28%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$18.45 MKD 981

-38.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$18.98 MKD 1,009

-8.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$71.3 MKD 3,794

-26.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$18.40 MKD 979

-39.84%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$5.56 MKD 296

38.31%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$222 MKD 11.8K

152.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$2,292 MKD 121.9K

402.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$65.2 MKD 3,466

-3.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$38.23 MKD 2,033

-22.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$105 MKD 5,581

-6.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$115 MKD 6,113

-23.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$366 MKD 19.5K

101.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$286 MKD 15.2K

68.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$607 MKD 32.3K

247.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$504 MKD 26.8K

143.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$1,251 MKD 66.5K

189.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$1,122 MKD 59.7K

131.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$898 MKD 47.8K

-45.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.75

48.53%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Tetovo: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $366 in Tetovo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tetovo pays 82% 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 $28.00 in Tetovo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $174 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, Getting Around. The 20% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 82% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $366 in Tetovo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $222 in Tetovo. 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 $1,026 in Tetovo versus $1,232 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 20% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.