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: $1,223 in Phuket versus $993 in Tetovo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $1,471 in Tetovo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $1,950 in Tetovo.

Living in Phuket is roughly 23% more expensive than in Tetovo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Tetovo 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿148

$5.65 MKD 299

-20.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,528

$25.12 MKD 1,331

85.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿278

$5.21 MKD 276

62.96%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿101

$1.53 MKD 80.8

101.31%

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

$0.68 ฿22.26

$1.46 MKD 77.2

-53.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.84

$0.97 MKD 51.5

-62.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿79.5

$2.18 MKD 116

11.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿119

$2.11 MKD 112

72.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.7

$1.26 MKD 67.0

73.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.5

$0.70 MKD 37.03

158.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿73.1

$1.42 MKD 75.2

57.04%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿73.3

$2.12 MKD 113

5.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿642

$7.30 MKD 387

168.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿122

$5.29 MKD 280

-29.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿441

$10.47 MKD 555

28.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿110

$1.04 MKD 55.0

223.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$1.44 MKD 76.3

12.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$0.98 MKD 52.0

145.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿65.2

$1.64 MKD 86.7

21.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.2

$0.93 MKD 49.34

64.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.59

$0.77 MKD 40.58

88.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿33.23

$0.92 MKD 48.88

9.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.86

$0.56 MKD 29.86

-14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$3.02 MKD 160

41.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿627

$4.63 MKD 245

312.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.2

$1.02 MKD 53.8

80.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.8

$1.54 MKD 81.6

77.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.44

$0.36 MKD 19.14

294.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿384

$11.25 MKD 596

4.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿98.4

$1.16 MKD 61.3

158.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.28

$0.52 MKD 27.62

101.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿456

$6.47 MKD 343

114.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿42.28

$1.50 MKD 79.5

-14.00%

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

$28.0K ฿918.7K

$32.4K MKD 1.7M

-13.48%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$33.5K MKD 1.8M

0.15%

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

$122 ฿3,997

$143 MKD 7,562

-14.57%

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

$13.93 ฿457

$17.31 MKD 917

-19.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿618

$15.45 MKD 818

22.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿2,008

$87.6 MKD 4,642

-30.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿552

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿291

$4.81 MKD 255

84.82%

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

$691 ฿22.7K

$220 MKD 11.7K

214.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿529.5K

$2,249 MKD 119.1K

618.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,894

$65.0 MKD 3,442

-11.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,160

$48.12 MKD 2,548

-26.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,716

$75.5 MKD 3,999

50.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,720

$115 MKD 6,083

-27.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.9K

$370 MKD 19.6K

63.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.7K

$279 MKD 14.8K

60.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.5K

$600 MKD 31.8K

238.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.9K

$505 MKD 26.7K

195.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿117.5K

$1,283 MKD 67.9K

179.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.7K

$1,137 MKD 60.2K

127.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.5K

$906 MKD 48.0K

-44.29%

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: June 13, 2026

Last update for Tetovo: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $370 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $25.00 in Tetovo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $172 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 23% 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: $607 in Phuket versus $370 in Tetovo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $220 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 $993 in Tetovo versus $1,223 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 23% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.