Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Veles Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Veles

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $785 in Veles.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,155 in Veles.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,525 in Veles.

Living in Phuket is roughly 61% more expensive than in Veles, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Veles 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$8.74 MKD 462

-46.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$18.64 MKD 985

72.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$5.75 MKD 304

50.96%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.58 MKD 83.6

83.54%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$1.31 MKD 69.1

-35.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.84 MKD 44.63

-41.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$1.55 MKD 81.9

60.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$3.30 MKD 175

13.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.10 MKD 58.1

71.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$0.51 MKD 26.71

176.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.53 MKD 80.7

5.88%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$2.56 MKD 135

-12.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$2.96 MKD 156

570.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$4.03 MKD 213

-13.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$15.26 MKD 806

-25.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.53 MKD 80.8

89.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.44 MKD 75.9

19.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$1.43 MKD 75.5

58.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$2.02 MKD 107

5.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$0.87 MKD 45.72

68.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$0.87 MKD 46.00

63.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$0.62 MKD 32.61

77.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.58 MKD 30.53

3.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$3.49 MKD 184

23.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$6.42 MKD 339

189.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.10 MKD 58.2

63.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$1.55 MKD 82.0

91.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.79 MKD 41.62

184.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$24.38 MKD 1,288

-3.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$1.14 MKD 60.3

171.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$0.69 MKD 36.42

56.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$7.61 MKD 402

-49.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.43 MKD 75.4

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$27.4K MKD 1.4M

1.39%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$25.2K MKD 1.3M

7.23%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$116 MKD 6,103

-9.28%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$17.79 MKD 940

-35.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$12.37 MKD 654

41.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$26.11 MKD 1,379

108.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$18.35 MKD 969

-37.66%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$3.32 MKD 175

134.34%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$229 MKD 12.1K

151.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$5,616 MKD 296.7K

106.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$22.52 MKD 1,190

182.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$18.78 MKD 992

54.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$74.0 MKD 3,911

29.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$111 MKD 5,876

-19.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$223 MKD 11.8K

228.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$178 MKD 9,390

181.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$291 MKD 15.3K

631.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$235 MKD 12.4K

432.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$1,229 MKD 64.9K

187.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$982 MKD 51.9K

166.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$601 MKD 31.8K

-15.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.25

31.06%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Veles: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $223 in Veles. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Veles pays 18% 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 $19.00 in Veles for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $174 per month, with Veles 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 Veles: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Veles is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 61% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 18% lower in Veles. 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: $733 in Phuket versus $223 in Veles. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $229 in Veles. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $785 in Veles versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Veles but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Veles the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Veles 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 Veles 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 Veles gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.