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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $765 in Veles.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,136 in Veles.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,507 in Veles.

Living in Phuket is roughly 63% more expensive than in Veles, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Veles 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$5.77 MKD 310

-21.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$18.54 MKD 995

149.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$5.05 MKD 271

75.05%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.53 MKD 82.2

100.00%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$1.33 MKD 71.2

-45.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.85 MKD 45.37

-52.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.52 MKD 81.4

59.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.77 MKD 149

36.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.09 MKD 58.5

107.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.55 MKD 29.50

229.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.54 MKD 82.8

46.10%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.05 MKD 110

9.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$3.04 MKD 163

541.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$4.07 MKD 218

-10.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$13.68 MKD 734

-4.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.04 MKD 55.8

210.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.37 MKD 73.6

18.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.26 MKD 67.6

88.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.58 MKD 84.9

28.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.98 MKD 52.6

56.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.33 MKD 71.6

12.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.58 MKD 31.01

68.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.54 MKD 28.96

-3.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$2.94 MKD 158

51.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$6.17 MKD 331

196.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.00 MKD 53.7

86.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.83 MKD 98.1

46.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.68 MKD 36.68

107.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$49.96 MKD 2,682

-76.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.16 MKD 62.4

168.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.49 MKD 26.42

112.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$6.43 MKD 345

119.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.45 MKD 77.7

-9.66%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$27.0K MKD 1.4M

3.10%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$24.6K MKD 1.3M

35.14%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$115 MKD 6,159

6.71%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$17.17 MKD 922

-20.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$12.10 MKD 650

54.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$26.15 MKD 1,404

131.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$1.92 MKD 103

784.38%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$3.35 MKD 180

170.75%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$223 MKD 12.0K

216.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$1,210 MKD 64.9K

1206.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$22.39 MKD 1,202

161.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$19.06 MKD 1,023

85.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$75.1 MKD 4,033

53.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$113 MKD 6,052

-25.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$226 MKD 12.1K

176.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$174 MKD 9,326

156.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$291 MKD 15.6K

601.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$242 MKD 13.0K

517.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$1,201 MKD 64.5K

189.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$957 MKD 51.4K

169.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$603 MKD 32.4K

-17.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

7.1

-24.93%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Veles: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $226 in Veles. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Veles pays 21% 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 $19.00 in Veles for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $163 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, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 63% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 21% 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: $626 in Phuket versus $226 in Veles. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $223 in Veles. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 77% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $765 in Veles versus $1,250 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 63% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.