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 $770 in Veles.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,144 in Veles.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,517 in Veles.

Living in Phuket is roughly 64% more expensive than Veles, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$5.80 MKD 306

-18.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$18.89 MKD 996

140.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$5.12 MKD 270

64.65%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.59 MKD 83.6

84.28%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$1.32 MKD 69.3

-47.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.84 MKD 44.50

-55.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.47 MKD 77.7

63.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.65 MKD 139

40.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.05 MKD 55.2

112.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.55 MKD 28.91

232.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.49 MKD 78.3

45.64%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.09 MKD 110

5.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$3.10 MKD 163

536.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$4.05 MKD 214

-10.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$13.42 MKD 707

0.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.07 MKD 56.1

206.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.40 MKD 73.7

15.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.25 MKD 65.9

92.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.59 MKD 83.8

30.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.99 MKD 52.0

54.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.40 MKD 73.8

5.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.57 MKD 30.27

73.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.53 MKD 27.78

-3.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.03 MKD 160

45.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$6.48 MKD 342

199.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.02 MKD 53.6

74.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.86 MKD 98.1

45.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.67 MKD 35.52

104.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$50.1 MKD 2,638

-77.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$1.10 MKD 58.0

174.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.49 MKD 25.71

102.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$6.51 MKD 343

116.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.43 MKD 75.6

-4.90%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$27.2K MKD 1.4M

3.58%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$24.9K MKD 1.3M

32.35%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$116 MKD 6,111

4.95%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$17.27 MKD 910

-21.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$12.28 MKD 647

49.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$25.78 MKD 1,359

133.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$1.86 MKD 98.2

821.51%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$3.36 MKD 177

158.63%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$218 MKD 11.5K

217.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$1,216 MKD 64.1K

1190.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$22.63 MKD 1,193

163.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$19.03 MKD 1,003

82.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$75.3 MKD 3,968

52.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$113 MKD 5,981

-26.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$220 MKD 11.6K

179.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$175 MKD 9,198

150.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$293 MKD 15.4K

614.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$238 MKD 12.5K

535.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$1,239 MKD 65.3K

202.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$952 MKD 50.2K

174.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$606 MKD 31.9K

-16.10%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Veles: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $220 in Veles. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Veles pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $19.00 in Veles for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 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 64% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Veles earns 19% less. 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: $613 in Phuket versus $220 in Veles. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $218 in Veles. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 80% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $770 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 64% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.