Cost of Living Comparison Between Skopje and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Skopje and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,087 in Skopje versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,634 in Skopje versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,180 in Skopje versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Skopje costs roughly 13% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Skopje 19% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.58 MKD 407

$4.55 ฿153

66.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.45 MKD 1,796

$46.18 ฿1,553

-27.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.70 MKD 360

$8.84 ฿297

-24.21%

Cappuccino

$2.27 MKD 122

$3.06 ฿103

-25.82%

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

$2.03 MKD 109

$0.73 ฿24.40

178.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 MKD 69.3

$0.40 ฿13.39

222.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.66 MKD 143

$2.43 ฿81.8

9.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 MKD 180

$3.78 ฿127

-11.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 MKD 69.5

$2.26 ฿76.0

-42.92%

White Bread (500g)

$0.76 MKD 40.83

$1.81 ฿60.9

-58.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 MKD 89.7

$2.25 ฿75.8

-25.78%

Eggs

$2.21 MKD 119

$2.25 ฿75.5

-1.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.13 MKD 490

$19.51 ฿656

-53.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.78 MKD 418

$3.65 ฿123

113.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 MKD 736

$13.05 ฿439

5.06%

Apples (1kg)

$1.06 MKD 57.1

$3.23 ฿109

-67.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MKD 76.8

$1.62 ฿54.4

-11.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 MKD 72.6

$2.38 ฿80.1

-43.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MKD 116

$2.03 ฿68.1

6.90%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 MKD 47.79

$1.53 ฿51.6

-41.83%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 MKD 48.49

$1.50 ฿50.5

-40.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 MKD 36.95

$0.98 ฿32.91

-29.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MKD 29.72

$0.52 ฿17.39

5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 MKD 171

$4.44 ฿149

-28.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.26 MKD 390

$18.32 ฿616

-60.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MKD 57.3

$1.86 ฿62.7

-42.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 MKD 81.5

$2.68 ฿90.1

-43.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 MKD 40.98

$1.41 ฿47.46

-46.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.58 MKD 1,534

$11.70 ฿393

144.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.96 MKD 51.6

$3.11 ฿105

-69.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 MKD 26.03

$1.04 ฿35.06

-53.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.41 MKD 398

$14.11 ฿474

-47.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 MKD 79.7

$1.31 ฿44.10

13.74%

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

$33.7K MKD 1.8M

$27.8K ฿935.4K

21.00%

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

$29.3K MKD 1.6M

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-11.89%

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

$160 MKD 8,580

$122 ฿4,118

30.55%

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

$18.05 MKD 969

$13.59 ฿457

32.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.13 MKD 1,027

$18.70 ฿629

2.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.66 MKD 2,075

$60.5 ฿2,034

-36.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.36 MKD 932

$16.98 ฿571

2.24%

Cinema Ticket

$6.62 MKD 356

$9.07 ฿305

-27.01%

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

$320 MKD 17.2K

$706 ฿23.8K

-54.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,642 MKD 249.2K

$15.8K ฿531.5K

-70.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.5 MKD 4,160

$58.6 ฿1,969

32.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.16 MKD 2,156

$35.36 ฿1,189

13.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 MKD 5,368

$115 ฿3,883

-13.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 MKD 5,918

$83.7 ฿2,816

31.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$425 MKD 22.8K

$626 ฿21.0K

-32.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 MKD 16.6K

$445 ฿15.0K

-30.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$645 MKD 34.6K

$2,040 ฿68.6K

-68.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$463 MKD 24.8K

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-68.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,731 MKD 146.6K

$3,483 ฿117.1K

-21.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,740 MKD 93.4K

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-32.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$886 MKD 47.6K

$500 ฿16.8K

77.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

5.33

-14.82%

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

Last update for Skopje: July 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $425 in Skopje and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Skopje pays 77% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Skopje vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $289 per month, with Skopje 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

Skopje vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Skopje is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 77% higher in Skopje, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $425 in Skopje versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $320 in Skopje versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,087 in Skopje versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Skopje but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Skopje the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Skopje 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, Skopje and Phuket 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 Skopje gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.