Cost of Living Comparison Between Stip and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Stip and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $774 in Stip versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,153 in Stip versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,532 in Stip versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Stip costs roughly 38% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Stip 42% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.80 MKD 311

$4.55 ฿153

27.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.99 MKD 858

$46.18 ฿1,554

-65.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 MKD 265

$8.84 ฿298

-44.00%

Cappuccino

$1.98 MKD 106

$3.06 ฿103

-35.29%

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

$1.76 MKD 94.4

$0.73 ฿24.42

141.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 MKD 66.0

$0.40 ฿13.40

207.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 MKD 123

$2.43 ฿81.8

-5.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 MKD 142

$3.78 ฿127

-29.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 MKD 71.1

$2.26 ฿76.0

-41.15%

White Bread (500g)

$0.67 MKD 36.06

$1.81 ฿60.9

-62.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.12 MKD 59.9

$2.25 ฿75.8

-50.22%

Eggs

$2.03 MKD 109

$2.25 ฿75.6

-9.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.33 MKD 554

$19.51 ฿656

-47.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.34 MKD 394

$3.65 ฿123

101.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.50 MKD 402

$13.05 ฿439

-42.53%

Apples (1kg)

$0.90 MKD 48.50

$3.23 ฿109

-72.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MKD 73.9

$1.62 ฿54.4

-14.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 MKD 70.2

$2.38 ฿80.2

-44.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 MKD 87.4

$2.03 ฿68.2

-19.70%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 MKD 52.9

$1.53 ฿51.6

-35.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 MKD 73.7

$1.50 ฿50.5

-8.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 MKD 31.00

$0.98 ฿32.93

-40.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 MKD 21.99

$0.52 ฿17.40

-21.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.95 MKD 158

$4.44 ฿149

-33.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.60 MKD 408

$18.32 ฿616

-58.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 MKD 53.1

$1.86 ฿62.7

-46.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 MKD 95.9

$2.68 ฿90.2

-33.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 MKD 34.33

$1.41 ฿47.49

-54.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.79 MKD 1,062

$11.70 ฿394

69.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 MKD 62.1

$3.11 ฿105

-62.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MKD 28.36

$1.04 ฿35.08

-49.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.61 MKD 301

$14.11 ฿475

-60.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 MKD 79.9

$1.31 ฿44.13

13.74%

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

$31.7K MKD 1.7M

$27.8K ฿936.0K

14.10%

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

$34.4K MKD 1.8M

$33.2K ฿1.1M

3.49%

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

$147 MKD 7,908

$122 ฿4,120

20.41%

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

$9.36 MKD 502

$13.59 ฿457

-31.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.45 MKD 829

$18.70 ฿629

-17.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.94 MKD 1,499

$60.5 ฿2,035

-53.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

Cinema Ticket

$4.75 MKD 255

$9.07 ฿305

-47.63%

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

$219 MKD 11.7K

$706 ฿23.8K

-69.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,186 MKD 63.6K

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-92.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.87 MKD 1,978

$58.6 ฿1,970

-37.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.76 MKD 1,704

$35.36 ฿1,190

-10.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.4 MKD 4,046

$115 ฿3,885

-34.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 MKD 6,101

$83.7 ฿2,818

35.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$209 MKD 11.2K

$626 ฿21.1K

-66.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$133 MKD 7,145

$445 ฿15.0K

-70.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$338 MKD 18.1K

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-83.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$203 MKD 10.9K

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-86.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,228 MKD 65.9K

$3,483 ฿117.2K

-64.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$988 MKD 53.0K

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-61.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$463 MKD 24.8K

$500 ฿16.8K

-7.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.1

5.33

33.21%

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

Last update for Stip: July 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $209 in Stip and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 8% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $16.00 in Stip vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $186 vs $289 per month, with Stip 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

Stip vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Stip is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 62% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 8% lower in Phuket. 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: $209 in Stip versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $219 in Stip 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 56% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $774 in Stip versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Stip but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Stip the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Stip 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, Stip 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 Stip gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.