Cost of Living Comparison Between Struga and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Struga and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $800 in Struga versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,199 in Struga versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,598 in Struga versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Struga costs roughly 37% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Struga 40% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.72 MKD 410

$4.56 ฿149

69.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.59 MKD 1,623

$46.63 ฿1,519

-34.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.64 MKD 246

$8.47 ฿276

-45.22%

Cappuccino

$1.56 MKD 82.9

$3.03 ฿98.6

-48.51%

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

$1.71 MKD 90.6

$0.69 ฿22.45

147.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 MKD 65.3

$0.37 ฿11.92

232.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 MKD 143

$2.49 ฿81.0

8.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 MKD 180

$3.66 ฿119

-7.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 MKD 60.5

$2.18 ฿71.0

-47.71%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 MKD 36.07

$1.90 ฿62.0

-64.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 MKD 89.6

$2.20 ฿71.6

-23.18%

Eggs

$1.99 MKD 106

$2.22 ฿72.4

-10.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.78 MKD 360

$19.99 ฿651

-66.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.62 MKD 298

$3.66 ฿119

53.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.50 MKD 504

$13.25 ฿432

-28.30%

Apples (1kg)

$0.55 MKD 29.10

$3.23 ฿105

-82.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 MKD 68.7

$1.70 ฿55.3

-24.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.96 MKD 50.9

$2.39 ฿78.0

-59.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 MKD 61.1

$2.08 ฿67.7

-44.71%

Potato (1kg)

$0.78 MKD 41.26

$1.59 ฿51.8

-50.94%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 MKD 50.9

$1.48 ฿48.31

-35.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 MKD 30.63

$1.03 ฿33.54

-43.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 MKD 21.02

$0.52 ฿16.83

-23.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.27 MKD 174

$4.25 ฿138

-23.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.63 MKD 246

$18.79 ฿612

-75.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 MKD 58.3

$1.76 ฿57.2

-37.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 MKD 53.8

$2.76 ฿89.8

-63.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 MKD 36.42

$1.36 ฿44.32

-49.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.91 MKD 1,056

$11.36 ฿370

75.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 MKD 49.09

$3.14 ฿102

-70.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MKD 28.31

$1.04 ฿33.74

-49.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.54 MKD 400

$13.77 ฿448

-45.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 MKD 77.7

$1.34 ฿43.79

8.96%

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

$34.3K MKD 1.8M

$27.7K ฿901.4K

23.89%

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

$29.8K MKD 1.6M

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-12.12%

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

$92.5 MKD 4,910

$124 ฿4,025

-25.13%

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

$15.25 MKD 809

$13.52 ฿440

12.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.70 MKD 1,045

$18.69 ฿609

5.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.47 MKD 1,404

$61.8 ฿2,013

-57.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.13 MKD 1,174

$17.25 ฿562

28.29%

Cinema Ticket

$6.42 MKD 341

$9.14 ฿298

-29.76%

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

$324 MKD 17.2K

$703 ฿22.9K

-53.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,183 MKD 62.7K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-92.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.0 MKD 4,085

$59.5 ฿1,937

29.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.65 MKD 1,467

$35.07 ฿1,142

-21.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.3 MKD 3,519

$115 ฿3,754

-42.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$37.22 MKD 1,975

$84.1 ฿2,737

-55.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$283 MKD 15.0K

$619 ฿20.1K

-54.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$230 MKD 12.2K

$433 ฿14.1K

-46.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$393 MKD 20.9K

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-80.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$330 MKD 17.5K

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-78.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,552 MKD 82.4K

$3,646 ฿118.7K

-57.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,413 MKD 75.0K

$2,626 ฿85.5K

-46.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$970 MKD 51.4K

$507 ฿16.5K

91.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

5.33

-34.33%

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

Last update for Struga: June 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $283 in Struga and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Struga pays 91% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $31.00 in Struga vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $158 vs $293 per month, with Struga 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

Struga vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Struga is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 58% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Struga pays 91% more on average, 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: $283 in Struga versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $324 in Struga versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 85% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $800 in Struga versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Struga but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Struga the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Struga 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, Struga 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 Struga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.