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: $808 in Struga versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,194 in Struga versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,580 in Struga versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Struga costs roughly 34% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Struga 40% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.47 MKD 392

$4.63 ฿151

61.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.53 MKD 1,604

$46.84 ฿1,523

-34.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.74 MKD 249

$8.84 ฿287

-46.38%

Cappuccino

$1.58 MKD 82.7

$3.00 ฿97.4

-47.33%

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

$1.78 MKD 93.3

$0.74 ฿24.11

140.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 MKD 64.6

$0.37 ฿11.88

232.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 MKD 139

$2.44 ฿79.3

8.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 MKD 176

$3.61 ฿117

-7.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 MKD 62.6

$2.26 ฿73.5

-47.35%

White Bread (500g)

$0.67 MKD 35.42

$1.84 ฿59.8

-63.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 MKD 92.5

$2.24 ฿73.0

-21.43%

Eggs

$2.07 MKD 109

$2.32 ฿75.3

-10.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.68 MKD 351

$19.67 ฿639

-66.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.49 MKD 288

$3.65 ฿119

50.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 MKD 489

$13.10 ฿426

-28.93%

Apples (1kg)

$0.55 MKD 28.77

$3.39 ฿110

-83.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 MKD 69.4

$1.64 ฿53.4

-19.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.95 MKD 50.1

$2.41 ฿78.5

-60.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.16 MKD 60.8

$2.03 ฿66.0

-42.86%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 MKD 37.94

$1.56 ฿50.6

-53.85%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 MKD 51.8

$1.50 ฿48.66

-34.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 MKD 30.35

$1.02 ฿33.30

-43.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 MKD 20.85

$0.49 ฿15.91

-18.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.26 MKD 171

$4.45 ฿145

-26.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.63 MKD 243

$18.88 ฿614

-75.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 MKD 57.7

$1.78 ฿57.7

-38.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 MKD 52.8

$2.75 ฿89.5

-63.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 MKD 33.09

$1.40 ฿45.54

-55.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.30 MKD 1,066

$11.48 ฿373

76.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.96 MKD 50.6

$3.12 ฿101

-69.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.50 MKD 26.14

$1.00 ฿32.48

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.54 MKD 396

$14.09 ฿458

-46.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MKD 77.3

$1.35 ฿43.93

8.89%

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

$33.6K MKD 1.8M

$27.2K ฿883.7K

23.47%

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

$29.9K MKD 1.6M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-9.22%

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

$90.7 MKD 4,764

$125 ฿4,063

-27.41%

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

$15.09 MKD 793

$13.57 ฿441

11.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.15 MKD 1,006

$18.52 ฿602

3.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.68 MKD 1,401

$61.5 ฿1,999

-56.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.16 MKD 1,164

$16.84 ฿547

31.59%

Cinema Ticket

$6.38 MKD 335

$9.19 ฿299

-30.58%

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

$323 MKD 17.0K

$698 ฿22.7K

-53.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,180 MKD 62.0K

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-92.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.3 MKD 4,110

$57.8 ฿1,878

35.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.71 MKD 1,455

$35.24 ฿1,146

-21.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.0 MKD 3,517

$113 ฿3,677

-40.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$37.26 MKD 1,957

$86.4 ฿2,808

-56.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$287 MKD 15.1K

$616 ฿20.0K

-53.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$230 MKD 12.1K

$446 ฿14.5K

-48.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$387 MKD 20.3K

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-81.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$318 MKD 16.7K

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-78.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,626 MKD 85.4K

$3,779 ฿122.8K

-56.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,431 MKD 75.2K

$2,649 ฿86.1K

-45.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,009 MKD 53.0K

$524 ฿17.0K

92.55%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $287 in Struga and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Struga pays 93% 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 $292 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 52% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Struga pays 93% 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: $287 in Struga versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $323 in Struga versus $698 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 $808 in Struga versus $1,232 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 52% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.