Cost of Living Comparison Between Sveti Nikole and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Sveti Nikole and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $887 in Sveti Nikole versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,323 in Sveti Nikole versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,759 in Sveti Nikole versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Sveti Nikole costs roughly 30% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sveti Nikole 34% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.74 MKD 302

$4.70 ฿153

22.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.63 MKD 1,509

$45.37 ฿1,482

-36.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.21 MKD 275

$8.43 ฿275

-38.20%

Cappuccino

$1.73 MKD 91.4

$2.93 ฿95.6

-40.96%

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

$1.67 MKD 88.3

$0.69 ฿22.40

142.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 MKD 66.5

$0.37 ฿11.99

240.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.20 MKD 116

$2.41 ฿78.6

-8.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 MKD 142

$3.72 ฿122

-27.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 MKD 68.1

$2.23 ฿72.9

-42.15%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 MKD 37.59

$1.83 ฿59.8

-61.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MKD 90.7

$2.17 ฿70.8

-20.74%

Eggs

$2.08 MKD 110

$2.21 ฿72.3

-5.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.30 MKD 438

$19.74 ฿645

-57.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.47 MKD 341

$3.63 ฿119

78.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.33 MKD 703

$13.53 ฿442

-1.48%

Apples (1kg)

$1.07 MKD 56.5

$3.28 ฿107

-67.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 MKD 76.2

$1.61 ฿52.6

-9.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 MKD 66.7

$2.41 ฿78.6

-47.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 MKD 83.1

$2.08 ฿68.1

-24.04%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 MKD 49.70

$1.53 ฿49.93

-38.56%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 MKD 52.3

$1.48 ฿48.36

-33.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 MKD 32.51

$0.99 ฿32.29

-37.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 MKD 27.75

$0.51 ฿16.67

3.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 MKD 161

$4.41 ฿144

-30.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.48 MKD 341

$19.38 ฿633

-66.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 MKD 53.3

$1.78 ฿58.1

-43.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 MKD 76.8

$2.71 ฿88.6

-46.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 MKD 34.20

$1.37 ฿44.79

-52.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.07 MKD 1,058

$11.39 ฿372

76.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 MKD 68.2

$3.02 ฿98.6

-57.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.49 MKD 25.87

$0.99 ฿32.48

-50.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.44 MKD 339

$14.10 ฿461

-54.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 MKD 75.5

$1.36 ฿44.51

5.15%

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

$32.1K MKD 1.7M

$28.2K ฿921.1K

13.78%

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

$30.0K MKD 1.6M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-8.95%

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

$145 MKD 7,619

$122 ฿3,975

18.80%

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

$17.35 MKD 915

$13.57 ฿443

27.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.43 MKD 813

$18.31 ฿598

-15.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.73 MKD 1,409

$60.2 ฿1,967

-55.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$4.60 MKD 243

$8.69 ฿284

-47.07%

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

$215 MKD 11.4K

$693 ฿22.6K

-68.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,226 MKD 64.6K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-92.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.1 MKD 4,009

$59.5 ฿1,944

27.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.12 MKD 2,061

$34.77 ฿1,136

12.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.4 MKD 3,922

$115 ฿3,743

-35.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 MKD 5,860

$83.3 ฿2,720

33.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$281 MKD 14.8K

$613 ฿20.0K

-54.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$198 MKD 10.4K

$437 ฿14.3K

-54.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$563 MKD 29.7K

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-73.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 MKD 16.3K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-79.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,644 MKD 86.6K

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-56.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,276 MKD 67.3K

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-51.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$568 MKD 29.9K

$508 ฿16.6K

11.83%

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 Sveti Nikole: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $281 in Sveti Nikole and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sveti Nikole pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $29.00 in Sveti Nikole vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $194 vs $293 per month, with Sveti Nikole 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

Sveti Nikole vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sveti Nikole is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 43% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Sveti Nikole pays 12% 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: $281 in Sveti Nikole versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $215 in Sveti Nikole versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $887 in Sveti Nikole versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sveti Nikole but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sveti Nikole the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sveti Nikole 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, Sveti Nikole 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 Sveti Nikole gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.