Cost of Living Comparison Between Tetovo and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Tetovo and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,000 in Tetovo versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,469 in Tetovo versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,939 in Tetovo versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Tetovo costs roughly 19% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tetovo 25% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.53 MKD 292

$4.63 ฿151

19.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.53 MKD 1,346

$46.84 ฿1,532

-45.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 MKD 261

$8.84 ฿289

-44.00%

Cappuccino

$1.54 MKD 81.0

$3.00 ฿98.0

-48.67%

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

$1.46 MKD 76.8

$0.74 ฿24.25

97.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 MKD 53.1

$0.37 ฿11.95

172.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.28 MKD 120

$2.44 ฿79.8

-6.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 MKD 112

$3.61 ฿118

-41.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 MKD 69.0

$2.26 ฿73.9

-42.04%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 MKD 34.03

$1.84 ฿60.1

-64.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 MKD 71.7

$2.24 ฿73.4

-39.29%

Eggs

$2.03 MKD 107

$2.32 ฿75.7

-12.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.44 MKD 392

$19.67 ฿643

-62.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.33 MKD 281

$3.65 ฿119

46.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 MKD 558

$13.10 ฿428

-19.24%

Apples (1kg)

$1.03 MKD 54.3

$3.39 ฿111

-69.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MKD 75.9

$1.64 ฿53.7

-12.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.01 MKD 53.4

$2.41 ฿79.0

-58.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 MKD 85.3

$2.03 ฿66.4

-20.20%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 MKD 51.0

$1.56 ฿50.9

-37.82%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 MKD 38.08

$1.50 ฿48.94

-52.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 MKD 44.18

$1.02 ฿33.50

-17.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 MKD 29.41

$0.49 ฿16.00

14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.09 MKD 163

$4.45 ฿145

-30.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.72 MKD 249

$18.88 ฿617

-75.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 MKD 52.6

$1.78 ฿58.1

-43.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 MKD 77.5

$2.75 ฿90.1

-46.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MKD 20.78

$1.40 ฿45.81

-72.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.19 MKD 590

$11.48 ฿376

-2.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 MKD 60.9

$3.12 ฿102

-62.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.49 MKD 25.71

$1.00 ฿32.67

-51.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.40 MKD 338

$14.09 ฿461

-54.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 MKD 78.7

$1.35 ฿44.19

10.37%

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

$31.9K MKD 1.7M

$27.2K ฿888.9K

17.31%

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

$33.4K MKD 1.8M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

1.54%

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

$146 MKD 7,684

$125 ฿4,087

16.59%

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

$17.51 MKD 923

$13.57 ฿444

29.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.68 MKD 827

$18.52 ฿606

-15.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.8 MKD 4,732

$61.5 ฿2,010

45.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$4.72 MKD 249

$9.19 ฿300

-48.64%

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

$218 MKD 11.5K

$698 ฿22.8K

-68.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,238 MKD 118.0K

$15.6K ฿509.9K

-85.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.6 MKD 3,512

$57.8 ฿1,889

15.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.20 MKD 2,541

$35.24 ฿1,152

36.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.3 MKD 3,973

$113 ฿3,699

-33.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 MKD 5,996

$86.4 ฿2,825

31.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$357 MKD 18.8K

$616 ฿20.1K

-41.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$284 MKD 15.0K

$446 ฿14.6K

-36.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$608 MKD 32.1K

$2,048 ฿67.0K

-70.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 MKD 26.1K

$1,492 ฿48.8K

-66.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,305 MKD 68.8K

$3,779 ฿123.6K

-65.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,162 MKD 61.3K

$2,649 ฿86.6K

-56.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$920 MKD 48.5K

$524 ฿17.1K

75.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.75

5.33

-29.64%

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

Last update for Tetovo: April 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $357 in Tetovo and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tetovo pays 76% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $26.00 in Tetovo vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $171 vs $292 per month, with Tetovo 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

Tetovo vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tetovo is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around. The 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Tetovo pays 76% 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: $357 in Tetovo versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $218 in Tetovo 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 70% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,000 in Tetovo versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tetovo but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tetovo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tetovo 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, Tetovo 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 Tetovo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.