Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Skopje

For one person, living is cheaper in Skopje: $1,131 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $18,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Skopje
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Skopje Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Skopje

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$1,131

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Skopje

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, TX and in Skopje actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,131 in Skopje.

Austin, TX $2,704
Skopje $1,131

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,675 in Skopje.

Austin, TX $4,133
Skopje $1,675

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $2,220 in Skopje.

Austin, TX $5,562
Skopje $2,220

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 139% more expensive than in Skopje, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Skopje is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$9.58 MKD 523

111.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$34.25 MKD 1,870

148.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$6.45 MKD 352

91.47%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$2.14 MKD 117

155.61%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$1.81 MKD 98.6

111.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.31 MKD 71.6

90.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$2.71 MKD 148

197.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$3.11 MKD 170

189.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.29 MKD 70.2

-12.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$0.74 MKD 40.52

410.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.84 MKD 100

76.63%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$2.52 MKD 138

64.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$7.89 MKD 431

65.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$7.57 MKD 413

89.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$15.00 MKD 819

6.40%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$1.48 MKD 80.7

195.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.45 MKD 79.3

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$1.34 MKD 73.1

238.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.95 MKD 106

114.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$0.90 MKD 49.14

192.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$0.85 MKD 46.22

177.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$0.64 MKD 34.67

175.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.55 MKD 29.89

292.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$3.52 MKD 192

178.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$7.06 MKD 386

108.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.06 MKD 57.9

162.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.44 MKD 78.9

141.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.75 MKD 41.10

98.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$27.74 MKD 1,514

46.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.11 MKD 60.6

140.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.62 MKD 33.74

154.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$7.71 MKD 421

357.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.62 MKD 88.2

-38.89%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$34.9K MKD 1.9M

2.48%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$27.7K MKD 1.5M

-1.91%

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

$219 $219

$153 MKD 8,377

42.88%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$18.75 MKD 1,023

209.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$19.33 MKD 1,055

253.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$38.53 MKD 2,103

50.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$17.65 MKD 963

-16.03%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$7.15 MKD 390

97.62%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$358 MKD 19.5K

321.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$5,690 MKD 310.6K

277.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$84.1 MKD 4,592

-38.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$37.22 MKD 2,032

18.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$103 MKD 5,599

-17.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$112 MKD 6,113

-5.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$416 MKD 22.7K

364.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$327 MKD 17.8K

289.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$731 MKD 39.9K

402.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$497 MKD 27.1K

408.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$2,702 MKD 147.5K

181.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$1,807 MKD 98.6K

77.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$877 MKD 47.9K

482.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

4.23

60.52%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Skopje: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Skopje

$327 29.1% 74.3% $946

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Skopje

$211 18.8% 47.6% $192

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Skopje

$154 13.7% 55.8% $194

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Skopje

$192 17.1% 44.6% $154

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Skopje

$151 13.5% 17.4% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Skopje

$53 4.7% 38.7% $33

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Skopje

$35 3.1% 38.7% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $416 in Skopje. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 482% 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: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $34.00 in Skopje for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $211 per month, with Skopje cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇲🇰 Skopje

🕒 Local time

04:39 4:39 AM

11:39 11:39 AM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

422,540 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇰 North Macedonian Denar (ден)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 54.59 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.17 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

MKD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Skopje 9,850 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Skopje

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Austin, TX vs Skopje: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Skopje wins on cost – living expenses run 139% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Skopje the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 482% higher in Austin, TX, 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: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $416 in Skopje. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,131 in Skopje – a 139% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Skopje runs roughly 46% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,131 in Skopje versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Skopje but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Skopje the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Skopje delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,131 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Skopje hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Skopje gentler on the wallet – expenses run 139% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.