Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bandar Seri Begawan and Skopje

For one person, living costs are similar in Bandar Seri Begawan and in Skopje: $1,170 and $1,117 a month, rent and utilities included.

57

Cost of Living Index in Bandar Seri Begawan
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Bandar Seri Begawan Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Skopje
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Skopje Living Index

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Bandar Seri Begawan

🇧🇳 Brunei

$1,170

/mo nomad

Skopje

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$1,117

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bandar Seri Begawan 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 Bandar Seri Begawan and in Skopje actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,170 per month in Bandar Seri Begawan vs $1,117 in Skopje, rent included.

Bandar Seri Begawan $1,170
Skopje $1,117

A couple spends around $1,711 per month in Bandar Seri Begawan vs $1,654 in Skopje, rent included.

Bandar Seri Begawan $1,711
Skopje $1,654

A family of three spends $2,251 per month in Bandar Seri Begawan vs $2,191 in Skopje, rent included.

Bandar Seri Begawan $2,251
Skopje $2,191

Bandar Seri Begawan costs about 5% more than Skopje, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Bandar Seri Begawan and Skopje are more affordable than the global median – Bandar Seri Begawan 13% lower, Skopje 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.94 BND 5.04

$9.29 MKD 507

-57.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.00 BND 34.54

$34.04 MKD 1,857

-20.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.10 BND 7.80

$6.28 MKD 343

-2.87%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 BND 2.57

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 BND 2.95

Cappuccino

$4.01 BND 5.13

$2.05 MKD 112

95.61%

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

$0.95 BND 1.22

$1.84 MKD 101

-48.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 BND 0.64

$1.31 MKD 71.3

-61.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.67 MKD 146

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 MKD 170

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 BND 2.41

$1.22 MKD 66.7

54.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 BND 2.22

$0.74 MKD 40.54

133.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 BND 1.54

$1.75 MKD 95.5

-31.43%

Eggs

$2.01 BND 2.57

$2.40 MKD 131

-16.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.43 BND 12.06

$8.16 MKD 445

15.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 BND 5.69

$7.43 MKD 405

-40.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 BND 13.64

$14.85 MKD 810

-28.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 BND 3.90

$1.43 MKD 78.1

113.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 BND 2.78

$1.44 MKD 78.5

50.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 BND 3.73

$1.37 MKD 74.6

112.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 BND 3.17

$1.90 MKD 103

30.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 BND 2.15

$0.89 MKD 48.32

88.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 BND 2.58

$0.84 MKD 46.04

140.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.59 BND 4.60

$0.63 MKD 34.61

469.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 BND 1.18

$0.55 MKD 29.98

67.27%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$23.08 BND 29.53

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.29 BND 4.21

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.65 BND 20.03

$3.40 MKD 185

360.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.47 MKD 407

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 MKD 55.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 MKD 78.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 BND 1.03

$0.76 MKD 41.68

5.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$0.76 BND 0.97

$27.14 MKD 1,480

-97.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.79 BND 4.85

$1.11 MKD 60.3

241.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.26 BND 4.17

$0.61 MKD 33.03

434.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.66 BND 14.92

$7.55 MKD 412

54.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.40 BND 0.51

$1.56 MKD 85.0

-74.36%

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

$42.7K BND 54.6K

$34.9K MKD 1.9M

22.22%

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

$37.1K BND 47.4K

$27.3K MKD 1.5M

35.52%

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

$60.6 BND 77.5

$154 MKD 8,393

-60.61%

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

$21.95 BND 28.08

$18.77 MKD 1,024

16.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.3 BND 82.2

$18.72 MKD 1,021

243.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.76 BND 58.5

$38.00 MKD 2,073

20.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.87 BND 8.79

$17.14 MKD 935

-59.92%

Cinema Ticket

$5.49 BND 7.02

$7.24 MKD 395

-24.17%

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

$220 BND 281

$351 MKD 19.1K

-37.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,548 BND 12.2K

$5,732 MKD 312.7K

66.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.1 BND 97.3

$85.6 MKD 4,671

-11.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$95.0 BND 122

$37.04 MKD 2,020

156.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 BND 128

$101 MKD 5,498

-0.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.0 BND 90.8

$113 MKD 6,150

-37.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$728 BND 932

$422 MKD 23.0K

72.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$466 BND 596

$328 MKD 17.9K

42.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,137 BND 1,455

$721 MKD 39.3K

57.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$702 BND 898

$487 MKD 26.6K

43.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,058 BND 3,912

$2,700 MKD 147.3K

13.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,285 BND 2,924

$1,811 MKD 98.8K

26.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,773 BND 2,269

$876 MKD 47.8K

102.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.88

4.23

-8.27%

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

Last update for Bandar Seri Begawan: October 13, 2026

Last update for Skopje: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bandar Seri Begawan

$466 39.8%

Skopje

$328 29.4% 29.6% $138

Groceries & Markets

Bandar Seri Begawan

$218 18.7%

Skopje

$210 18.8% 4% $8.8

Clothing & Footwear

Bandar Seri Begawan

$154 13.2%

Skopje

$151 13.6% 1.8% $2.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bandar Seri Begawan

$147 12.6%

Skopje

$191 17.1% 30.3% $45

Eating Out

Bandar Seri Begawan

$104 8.9%

Skopje

$150 13.4% 44.5% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Bandar Seri Begawan

$57 4.9%

Skopje

$52 4.7% 7.5% $4.3

Getting Around

Bandar Seri Begawan

$24 2.1%

Skopje

$34 3.1% 42.6% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $728 in Bandar Seri Begawan versus $422 in Skopje. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 103% higher in Bandar Seri Begawan, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27.00 in Bandar Seri Begawan versus $34.00 in Skopje. Groceries tell a different story – $218 in Bandar Seri Begawan vs $210 in Skopje – so Skopje wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇳 Bandar Seri Begawan

🇲🇰 Skopje

🕒 Local time

07:17 7:17 AM

01:17 1:17 AM

6 h behind Bandar Seri Begawan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

50,000 Capital

422,540 Capital

💱 Currency

Brunei Dollar BND $

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

1 BND = 0.782 USD

1 BND = 0.695 EUR

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, USD, EUR to BND – Brunei Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇳 Brunei Dollar ($)

Brunei Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 BND (1 BND = 0.782 USD). 1 EUR = 1.44 BND (1 BND = 0.695 EUR).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 54.55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.33 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to BND in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Bandar Seri Begawan Skopje 9,930 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Bandar Seri Begawan
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

Bandar Seri Begawan vs Skopje: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Bandar Seri Begawan is pricier by about 5%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,755 per month in Bandar Seri Begawan and $1,675 in Skopje. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Skopje, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,170 in Bandar Seri Begawan and $1,117 in Skopje. That's a gap of about 5%.

Public transport costs about 3471% less in Skopje. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Skopje, where all-in costs run around $1,117, than in Bandar Seri Begawan at $1,170. In Skopje it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bandar Seri Begawan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Skopje – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Skopje. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bandar Seri Begawan makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.