Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bitola and Sveti Nikole

For one person, living costs are similar in Bitola and in Sveti Nikole: $859 and $858 a month, rent and utilities included.

42

Cost of Living Index in Bitola
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Bitola Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Sveti Nikole
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Sveti Nikole Living Index

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Bitola

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$859

/mo nomad

Sveti Nikole

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$858

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bitola and in Sveti Nikole

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Bitola versus $858 in Sveti Nikole.

Bitola $859
Sveti Nikole $858

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,287 in Bitola versus $1,309 in Sveti Nikole.

Bitola $1,287
Sveti Nikole $1,309

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,714 in Bitola versus $1,760 in Sveti Nikole.

Bitola $1,714
Sveti Nikole $1,760

Monthly costs are close between Bitola and Sveti Nikole; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bitola 36% lower, Sveti Nikole 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.25 MKD 286

$8.81 MKD 481

-40.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.59 MKD 1,505

$32.98 MKD 1,799

-16.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.28 MKD 288

$5.36 MKD 292

-1.49%

Cappuccino

$1.89 MKD 103

$1.61 MKD 88.0

17.39%

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

$1.78 MKD 97.0

$1.38 MKD 75.5

28.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MKD 75.4

$1.03 MKD 56.2

33.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 MKD 122

$1.51 MKD 82.2

47.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 MKD 139

$1.85 MKD 101

37.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 MKD 72.1

$1.33 MKD 72.6

-0.75%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 MKD 35.45

$0.55 MKD 30.14

18.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 MKD 90.8

$1.17 MKD 63.8

41.88%

Eggs

$2.01 MKD 110

$2.43 MKD 132

-17.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.70 MKD 529

$9.29 MKD 507

4.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.16 MKD 391

$4.62 MKD 252

54.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 MKD 706

$11.58 MKD 632

11.83%

Apples (1kg)

$1.00 MKD 54.6

$1.29 MKD 70.1

-22.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 MKD 75.8

$1.30 MKD 71.1

6.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.20 MKD 65.7

$1.28 MKD 69.9

-6.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 MKD 86.7

$1.74 MKD 94.7

-8.62%

Potato (1kg)

$0.90 MKD 49.03

$0.74 MKD 40.20

21.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 MKD 70.0

$1.14 MKD 62.2

12.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 MKD 30.20

$0.86 MKD 46.91

-36.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 MKD 28.98

$0.40 MKD 21.64

32.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.20 MKD 175

$3.07 MKD 168

4.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.08 MKD 331

$6.48 MKD 354

-6.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 MKD 51.9

$1.02 MKD 55.9

-6.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 MKD 100

$1.49 MKD 81.3

23.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MKD 30.79

$0.71 MKD 38.82

-21.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.02 MKD 874

$23.57 MKD 1,286

-32.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 MKD 58.9

$1.46 MKD 79.8

-26.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 MKD 33.65

$1.01 MKD 55.2

-38.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.29 MKD 343

$3.65 MKD 199

72.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 MKD 81.3

$1.40 MKD 76.3

6.43%

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

$30.9K MKD 1.7M

$31.4K MKD 1.7M

-1.67%

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

$32.3K MKD 1.8M

$27.7K MKD 1.5M

16.55%

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

$146 MKD 7,982

$127 MKD 6,901

15.66%

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

$14.27 MKD 778

$15.70 MKD 857

-9.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.60 MKD 687

$11.97 MKD 653

5.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.67 MKD 1,182

$21.94 MKD 1,197

-1.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.20 MKD 338

$19.74 MKD 1,077

-68.59%

Cinema Ticket

$4.49 MKD 245

$5.10 MKD 278

-11.96%

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

$212 MKD 11.6K

$280 MKD 15.3K

-24.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,142 MKD 62.3K

$3,095 MKD 168.8K

-63.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.1 MKD 4,095

$72.7 MKD 3,968

3.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.48 MKD 2,590

$31.84 MKD 1,737

49.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.3 MKD 3,943

$82.0 MKD 4,474

-11.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MKD 5,909

$87.4 MKD 4,765

24.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$258 MKD 14.0K

$313 MKD 17.1K

-17.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$188 MKD 10.3K

$207 MKD 11.3K

-9.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$397 MKD 21.7K

$451 MKD 24.6K

-12.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$290 MKD 15.8K

$315 MKD 17.2K

-8.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,665 MKD 90.8K

$1,523 MKD 83.1K

9.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,163 MKD 63.4K

$1,169 MKD 63.8K

-0.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$748 MKD 40.8K

$539 MKD 29.4K

38.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

4.23

52.48%

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

Last update for Bitola: October 12, 2026

Last update for Sveti Nikole: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Bitola

$199 23.1%

Sveti Nikole

$181 21.1% 9% $18

Accommodation & Living

Bitola

$188 21.9%

Sveti Nikole

$207 24.2% 10.1% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bitola

$173 20.2%

Sveti Nikole

$154 18% 11% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Bitola

$136 15.9%

Sveti Nikole

$123 14.4% 9.6% $13

Eating Out

Bitola

$109 12.7%

Sveti Nikole

$127 14.8% 15.9% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Bitola

$31 3.6%

Sveti Nikole

$32 3.8% 4.9% $1.5

Getting Around

Bitola

$22 2.6%

Sveti Nikole

$33 3.8% 46.8% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $258 in Bitola and $313 in Sveti Nikole. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bitola pays 39% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $28.00 in Bitola vs $33.00 in Sveti Nikole. Groceries flip the comparison at $199 vs $181, with Sveti Nikole cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇰 Bitola

🇲🇰 Sveti Nikole

🕒 Local time

20:27 8:27 PM

Same time as Bitola

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,550

13,220

💱 Currency

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Bitola Sveti Nikole 110 km

From you

Bitola
Sveti Nikole

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

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

Average pay runs 39% higher in Bitola, 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: $258 in Bitola versus $313 in Sveti Nikole. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sveti Nikole runs roughly 47% less than in Bitola. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Bitola. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Sveti Nikole gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Bitola and Sveti Nikole are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Sveti Nikole wins on affordability, Bitola on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.