Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Skopje

For one person, living is cheaper in Skopje: $1,131 a month against $1,685 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
Learn more

Buenos Aires Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Skopje
Learn more

Skopje Living Index

Jump to prices

Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

Skopje

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$1,131

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $1,131 in Skopje.

Buenos Aires $1,685
Skopje $1,131

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,742 in Buenos Aires versus $1,675 in Skopje.

Buenos Aires $2,742
Skopje $1,675

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,799 in Buenos Aires versus $2,220 in Skopje.

Buenos Aires $3,799
Skopje $2,220

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 49% more expensive than in Skopje, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 26% above, Skopje is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

$9.58 MKD 525

95.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 ARS 97.8K

$34.25 MKD 1,877

88.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

$6.45 MKD 353

99.69%

Cappuccino

$3.98 ARS 6,029

$2.14 MKD 117

85.98%

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

$2.05 ARS 3,103

$1.81 MKD 98.9

13.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ARS 2,349

$1.31 MKD 71.9

18.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ARS 5,830

$2.71 MKD 149

41.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 ARS 6,970

$3.11 MKD 171

47.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ARS 2,181

$1.29 MKD 70.4

11.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ARS 3,738

$0.74 MKD 40.67

232.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 ARS 2,467

$1.84 MKD 101

-11.41%

Eggs

$2.89 ARS 4,385

$2.52 MKD 138

14.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

$7.89 MKD 433

34.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$7.57 MKD 415

32.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

$15.00 MKD 822

-8.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ARS 4,166

$1.48 MKD 81.0

85.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ARS 3,300

$1.45 MKD 79.6

50.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,205

$1.34 MKD 73.4

8.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ARS 3,013

$1.95 MKD 107

2.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,885

$0.90 MKD 49.33

37.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,921

$0.85 MKD 46.40

49.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 ARS 2,575

$0.64 MKD 34.81

165.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ARS 2,617

$0.55 MKD 30.01

214.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 ARS 6,337

$3.52 MKD 193

18.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 ARS 8,790

$7.06 MKD 387

-17.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ARS 3,163

$1.06 MKD 58.1

97.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ARS 4,198

$1.44 MKD 79.2

92.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,132

$0.75 MKD 41.26

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

$27.74 MKD 1,520

-2.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,451

$1.11 MKD 60.8

45.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,481

$0.62 MKD 33.87

58.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

$7.71 MKD 422

0.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ARS 2,058

$1.62 MKD 88.5

-16.05%

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

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

$34.9K MKD 1.9M

-19.82%

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

$34.5K ARS 52.4M

$27.7K MKD 1.5M

24.63%

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

$216 ARS 326.9K

$153 MKD 8,410

40.47%

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

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

$18.75 MKD 1,027

36.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.36 ARS 47.6K

$19.33 MKD 1,059

62.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.82 ARS 75.6K

$38.53 MKD 2,111

29.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

$17.65 MKD 967

-3.34%

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

$7.15 MKD 392

45.87%

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

$466 ARS 706.7K

$358 MKD 19.6K

30.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

$5,690 MKD 311.8K

59.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 ARS 185.2K

$84.1 MKD 4,610

45.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.4 ARS 147.8K

$37.22 MKD 2,040

161.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ARS 177.4K

$103 MKD 5,620

14.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 ARS 211.9K

$112 MKD 6,136

24.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 ARS 1.2M

$416 MKD 22.8K

83.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 ARS 766.1K

$327 MKD 17.9K

54.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

$731 MKD 40.1K

118.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

$497 MKD 27.2K

138.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

$2,702 MKD 148.1K

-0.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

$1,807 MKD 99.0K

2.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$954 ARS 1.4M

$877 MKD 48.1K

8.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

4.23

1253.43%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Last update for Skopje: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4%

Skopje

$327 29.1% 35.3% $178

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1%

Skopje

$211 18.8% 25.6% $73

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8%

Skopje

$154 13.7% 44.9% $125

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4%

Skopje

$192 17.1% 29.7% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9%

Skopje

$151 13.5% 29.5% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Skopje

$53 4.7% 25.3% $18

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Skopje

$35 3.1% 4.6% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $763 in Buenos Aires and $416 in Skopje. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 9% 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: $64.0 in Buenos Aires vs $34.00 in Skopje for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $211 per month, with Skopje cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇲🇰 Skopje

🕒 Local time

09:14 9:14 AM

14:14 2:14 PM

5 h ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

422,540 Capital

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

100 MKD = 1.82 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 54.8 MKD (100 MKD = 1.82 USD). 1 EUR = 61.41 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Buenos Aires Skopje 11,770 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
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

Buenos Aires vs Skopje: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Skopje differ by about 49% in total monthly costs ($1,685 vs $1,131 including rent). Skopje is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 9% higher in Buenos Aires, 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: $763 in Buenos Aires versus $416 in Skopje. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $466 in Buenos Aires versus $358 in Skopje. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Buenos Aires. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,131 in Skopje versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Skopje but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Skopje the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Buenos Aires and Skopje 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 Skopje gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.