Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairo and Skopje

For one person, living is cheaper in Cairo: $643 a month against $1,131 in Skopje, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Cairo
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Cairo Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Skopje
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Skopje Living Index

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Cairo

🇪🇬 Egypt

$643

/mo nomad

Skopje

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$1,131

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $643 per month in Cairo vs $1,131 in Skopje, rent included.

Cairo $643
Skopje $1,131

A couple spends around $1,037 per month in Cairo vs $1,675 in Skopje, rent included.

Cairo $1,037
Skopje $1,675

A family of three spends $1,431 per month in Cairo vs $2,220 in Skopje, rent included.

Cairo $1,431
Skopje $2,220

Cairo is about 43% cheaper than Skopje, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cairo and Skopje are more affordable than the global median – Cairo 52% lower, Skopje 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.69 E£245

$9.58 MKD 523

-51.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.49 E£1,491

$34.25 MKD 1,870

-16.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.03 E£316

$6.45 MKD 352

-6.51%

Cappuccino

$1.81 E£94.8

$2.14 MKD 117

-15.42%

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

$0.35 E£18.18

$1.81 MKD 98.6

-80.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 E£7.95

$1.31 MKD 71.6

-88.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.45 E£76.0

$2.71 MKD 148

-46.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 E£117

$3.11 MKD 170

-27.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 E£50.7

$1.29 MKD 70.2

-24.81%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 E£37.97

$0.74 MKD 40.52

-1.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 E£40.25

$1.84 MKD 100

-58.15%

Eggs

$1.17 E£61.2

$2.52 MKD 138

-53.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.32 E£226

$7.89 MKD 431

-45.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.07 E£265

$7.57 MKD 413

-33.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.92 E£467

$15.00 MKD 819

-40.53%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 E£95.8

$1.48 MKD 80.7

23.65%

Banana (1kg)

$0.75 E£39.08

$1.45 MKD 79.3

-48.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.57 E£29.78

$1.34 MKD 73.1

-57.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.51 E£26.63

$1.95 MKD 106

-73.85%

Potato (1kg)

$0.38 E£20.06

$0.90 MKD 49.14

-57.78%

Onion (1kg)

$0.42 E£21.89

$0.85 MKD 46.22

-50.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 E£18.43

$0.64 MKD 34.67

-45.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.24 E£12.57

$0.55 MKD 29.89

-56.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.99 E£104

$3.52 MKD 192

-43.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.48 E£391

$7.06 MKD 386

5.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 E£79.4

$1.06 MKD 57.9

43.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 E£112

$1.44 MKD 78.9

47.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 E£17.10

$0.75 MKD 41.10

-56.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.66 E£453

$27.74 MKD 1,514

-68.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.37 E£19.27

$1.11 MKD 60.6

-66.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 E£10.65

$0.62 MKD 33.74

-67.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 E£77.8

$7.71 MKD 421

-80.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.46 E£23.95

$1.62 MKD 88.2

-71.60%

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

$32.6K E£1.7M

$34.9K MKD 1.9M

-6.61%

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

$28.4K E£1.5M

$27.7K MKD 1.5M

2.49%

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

$27.54 E£1,441

$153 MKD 8,377

-82.05%

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

$8.27 E£433

$18.75 MKD 1,023

-55.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.05 E£735

$19.33 MKD 1,055

-27.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.27 E£1,480

$38.53 MKD 2,103

-26.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.70 E£350

$17.65 MKD 963

-62.04%

Cinema Ticket

$4.40 E£230

$7.15 MKD 390

-38.46%

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

$121 E£6,357

$358 MKD 19.5K

-66.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,619 E£189.4K

$5,690 MKD 310.6K

-36.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.16 E£2,102

$84.1 MKD 4,592

-52.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.61 E£2,596

$37.22 MKD 2,032

33.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 E£6,034

$103 MKD 5,599

12.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.6 E£3,170

$112 MKD 6,113

-45.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$220 E£11.5K

$416 MKD 22.7K

-47.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$194 E£10.2K

$327 MKD 17.8K

-40.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$514 E£26.9K

$731 MKD 39.9K

-29.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$334 E£17.5K

$497 MKD 27.1K

-32.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$806 E£42.2K

$2,702 MKD 147.5K

-70.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$513 E£26.9K

$1,807 MKD 98.6K

-71.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$200 E£10.5K

$877 MKD 47.9K

-77.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.21

4.23

283.22%

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

Last update for Cairo: October 3, 2026

Last update for Skopje: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cairo

$194 30.1%

Skopje

$327 29.1% 68.3% $133

Groceries & Markets

Cairo

$141 21.9%

Skopje

$211 18.8% 49.5% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Cairo

$120 18.6%

Skopje

$151 13.5% 26.4% $32

Eating Out

Cairo

$91 14.1%

Skopje

$154 13.7% 68.9% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cairo

$50 7.7%

Skopje

$192 17.1% 284% $142

Sport & Entertainment

Cairo

$37 5.8%

Skopje

$53 4.7% 42.5% $16

Getting Around

Cairo

$11 1.8%

Skopje

$35 3.1% 208% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $220 in Cairo versus $416 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 338% higher in Skopje, 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 $28.00 in Cairo versus $34.00 in Skopje. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $141 vs $211 – making Cairo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇬 Cairo

🇲🇰 Skopje

🕒 Local time

08:48 8:48 AM

07:48 7:48 AM

1 h behind Cairo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,120,350 Capital

422,540 Capital

💱 Currency

Egyptian Pound EGP £

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

100 EGP = 1.91 USD

100 EGP = 1.7 EUR

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, USD, EUR to EGP – Egyptian Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇬 Egyptian Pound (£)

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 52.33 EGP (100 EGP = 1.91 USD). 1 EUR = 58.69 EGP (100 EGP = 1.7 EUR).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 54.59 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.23 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to EGP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cairo Skopje 1,590 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Cairo
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

Cairo vs Skopje: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Skopje is pricier by about 76%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $965 per month in Cairo and $1,696 in Skopje. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 50% more in Skopje, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28.00 in Cairo and $34.00 in Skopje. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cairo, where all-in costs run around $643, than in Skopje at $1,131. In Cairo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Skopje it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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