Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cartagena and Skopje

For one person, living is cheaper in Skopje: $1,112 a month against $1,436 in Cartagena, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cartagena outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Skopje
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Skopje Living Index

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Cartagena

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,436

/mo nomad

Skopje

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$1,112

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,436 per month in Cartagena vs $1,112 in Skopje, rent included.

Cartagena $1,436
Skopje $1,112

A couple spends around $2,531 per month in Cartagena vs $1,657 in Skopje, rent included.

Cartagena $2,531
Skopje $1,657

A family of three spends $3,626 per month in Cartagena vs $2,202 in Skopje, rent included.

Cartagena $3,626
Skopje $2,202

Cartagena costs about 29% more than Skopje, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Cartagena sits 6% above the global median, while Skopje is 18% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.80 COP 18.3K

$9.68 MKD 534

-40.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$139 COP 437.1K

$34.35 MKD 1,894

304.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.04 COP 31.6K

$6.52 MKD 360

53.99%

Cappuccino

$4.36 COP 13.7K

$2.14 MKD 118

103.74%

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

$2.55 COP 8,035

$1.81 MKD 99.8

40.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 COP 7,434

$1.38 MKD 76.1

71.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.2K

$2.68 MKD 148

20.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.92 COP 15.5K

$3.03 MKD 167

62.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 COP 6,053

$1.28 MKD 70.4

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.86 COP 9,004

$0.74 MKD 40.87

286.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 COP 4,673

$1.85 MKD 102

-19.46%

Eggs

$5.02 COP 15.8K

$2.50 MKD 138

100.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 COP 41.7K

$8.11 MKD 447

63.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.33 COP 54.5K

$7.36 MKD 406

135.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.00 MKD 827

Apples (1kg)

$1.43 MKD 78.7

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 MKD 77.5

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 MKD 72.4

Tomato (1kg)

$1.86 MKD 103

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 MKD 48.43

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 MKD 42.84

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 MKD 34.73

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 COP 6,453

$0.59 MKD 32.41

247.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.36 MKD 185

Wine (Bottle)

$14.43 COP 45.4K

$7.48 MKD 412

92.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,424

$1.06 MKD 58.5

33.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 MKD 82.5

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,906

$0.71 MKD 38.92

74.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 COP 207.9K

$25.73 MKD 1,418

156.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.74 COP 14.9K

$1.08 MKD 59.3

338.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.75 COP 11.8K

$0.57 MKD 31.68

557.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.54 COP 30.0K

$7.50 MKD 413

27.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 COP 4,221

$1.59 MKD 87.6

-15.72%

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

$34.2K COP 107.5M

$34.3K MKD 1.9M

-0.41%

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

$35.0K COP 110.1M

$26.1K MKD 1.4M

34.30%

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

$79.2 COP 249.3K

$158 MKD 8,729

-49.96%

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

$18.80 MKD 1,036

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.20 MKD 1,058

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.3 COP 177.2K

$37.03 MKD 2,041

52.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.35 MKD 956

Cinema Ticket

$7.98 COP 25.1K

$7.44 MKD 410

7.26%

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

$625 COP 2.0M

$369 MKD 20.3K

69.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,818 COP 18.3M

$5,668 MKD 312.4K

2.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 MKD 4,717

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.99 MKD 2,039

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MKD 5,594

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 MKD 6,189

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,374 COP 4.3M

$394 MKD 21.7K

249.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$755 COP 2.4M

$314 MKD 17.3K

140.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,402 COP 7.6M

$715 MKD 39.4K

236.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,602 COP 5.0M

$483 MKD 26.6K

231.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,745 MKD 151.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$955 COP 3.0M

$1,844 MKD 101.6K

-48.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$466 COP 1.5M

$876 MKD 48.3K

-46.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.23

254.61%

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

Last update for Cartagena: October 25, 2026

Last update for Skopje: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cartagena

–

Skopje

$314 28.2%

Groceries & Markets

Cartagena

–

Skopje

$211 19%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cartagena

–

Skopje

$196 17.7%

Eating Out

Cartagena

–

Skopje

$155 13.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Cartagena

–

Skopje

$151 13.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Cartagena

–

Skopje

$52 4.7%

Getting Around

Cartagena

–

Skopje

$33 2.9%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,374 in Cartagena versus $394 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 88% higher in Skopje, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $139 in Cartagena versus $34 in Skopje. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $261 vs $211 – making Skopje the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Cartagena

🇲🇰 Skopje

🕒 Local time

16:05 4:05 PM

22:05 10:05 PM

6 h ahead of Cartagena

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,028,736

422,540 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

100 MKD = 1.81 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 55.12 MKD (100 MKD = 1.81 USD). 1 EUR = 61.36 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cartagena Skopje 9,800 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cartagena
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

Cartagena vs Skopje: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cartagena costs about 29% more than Skopje, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,154 per month in Cartagena and $1,667 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $394 there versus $1,374 in Cartagena.

Kindergarten costs $625 per month in Cartagena and $369 in Skopje. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 24% more in Cartagena, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,436 in Cartagena and $1,112 in Skopje. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Skopje costs $1,112 versus $1,436 in Cartagena. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

For expats, Skopje is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 23% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.