Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and North Macedonia

Name: North Macedonia
Address: MK

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $789 a month against $930 in North Macedonia, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in China
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China Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in North Macedonia
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North Macedonia Living Index

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🇨🇳 China

$789

/mo nomad

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$930

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in China and in North Macedonia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $789 in China versus $930 in North Macedonia.

China $789
North Macedonia $930

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,254 in China versus $1,383 in North Macedonia.

China $1,254
North Macedonia $1,383

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,720 in China versus $1,836 in North Macedonia.

China $1,720
North Macedonia $1,836

Internal cost variation is higher in China: monthly costs span $468 to $1,246, compared to $731–$1,074 in North Macedonia. City choice carries more weight in China.

Living in China costs about 15% less than in North Macedonia on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 42% lower, North Macedonia 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.04 ¥20.28

$7.13 MKD 388

-57.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.12 ¥148

$26.99 MKD 1,470

-18.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 ¥35.81

$5.41 MKD 295

-0.74%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ¥19.57

$1.69 MKD 92.3

73.37%

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

$0.48 ¥3.22

$1.61 MKD 87.8

-70.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.01

$1.23 MKD 66.8

-75.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.07 ¥7.17

$2.24 MKD 122

-52.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ¥14.72

$2.77 MKD 151

-20.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥12.03

$1.31 MKD 71.2

37.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.78

$0.72 MKD 39.18

125.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ¥6.59

$1.59 MKD 86.8

-37.74%

Eggs

$1.62 ¥10.81

$2.21 MKD 121

-26.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.44 ¥89.6

$7.86 MKD 428

70.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.46 ¥23.08

$6.54 MKD 357

-47.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.15 ¥74.4

$12.20 MKD 664

-8.61%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 ¥12.62

$1.16 MKD 63.0

62.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.74

$1.45 MKD 78.9

-9.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥9.98

$1.33 MKD 72.6

12.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.34 ¥8.92

$1.82 MKD 99.3

-26.37%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.77

$0.88 MKD 47.93

-18.18%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.22

$1.01 MKD 54.9

-7.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ¥4.36

$0.62 MKD 34.02

4.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.99

$0.55 MKD 29.83

9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 ¥25.47

$3.30 MKD 180

15.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.18 ¥81.2

$5.50 MKD 299

121.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ¥6.05

$1.01 MKD 55.2

-9.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥10.98

$1.36 MKD 74.2

21.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$0.76 MKD 41.14

-61.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.07 ¥121

$25.85 MKD 1,408

-30.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ¥10.24

$1.28 MKD 69.9

19.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.47

$0.71 MKD 38.86

-47.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.69 ¥44.65

$7.44 MKD 405

-10.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ¥8.51

$1.46 MKD 79.4

-12.33%

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

$19.7K ¥131.7K

$33.6K MKD 1.8M

-41.30%

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

$17.5K ¥116.4K

$27.9K MKD 1.5M

-37.45%

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

$55.3 ¥369

$144 MKD 7,867

-61.69%

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

$8.32 ¥55.5

$17.18 MKD 936

-51.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.12 ¥74.2

$16.96 MKD 924

-34.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.65 ¥265

$27.09 MKD 1,476

46.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.17 ¥101

$14.74 MKD 803

2.92%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 ¥44.34

$6.53 MKD 356

1.84%

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

$514 ¥3,431

$286 MKD 15.6K

79.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.9K ¥232.9K

$7,525 MKD 410.0K

363.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.85 ¥306

$66.4 MKD 3,618

-30.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.41 ¥236

$37.55 MKD 2,045

-5.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.0 ¥507

$86.6 MKD 4,720

-12.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.0 ¥534

$101 MKD 5,503

-20.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$380 ¥2,532

$297 MKD 16.2K

27.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$232 ¥1,546

$235 MKD 12.8K

-1.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$836 ¥5,574

$538 MKD 29.3K

55.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ¥3,080

$360 MKD 19.6K

28.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,743 ¥31.6K

$1,888 MKD 102.9K

151.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,383 ¥15.9K

$1,309 MKD 71.3K

82.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,117 ¥7,450

$736 MKD 40.1K

51.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.45

4.69

-26.44%

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

Last update for China: November 1, 2026

Last update for North Macedonia: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

China

$232 29.4%

North Macedonia

$235 25.2% 1.2% $2.8

Groceries & Markets

China

$212 26.8%

North Macedonia

$190 20.4% 10.3% $22

Clothing & Footwear

China

$107 13.5%

North Macedonia

$131 14.1% 22.9% $24

Eating Out

China

$89 11.2%

North Macedonia

$122 13.1% 37.4% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

China

$75 9.5%

North Macedonia

$179 19.2% 139% $104

Sport & Entertainment

China

$53 6.7%

North Macedonia

$40 4.3% 24.2% $13

Getting Around

China

$23 2.9%

North Macedonia

$34 3.6% 49.1% $11

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $298 in China, $273 in North Macedonia. Capital cities: $942 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $382 in Skopje.

National salary averages: $881 in China, $640 in North Macedonia. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 9% higher in China.

Dining out costs 23% more in North Macedonia.

Public transport is 33% more expensive in North Macedonia.

Salaries are 38% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇨🇳 China

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

🕒 Local time

05:03 5:03 AM

22:03 10:03 PM

7 h behind China

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,442,965,000

1,836,713

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

100 MKD = 1.84 USD

100 MKD = 1.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 6.67 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.43 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 54.48 MKD (100 MKD = 1.84 USD). 1 EUR = 60.71 MKD (100 MKD = 1.65 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

China North Macedonia 7,520 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

China
North Macedonia

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

China vs North Macedonia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $789 per month in China and $930 in North Macedonia, China comes out about 15% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Overall, China is the cheaper option, but not in every category: rent, groceries, transport, and eating out each follow their own pattern. Check the categories you spend the most on before deciding.

It depends on what you’re after: China wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.